Tag: casualties.

Mumbai News: 7 Dead, 39 Injured After Massive Fire Breaks Out In Goregaon Building; Visuals Surface

More than 30 people were rescued after the level 2 fire broke out in the building. Rescued people were immediately rushed to different hospitals, informed BMC.

Mumbai News: 7 Dead, 39 Injured After Massive Fire Breaks Out In Goregaon Building; Visuals Surface |

Mumbai: A massive fire broke out in a seven-storeyed building in Mumbai’s Goregoan in the wee hours of Friday. Seven people lost their lives in the fire, while the condition of a few others is said to be critical, ANI reported. Visuals of the fire have surfaced on the internet.

The fire that broke out around 3 am at Jay Bhavani building, on MG Road, near Azad Maidan, was in the Level 2 category, officials informed.

Injured People Were Rushed To Nearby Hospitals

More than 30 people were rescued after the level 2 fire broke out in the building. Rescued people were immediately rushed to different hospitals, informed BMC. Till now, out of a total of 46 people injured in the fire, 7 of them have lost their lives and 39 are under treatment in HBT and Cooper Hospital, said Mumbai Police.

Fire Department’s Extensive Efforts

According to the information received by the fire department, the fire was confined to shops, scrap materials, parked two-wheeler & four-wheeler vehicles, meter cabin, rags, plywood and other materials. Fire department undertook an extensive operation using 6 hose lines of 8 motor pumps in order to douse off the fire. They were finally successful as the fire was completely extinguished at around 6:54 am in the morning.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragic incident. “Pained to know about loss of lives in the fire incident at Goregaon, Mumbai. We are in touch with BMC & Mumbai Police officials & all the assistance is being provided. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and wishing speedy recovery to the injured ones,” said Fadnavis in an update on social media platform X.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-news-6-dead-over-30-rescued-after-massive-fire-breaks-out-in-goregaon-building-visuals-surface

 

At least 10 migrants killed, 25 injured in Mexico truck accident

Thousands of migrants from different countries travel across Mexico in buses, trailers and freight trains in bid to reach the US.

At least 10 migrants have been killed and 25 others injured after a cargo truck clandestinely carrying them overturned on a highway in southern Mexico.

The accident took place early on Sunday in the Mexican state of Chiapas near the border with Guatemala.

A source in the prosecutor’s office who spoke on grounds of anonymity told AFP news agency the victims were apparently from Cuba and all were women, including one minor.

The incident occurred on a stretch of highway along the Pacific coast between the towns of Pijijiapan and Tonala, where people often travel as they attempt to reach the United States.

The truck, whose body was partially built of wood, was destroyed, with the migrants’ clothes, bags and backpacks strewn around it.

Thousands of migrants from different countries travel across Mexico in buses, trailers and freight trains as they head for the US.

It was the second fatal crash in less than a week involving migrants in Mexico. On Thursday, two migrants died when a truck overturned in the municipality of Mezcalapa, also in Chiapas state.

In August, at least 15 people were killed when a crowded bus carrying primarily Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers collided with a trailer on a highway in Mexico that connects the states of Puebla and Oaxaca, a route known to be used by migrant smugglers.

In July, another bus in Oaxaca plunged off a steep road, killing as many as 27 people. Another 18 people were killed in a crash in April. And in February, migrants from Venezuela, Colombia, and Central America were involved in a bus crash, again between Oaxaca and Puebla, that left at least 17 dead.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/1/at-least-10-migrants-killed-25-injured-in-mexico-truck-accident

 

Mexico church: Nine dead and 20 trapped after Tamaulipas roof collapse

Nine people are reported to have been killed and some 20 others trapped after a church roof collapsed in Mexico.

Local media said 49 people were taken to hospital, after the roof of Ciudad Madero’s Santa Cruz church fell in.

Police in the coastal state of Tamaulipas said around 100 people were at a mass at the time of the collapse. Local media reported it was a baptism.

A number of children are believed to be amongst those trapped and rescue efforts are ongoing.

Images on social media showed the church building in ruins as people crowded around the rubble, desperately searching for those who were trapped inside.

Local journalist Franc Contreras told the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme that the collapse happened at a key moment in the church service.

“The church was packed with about a hundred people, and people were lined up to take the communion – of course that’s sort of the climax of the Catholic mass – and that’s when the roof came down on top of them; bricks, concrete, and of course steel support structures coming down on top of the people,” he said.

He added that according to Red Cross officials the roof came down on pews in the church, allowing the possibility that anyone trapped there could survive in air pockets.

People were said to be arriving with shovels and pickaxes to try to move the debris.

Later posts showed the emergency services were at the scene, following the collapse on Sunday afternoon.

Calls were made on social media for medical and rescue materials to help those searching for survivors.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66979447

Spain: At least 13 people killed in nightclub fire in Murcia

Emergency services have warned the number of dead may rise as they search the site of the blaze in Murcia, southeast Spain.

At least 13 people have died in a nightclub fire in Murcia in southeast Spain, officials have said.

Rescuers are still searching for people unaccounted for after the blaze broke out in the early hours of the morning.

The fire tore through three adjoining nightclubs.

Pic: X/@BomberosMurcia

Four people were injured and the number of dead could rise, Murcia’s emergency services said.

Video posted by Murcia’s fire service on X, formerly Twitter, showed firefighters working to control flames inside the nightclub.

The fire had destroyed part of the roof, the footage showed.

Diego Seral, of Spain’s National Police, told reporters the collapse was making it difficult to locate victims, and it was hard to pinpoint yet where exactly the fire started.

The identification of the bodies would take time, he said.

Outside the club, young people hugged, looking shocked as they waited for information about those missing.

“I think we left 30 seconds to one minute before the alarms went off and all the lights went out [and] the screams saying there was a fire,” one survivor, who was not identified, said.

“Five family members and two friends are missing.”

Pic: X/@BomberosMurcia

A spokesperson for the Teatre nightclub, Maria Dolores Albellan, told reporters the fire originated in the neighbouring club, Fonda Milagros, before spreading to the two adjoining clubs.

Spanish media reported several birthday celebrations were taking place at the time.

Murcia mayor Jose Ballesta said they were working to establish the cause of the blaze.

“We are devastated,” he said on Spanish TV channel 24h.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/at-least-six-people-killed-in-nightclub-fire-in-spain-12974025

Suicide bombings at two mosques in Pakistan kill at least 57

Suicide bombings ripped through two mosques in Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 57 people, including seven children, as believers marked the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, police and health officials said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, from which the death toll could climb, with many people seriously injured and others having been trapped beneath the wreckage.

In the first blast, in Mastung in the southwestern province of Balochistan, the bomber detonated his explosives near a police vehicle where people were gathering for a procession, senior police official Munir Ahmed said.

At least 52 people were killed, according to district health official Abdul Rasheed, including the children who were aged nine to 11. At least 58 people were injured.

“The injured were crying for help,” witness Munir Ahmed Shahwani said.

“I saw at least 25 bodies on the spot, which included small children,” he said, adding people were looking for their loved ones.

A deputy superintendent of police was among those killed as he oversaw security arrangements in the area, police said.

“Nawaz Gishkori tried to stop the suicide bomber, but he blew himself up after getting close to him,” Javed Lehri, a senior police officer said.

The gathering, in which people were carrying flags and banners, was at a mosque belonging to the Barelvi sect, generally considered more moderate than hardline Islamic sects such as Salafism.

Some hardline sects consider veneration of the Prophet Mohammad as heresy.

People gather outside the Mastung hospital, following a deadly suicide attack on a religious gathering in Balochistan province, Pakistan, September 29, 2023 in this handout image. Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital Mastung/Handout via REUTERS

The second attack, in neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed five people at a mosque, according to rescue officials. The roof collapsed, broadcaster Geo News said, trapping about 30 to 40 people under the rubble.

The attack involved two explosions, one of which was at the mosque gate and the other in the compound, an official said.

A surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces has cast a shadow on election preparations and public campaigning in the run-up to January’s national election, but until now the attacks had mostly targeted security forces.

Both provinces border Afghanistan and have suffered attacks in recent years by Islamist militants aiming to overthrow Pakistan’s government and install their own brand of strict Islamic law.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/blast-southwest-pakistan-kills-13-more-than-50-injured-police-2023-09-29

Nagorno-Karabakh: Explosion kills 68 – as thousands flee over ethnic cleansing fears

The blast reportedly struck as people tried to fill up their cars to flee. Thousands of ethnic Armenians are leaving the disputed territory after it was reclaimed in a lightning offensive by the Azerbaijani military last week.

The blast occurred as people were lining up for fuel

At least 68 people have been killed and 105 more are missing after a powerful blast at a fuel depot in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Azerbaijani media.

The explosion happened as people fleeing the disputed region to Armenia lined up for fuel, separatist authorities said.

Earlier, 20 people were confirmed to have died. It is not immediately clear what caused the blast.

Hundreds of others were reportedly injured in the explosion which happened near the regional capital of Stepanakert on Monday.

Thousands of ethnic Armenians are leaving the territory, saying they fear ethnic cleansing after the Azerbaijani military reclaimed control of it last week.

Lightning operation

The Azerbaijani military took control of the region in a 24-hour lightning operation last week, ending three decades of separatist rule.

At least 19,000 of the 120,000 resident ethnic Armenians have fled to Armenia so far, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency as saying. That amounts to roughly 16% of the population.

Armenia claims the mass exodus is due to a fear of reprisals – something strongly denied by Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has vowed to respect the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region and to restore supplies after a 10-month blockade.

Those lining up at the fuel facility were reportedly waiting for gas. It has been a scarcity alongside basic food and supplies since the blockade, according to Armenia.

The US has called on Azerbaijan to protect the rights of civilians.

“We are calling on Azerbaijan to maintain the ceasefire and take concrete steps to protect the rights of civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh,” US Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power told reporters in Armenia’s capital Yerevan.

“We have heard very troubling reports of violence against civilians. At the same time given the chaos here and the trauma, the gathering of testimonies… of the people who have come across is something that is just beginning,” Ms Power said.

The Azerbaijani offensive last week forced separatist authorities to agree to lay down weapons and start talks on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/nagorno-karabakh-explosion-kills-20-and-injures-hundreds-as-thousands-flee-over-ethnic-cleansing-fears-12970161

More than 100 dead, 150 injured in Iraq wedding inferno

A view of a site following a fatal fire at a wedding celebration, in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq’s Nineveh province, Iraq, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Abdullah Rashid

More than 100 people were killed and 150 injured in a fire at a wedding party in Hamdaniya district in Iraq’s Nineveh province that left civil defence searching the charred skeleton of a building for survivors into the early hours of Wednesday.

Nineveh Deputy Governor Hassan al-Allaq told Reuters that 113 people had been confirmed dead, with state media putting the death toll at at least 100, with 150 people injured.

The fire ripped through a large events hall in the north-eastern region after fireworks were lit during the celebration, local civil defence said, according to state media.

“We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn’t got stuck. Even those who made their way out were broken,” said Imad Yohana, a 34-year-old who escaped the inferno.

Video from a Reuters correspondent at the site showed firefighters clambering over the charred wreckage of the building, shining lights over smouldering ruins.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/least-9-killed-25-injured-fire-wedding-celebration-iraq-health-security-source-2023-09-26/

Libya asks for international help as 2,000 people feared dead in flood after Storm Daniel sweeps across country

Many of the thousands who are currently unaccounted for are believed to have been swept away by the floodwater after Storm Daniel caused immense damage.

Libya has asked for international help with around 2,000 people feared dead after a massive flood ripped through the city of Derna following a powerful storm.

Mediterranean Storm Daniel has caused catastrophic flooding, resulting in the complete engulfing of entire neighbourhoods after it hit the country’s eastern region.

On Monday night, Libya’s government declared the eastern Cyrenaica province as a disaster area.

Earlier, the head of the Red Crescent aid group in the region claimed the number of confirmed dead was 150, with that figure expected to rise to 250.

Pic: Libya Almasar TV/AP

In a phone interview with al Masar television station Monday, Prime Minister Ossama Hamad of the east Libyan government said that 2,000 were feared dead in Derna, and thousands were believed missing.

Ahmed al Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) that controls eastern Libya, said the disaster came after dams above Derna collapsed, “sweeping whole neighbourhoods with their residents into the sea”.

He said the number of those who had died was over 2,000 and estimated the number of missing individuals to be between 5,000 and 6,000.

Abdel-Rahim Mazek, the head of the primary medical centre in the eastern town of Bayda, has so far reported at least 46 deaths.

In the northeastern coastal town of Susa, the ambulance and emergency service confirmed the loss of seven lives.

And in the towns of Shahatt and Omar al Mokhtar, health minister Ossama Abduljaleel reported seven more deaths.

Meanwhile, one person was reported dead in the town of Marj on Sunday.

Libya remains politically divided between its eastern and western regions, and the public services have deteriorated since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, which triggered years of ongoing conflict.

The internationally recognised government in Tripoli does not exercise control over the eastern territories.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/libya-asks-for-international-help-as-2000-people-feared-dead-in-flood-after-being-hit-by-storm-daniel-12959408

Russian strike leaves 17 dead during Blinken’s visit to Ukraine

Pic : https://www.nbcnews.com/

A Russian missile strike killed 17 people at an outdoor market just hours after Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The secretary of state announced more than $1 billion in new US aid for Ukraine.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.in/videos/news/russian-strike-leaves-17-dead-during-blinkens-visit-to-ukraine/videoshow/103480532.cms

Powerful earthquake kills at least 296 people in Morocco

The earthquake struck late on Friday – damaging homes in major cities and sending panicked people pouring into the streets. Reports suggest some buildings in Marrakech have collapsed.

At least 296 people have been killed following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Morocco, officials have said.

Many of the fatalities are said to be in hard-to-reach areas south of Marrakech.

Many buildings have been reduced to rubble in Marrakech. Pic: Al Oula TV

The earthquake struck late on Friday – damaging buildings in major cities and sending panicked people pouring into the streets.

At least 153 people were injured and are being treated in hospital.

Witnesses in Marrakech told the Reuters news agency that some buildings have collapsed, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Big cracks were seen in a section of the medieval city’s walls.

Local television stations broadcast pictures of a fallen mosque minaret, with rubble lying on smashed cars. Others were seen screaming as they ran out of shopping centres and restaurants.

Officials are working to clear roads so ambulances and aid can reach those affected – but large distances between mountain villages mean it will take time to learn the full extent of the damage.

Montasir Itri, a resident in the mountain village of Asni not far from the epicentre, said most houses were damaged – adding: “Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village.”

Aftershocks have been reported – with men, women and children staying out in the streets, frightened of further quakes.

According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre was high in the Atlas Mountains – about 43 miles (70km) away from Marrakech, a popular tourist destination.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/earthquake-in-morocco-has-killed-dozens-of-people-officials-say-12957757

Speeding car crashes into truck in Vasai; 3 dead

Three lost their lives, two survived in the accident. Pics/Hanif Patel

Three members of the family were killed and two others were left injured as the speeding car they were travelling in jumped the divider and crashed into the truck coming from the opposite side on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway on Wednesday morning. The Valiv police station has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the car driver.

According to an official, “The driver was speeding, and the car initially collided with the road divider before crashing into a truck on the opposite side of the road.” The truck driver shared his account with the police, saying, “Around 6 in the morning, a Maruti Dzire approached from the opposite direction and collided with my truck. There were five people in the car, of which three lost their lives, and two survived. The accident caused significant damage to both the car and the truck.”

The driver of the car, identified as Gordhan Sharma, is currently in the ICU. The incident occurred on September 6, around 6 am, near Satvali bridge’s Bajrang Dhaba. The car, initially headed towards Ahmedabad, collided with the road divider, veering in the opposite direction. A truck bound for Mumbai then collided with the car, resulting in the outcome, as stated by the police. The driver allegedly lost control of the car due to reckless driving.

Source: https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/speeding-car-crashes-into-truck-in-vasai-3-dead-23307702

Ukraine war latest: ‘Evil’ attack on market kills at least 17; Romania admits parts of Russian drone ‘may have hit its territory’

The Ukrainian president has condemned an “utterly heinous” attack on a market that killed at least 17 people, including a child. And the Romanian defence minister has said that debris found may be from a Russian drone attack.

‘This war began several centuries ago’
New Ukrainian defence minister, Rustem Umerov, has explained why he is so focused on winning the war against Russia, saying Moscow occupied his homeland of Crimea many centuries ago.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “For me, this war did not begin in 2022, and not even in 2014.

“For my family and the Crimean Tatar people, the war with Russia began several centuries ago, when Moscow first occupied my native Crimea.

“I was born after my family had been deported, and as a child lived through the hardships brought about by Russian colonialism, which attempted to make indigenous Crimean Tatar people feel as though they were aliens on their own land.

“They did not succeed back then, and they will never succeed. Our main goal today is to win the war.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-russia-war-latest-drone-romania-defence-minister-12541713

Russia says it thwarted attacks on Crimea leaving at least three dead

A key supply route for Kremlin forces in the war with Ukraine, the Kerch Bridge has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion

A picture taken from a video shows an explosion near Bakhmut.
Twitter

Russia’s defence ministry said early on Saturday that its forces destroyed three Ukrainian naval drones being used in an attempt to attack a key bridge linking Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea, forcing its temporary closure for a third time in less than a year.

One naval drone was destroyed late on Friday and two others early on Saturday morning, according to Russia’s defence ministry. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials.

A key supply route for Kremlin forces in the war with Ukraine, the Kerch Bridge has come under repeated attack since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

An explosion in October, which Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb, left three people dead. A further attack on the bridge in July, killing a couple and seriously wounding their daughter, left a span of the roadway hanging perilously.

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/russia-says-it-thwarted-attacks-on-crimea-leaving-at-least-three-dead/cid/1963481

9 Pak forces men killed, 17 injured in suicide blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A suicide bomber on a motorbike struck a security forces convoy in the Mali Khel area, The Pakistan Telegraph reported on Thursday.

Suicide blast in Pakistan. (Source: File photo)

At least nine security personnel were killed and 17 others were injured in a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, reported Dawn News on Thursday.

A suicide bomber on a motorbike struck a security forces convoy in the Mali Khel area, The Pakistan Telegraph quoted police sources as saying.

Pakistan’s caretaker PM Anwaar ul Haq Kakar expressed grief over the Bannu division incident. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kakar wrote, “Heartbroken by the loss of 9 valiant soldiers in Bannu Division, KPK, to a cowardly terrorist act that injured many. Such acts are utterly reprehensible. My thoughts are with the families of the martyred and injured. Pakistan stands resolute against such terror.”

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/suicide-blast-death-toll-pakistan-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-2429341-2023-08-31

4 of family killed as fire breaks out at electric hardware shop in Pune

The incident took place at 5.25 am in the shop located in Pooja Heights building at Purna Nagar in Chikhli area of Pimpri Chinchwad, officials said.

Credit: PTI Videograb

Four members of a family, including two minors, were killed after a fire broke out at an electric hardware shop in Pimpri Chinchwad town of Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday morning, fire officials said.

The incident took place at 5.25 am in the shop located in Pooja Heights building at Purna Nagar in Chikhli area of Pimpri Chinchwad, they said.

“So far, bodies of four people, who were sleeping on the mezzanine of the hardware shop located on the building’s ground floor, have been recovered,” a fire official from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation said.

The blaze has been extinguished and cooling process is on, he said.

Officials said a short-circuit may have caused the fire. However, an investigation is on, they added The deceased have been identified as Chimnaram Chowdhary (48), Namrata Chimnaram Chowdhary (40), Bhavesh Chowdhary (15) and Sachin Choudhary (13), the officials said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/at-least-four-dead-in-fire-at-electronics-store-in-maharashtras-pune-2665850

Four dead, dozens missing in China rainstorms

A woman shelters from the rain with an umbrella in Beijing on Jul 31, 2023. (File Photo: AFP/Pedro Pardo)

Four people were killed and dozens are still missing after rainstorms buffeted southwestern China last week, state media reported on Wednesday (Aug 30).

Severe downpours hit Jinyang, a mountainous county in Sichuan province, on Aug 21, but the extent of the damage was not immediately reported.

Over a week after the rains, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday the storms triggered floods that struck a steel processing site where more than 200 people were working.

“At present, the floods have caused four deaths and left 48 people missing, and rescue work is ongoing,” CCTV reported.

It added that five people had been detained on suspicion of “failing to report or falsely reporting a safety incident”.

President Xi Jinping ordered officials to “do all they can to search for the missing people … and comfort their families”, CCTV said.

The incident “should be completely investigated and the responsible parties dealt with according to law”, Xi reportedly said.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/china-rainstorms-four-dead-dozens-missing-3734161

Tamil Nadu: 8 Dead, 20 Injured After Parked Tourist Train Catches Fire In Madurai; Horrific Visuals Surface

As per reports, around eight people have lost their lives and around 20 people are reported injured in the incident.

Train Catches Fire In Madurai | Twitter

In a shocking incident, a massive fire broke out in a tourist train that was parked near the station in Madurai on Saturday. As per reports, around eight people have lost their lives and around 20 people are reported injured in the incident. The injured have been taken to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. A firefighting and rescue operation was carried out after the blaze erupted. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when the Bharat Gaurav tourist train from Lucknow was halted a few kilometres before the Madurai Railway Station. An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh has been announced to the next to kin of the deceased.

The fire has been doused and rescue operation underway

The horrific videos of the train engulfed by a massive blaze are doing rounds on social media. As per reports, the train stopped a few kilometres before the railway station in Madurai and was parked at the spot when the fire broke out in one of the coaches of the train which further spread to another coach of the train. The fire has been doused by the fire fighting department. It can be seen in the video that the rescue operators are trying to enter the train compartment after dousing the blaze.

Gas cylinders smuggled inside train

The reason of the cause of the fire is not known yet. However, the authorities claim after conducting initial investigations that few passengers in the train were using gas cylinder to cook food inside the train. The fire then spread from one coach to the other. Most of the passengers managed to flee the compartments that caught fire. However, the passengers who were elderly could not escape the train on time and died after being burnt inside the coach.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/tamil-nadu-8-dead-20-injured-after-parked-tourist-train-catches-fire-in-madurai-horrific-visual-surfaces

Madagascar crush: 12 dead at island games’ opening ceremony

UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES

At least 12 people have been killed in a crowd crush at a stadium in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo, Prime Minister Christian Ntsay says.

Another 80 people were hurt during the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games at the Mahamasina stadium.

“There were a lot of people at the entrance,” Red Cross official Antsa Mirado told the AFP news agency.

President Andry Rajoelina, who was at the stadium, said it was a “tragic event”, calling for a minute’s silence.

The Mahamasina stadium – with a capacity of nearly 41,000 – is reported to have been packed with spectators.

Footage has emerged showing a number of injured people sitting dazed on the ground. Other victims are seen being carried away from the stadium.

Set up in 1977, the Indian Ocean Island Games is a multi-sport event held every four years.

The participants are the island nations and territories of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, the Maldives and Réunion.

In 2018, one person died and nearly 40 others were injured in a crush at the Mahamasina before the start of a Madagascar-Senegal football match.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66620130

 

Over 60 dead as heavy rainfall continues in Himachal; Shimla, Mandi worst-hit: Updates

The IMD has forecast that Himachal is to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over next two days and Uttarakhand for next four days.

Rescuers remove mud and debris as they search for people feared trapped after a landslide near a temple on the outskirts of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh state. (AP)

Amid incessant rainfall which triggered cloudbursts, landslides and road blocks, over 60 people have died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as the operations continue to rescue injured citizens and vehicles from under the debris.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that isolated but heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Himachal Pradesh in the next two days and over Uttarakhand and northeast India in the next 4-5 days.

Due to the heavy rainfall, the water levels of Delhi’s Yamuna river breached the danger mark, for the second time this year, on Tuesday.

Here are the top updates:

  1. Over 800 people have been evacuated from the low-lying areas of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra near the Pong Dam. The evacuation process was a result of increased water level in the Dam due to incessant rainfall. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu tweeted on Wednesday, “More than 800 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas of Kangra near the Pong Dam, as their villages became inaccessible due to the elevated water level in the dam reservoir. Evacuation operation is still on as more people are being evacuated.”
  2. Schools and colleges have been ordered shut in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall. The state’s Education Department issued an order on Tuesday stating, “Whereas, weather conditions in most parts of Himachal Pradesh are still inclement; & whereas, it is being felt that it worrld be in the interest of Student’s safety that school/colleges remain closed for another 1 day. Therefore, considering the above, the Government of Himachal Pradesh orders to keep all Schools & Colleges (Government as well as Private) closed on dated 16th August, 2023.”
  3. One person was killed and five others were rescued after a building collapsed at Helang near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district late on Tuesday evening. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) said they pulled one body from the rubble and search was on to rescue another person buried under the debris.
  4. Shimla Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi, on Wednesday, speaking to news agency PTI said that rescue operations were underway at two places where landslides recently took place — Summer Hill and Krishna Nagar. He said that 13 bodies have been recovered from Shiv Temple in Summer Hill area and one body and one severed head were found in Krishna Nagar.
  5. The monsoon trough, an elongated low-pressure area that was to the north of its normal position, causing heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, has gradually started moving south, the IMD said on Tuesday.
  6. The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday airlifted 18 army soldiers in a single flight in Shimla. The Air Force said, “A Chinook helicopter of Western Air Command airlifted 18 Indian Army personnel and a 3-Ton Mini Dozer in a single sortie for rescue efforts in areas affected by landslides near Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla today.”
  7. Around five to 10 people are feared trapped after several buildings, including houses and a slaughterhouse, on Tuesday crumbled down in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla in instance of landslide due to continous rainfall. Locals in the area were moved to safety.
  8. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu on Tuesday held a meeting with High Power Committee for natural disaster management. He said that a 157 per cent surge in rainfall over the past four days has resulted in extensive damage across the entire state.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/heavy-rainfall-himachal-shimla-mandi-uttarakhand-landslides-latest-news-updates-101692156093386.html

51 killed in Himachal rains, 14 of them in Shimla landslides

At least 51 people were killed as rains wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, triggering landslides that blocked key roads, damaged homes and buried devotees in the rubble of a temple here.

Fourteen bodies were recovered from the sites of two landslides in the state capital, and officials feared there could be more people trapped under the debris of the Shiva temple in Summer Hill area.

The shrine was crowded with devotees, offering prayers on an important day of the holy month of Sawan.

Nineteen people died in rain-related incidents in Mandi district, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary told PTI.

In Solan, another badly affected district, 11 people including seven members of a family have been killed.

The weather office predicted extremely heavy rains in nine out of 12 districts of the state, barring Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, on Monday and issued a yellow warning for Tuesday.

Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI that 14 bodies have been pulled out of the rubble at the two landslide sites of Summer Hill and Fagli, while 17 persons rescued.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/himachal-pradesh/himachal-pradesh-rains-shimla-landslides-solan-cloudburst-death-toll-2646566

At least 25 killed in fire, explosion at petrol station in Dagestan, Russia

Ten of some 66 people injured in fire and blast in Dagestan are in critical condition, according to Russian officials.

Firefighting vehicles at the scene of a fire and explosion at a petrol station in the city of Makhachkala, Russia, on August 14, 2023 [Russian Emergencies Ministry in the Republic of Dagestan/handout via Reuters]
A fire and explosion at a petrol station in the southern Russian region of Dagestan has killed at least 25 people, including three children, and injured dozens, the Interfax news agency reported citing regional emergency medics.

The fire started at an auto repair shop on the roadside of a highway in the Dagestani capital Makhachkala, which is located on the Caspian Sea, on Monday night and caused blasts spreading to a nearby petrol station, officials said earlier on Tuesday.

“It’s like a war here,” a witness told the Reuters news agency.

The number of people injured rose to some 66, 10 of whom are in critical condition, RIA news agency said quoting Russian Deputy Health Minister Vladimir Fisenko. Thirteen of the wounded are children, Interfax reported citing the Dagestani health ministry.

An aircraft had been dispatched to Makhachkala to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, Russia’s emergency situations ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

The explosion took place at 9:40pm (18:40 GMT) on Monday night, Sergei Melikov, head of the Dagestan administration, said on Telegram.

“The reasons and type of the explosion are being clarified,” he said.

Dagestan map (Al Jazeera)

A witness quoted on Telegram by the Russian daily Izvestia said the fire started in an area where cars were parked and spread to the petrol station.

“After the explosion, everything fell on our heads, we couldn’t see anything any more,” the unnamed witness was quoted as saying.

A video posted on Telegram by the RIA news agency showed flames rising from a building, followed by a huge explosion.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/15/at-least-25-killed-in-fire-explosion-at-petrol-station-in-dagestan-russia

At least 27 die in inferno at petrol station in Dagestan southern Russia

At least 27 people have been killed in an explosion and fire at a petrol station in Dagestan in southern Russia.

The blast occurred in the regional capital Makhachkala, which sits on the coast of the Caspian Sea, at 21:40 local time (18:40 GMT).

Dozens of other people were injured in the incident, the cause of which is not yet clear.

Pictures showed a large fire lighting up the night sky and a number of fire engines at the scene.

Some 260 emergency workers have been deployed, as has an aircraft to evacuate the seriously injured to Moscow, the ministry said.

Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted doctors as saying three children were among the dead.

It added that the fire had spread over an area of 600 sq m (6,460 sq ft) and that there was a danger of further explosions.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66505961

China: 21 people killed in mudslide – as nearly 1,000 rescue workers search for missing six

Footage from the scene showed downed trees and rubble piled up along muddy roads, with rescue teams of nearly 1,000 people with dogs looking for those missing.

Rescue workers gather at the site of a mudslide near Xian. Pic: AP

At least 21 people are now confirmed to have died and six others are missing in China following a mudslide triggered by heavy rains.

Houses were destroyed, power was cut to 900 homes, and a highway was damaged following the mudslide and flash flooding on the edge of the northwestern city of Xian on Friday, said authorities.

Footage from the scene showed downed trees and rubble piled up along muddy roads in a village, as the country grapples with unusually high summer rainfall.

Rescue teams, comprising nearly 1,000 people with dogs, were looking for the remaining missing.

In the southwest of the country, around 81,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas of the Sichuan province. Heavy rain caused hillsides to collapse and disrupted traffic, but there was no news about deaths or injuries.

In the northeast, Typhoon Khanun, which had earlier pummelled Japan, weakened into a tropical depression when it made landfall in Liaoning province on Friday night.

But its rains still led to flooding fears for low-lying cities including Anshan, where nearly 18,000 people had been evacuated.

More than 20 trains were cancelled in Shenyang, the biggest city in the northeast, and surrounding Liaoning province.

Also in the northeast, six rivers and reservoirs in Heilongjiang province were above warning levels.

Parts of China suffer heavy rains and flooding every summer, but this year has been unusually severe in some areas, while other regions struggle with drought that is damaging crops.

Across the country, a total of 142 people were killed by flooding, landslides and mountain torrents in July, according to officials.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/china-21-people-killed-in-mudslide-as-nearly-1000-rescue-workers-search-for-missing-six-12939257

2 Russian missile strikes hit a city in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 5 people, officials say

Two Russian missile strikes hit the city center of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region Monday evening, killing at least five people and wounding two dozen more, Ukrainian officials said.

The strikes, which targeted the Ukrainian portion of a region partially occupied by Russia, occurred within 40 minutes of each other, according to Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. The attack damaged nine- and five-story buildings, residential houses, a hotel where foreign journalists used to stay, dining establishments, shops and administrative buildings, he said.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five people, including a local official of Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, were killed and 31 more were wounded by the strikes. Nineteen policemen, five rescuers and one child were among the wounded, Klymenko said.

The Suspilne news site, however, cited head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration Serhiy Dobriak as saying that seven people were killed and 27 were wounded. The conflicting reports could not be immediately reconciled.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an online statement accused Russia of trying to leave nothing but “broken and scorched stones” in eastern Ukraine. His remarks accompanied footage of a damaged, five-story residential building with one floor partially destroyed.

The deadly attack came just a day after officials from around 40 countries gathered in Saudi Arabia to find a peaceful settlement for the war in Ukraine. Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday denounced the two-day talks in Jeddah as not having “the slightest added value” because Moscow — unlike Kyiv — wasn’t invited.

A statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry repeated previous assurances that Moscow is open to a diplomatic solution on its terms that would end the 17-month-old war, and that it is ready to respond to serious proposals. The Kremlin’s demands include Kyiv recognizing its annexation of four Ukrainian regions, which Russian forces at this point only partially control, and Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014.

But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelenskyy, ruled out Moscow’s previous demands that would give Russia time to dig in deeper in the parts of Ukraine it has occupied. He said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Russian forces must fully withdraw from the occupied areas and there would be no compromise by Kyiv on that.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-saudi-arabia-zelenskyy-3719f5684487c25da4ff69755e841b6f

22 die as China battles record-breaking rains; rescue, evacuations intensify

China was largely spared by Typhoon Khanun, which on Thursday lashed Japan, damaging homes and knocking out power on Okinawa and other islands.

Rains that started last weekend overwhelmed drainage systems (Photo: AP)

Thousands of people threatened by storm-swollen rivers were evacuated in China’s northeast on Friday while areas on the outskirts of Beijing cleared debris from flooding that wrecked roads, knocked out power and left neighborhoods in shambles.

China is struggling with record-breaking rains in some areas while others suffer scorching summer heat and drought that threatens crops. Flooding near Beijing and in neighboring Hebei province this week killed at least 22 people.

Resident Xie Xin in the western outskirts of Beijing said the floodwaters had risen so fast that his family house was submerged in less than 10 minutes.

“Objects can be replaced,” said Xie, 25, as he moved a desk. “But neighbors that have gone missing, this is what hits me the most.”

In the northeast, some 54,000 people were forced out of their homes around Harbin, the biggest city in Heilongjiang province, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. It said rescue crews in 81 boats were evacuating residents.

On Thursday, a highway bridge in Heilongjiang collapsed, sending two cars plunging into the Mudan River, according to state media. There was no word on possible deaths or injuries.

People wait for their relatives next to a rescuer preparing for his duty as residents were evacuated from flooding in Zhuozhou in northern China’s Hebei province (Photo: AP)

The Haihe Basin, which includes Beijing and nearby major cities, was experiencing its heaviest flooding since 1963, the Ministry of Water Resources said Friday.

The death toll in Beijing and the neighboring province of Hebei rose to 22 after the body of a volunteer rescuer was found in a river. Another rescuer was declared dead Wednesday after a rubber boat flipped in a raging river.

Beijing recorded its heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri deluged the region, according to the weather agency.

Some 1.2 million people in Hebei were relocated, according to the government. It said more than 100,000 government employees were mobilized for relief work.

Rains that started last weekend overwhelmed drainage systems. School classes in Beijing, China’s capital of more than 20 million people, were suspended. Power to some areas was knocked out.

To protect Beijing, flood waters were diverted to neighboring areas, prompting complaints Friday on social media that destruction could have been reduced if more water had been channeled through the capital’s rivers and canals.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/china-heavy-rains-beijing-death-toll-rescue-operations-intensify-2416594-2023-08-05

Heavy firing in Manipur’s Bishnupur after 3 killed in violence, houses burnt

At least three people were killed in fresh clashes that erupted in Manipur’s Bishnupur district late on Friday. Several houses in the area were also set on fire. Security forces are on the spot.

Protesters burn the effigies during their protest against the Mizoram CM Zoramthanga a day after his participation in a rally over ethnic violence in Manipur, at National Highway 37, in Imphal. (File photo: PTI)

At least three people died in fresh incidents of violence that were reported in Manipur’s Bishnupur district late on Friday. The deceased are reportedly from the Meitei community in the Kwakta area.

In the fresh incidents of violence, several houses of the Kuki community were also burnt down.

Subsequently, heavy firing took place in the Kwakta area of the Bishnupur district between the Kuki community and security forces. Manipur Police and Commandos were retaliating.

According to the Bishnupur Police, three people from the Meitei community were killed, while several houses of the Kuki community were set on fire.

A Manipur commando suffered a head injury in the firing. The situation is quite critical in Bishnupur after the fresh incidents of violence.

The commando was admitted to the Bishnupur hospital. Paramilitary forces have been deployed in the area.

Police sources said a few people came to Meitei areas crossing the buffer zone and fired on them.

The buffer zone guarded by central forces is made more than 2 km ahead of Kwakta area in Bishnupur district.

Police forces are on the spot.

This comes two days after 17 people were injured in clashes that erupted between armed forces and the Meitei community protesters in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Thursday.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/fresh-violence-manipur-bishnupur-houses-burnt-dead-injured-meitei-kuki-community-2416585-2023-08-05

2 dead after heavy rain in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister cautions Char Dham yatris

Amid an ‘orange alert’ issued in Uttarakhand, heavy rains resulted in two casualties. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the disaster control room and urged Char Dham pilgrims to stay updated with the weather conditions before starting their journey.

Heavy rains lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on Sunday amid an 'orange alert'.
Heavy rains lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on Sunday amid an ‘orange alert’. (Photo: Representative Image)

Two people were killed in rain-related incidents as heavy rains lashed various parts of Uttarakhand on Sunday amid an ‘orange alert’ issued by the Met office for several districts.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the disaster control room here to review the situation and advised Char Dham pilgrims to proceed on their journey only after taking a weather update.

The weather office has forecast intense spells of rain at isolated places in Nainital, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Dehradun, Tehri and Pauri districts on Sunday.

“I appeal to the devotees that in case the weather turns bad, they should stop their yatra and follow the forecast of the Meteorological department,” he said.

Incessant rain triggered landslides, blocking a number of roads, while the water level has risen in several rivers, including the Ganga.

A 50-year-old man was killed when his vehicle got trapped under the debris following a landslide in Rudraprayag district. The deceased was identified as Anil Bisht. Two other vehicles were also damaged, the official said.

In another incident, a youth was killed and three others were injured while transplanting in a field in the Kandyal village of Purola tehsil of Uttarkashi district. The deceased has been identified as Abhishek (20).

Dhami directed the officials to maintain constant communication and coordination with the districts experiencing excess rain so that emergencies can be dealt with on time.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/heavy-rain-lashes-uttarakhand-deaths-cm-alerts-char-dham-yatris-2397880-2023-06-26

Odisha Accident: 12 Killed, Several Passengers Injured After 2 Buses Collide In Ganjam District

An OSRTC bus and a private bus had a head-on collision near Digapahandi in Ganjam district late on Sunday night.

Bus accident in Odisha's Ganjam district late on Sunday night, June 25, claimed at least 10 lives
Bus accident in Odisha’s Ganjam district late on Sunday night, June 25, claimed at least 10 lives | Twitter

In a tragic bus accident, 12 people were killed and over a dozen people were injured in a bus accident in Ganjam district late on Sunday (June 25) night. The injured have been admitted in MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, said Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha.

According to preliminary information, an OSRTC bus and a private bus had a head-on collision near Digapahandi in Ganjam district late on Sunday night.

“Two buses collided in which 10 people died. The injured were immediately admitted to MKCG Medical College for treatment. Investigation into the case is underway. We are trying to provide all possible help to the injured,” says Dibya Jyoti Parida, DM Ganjam, reported news agency ANI.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/odisha-accident-10-people-killed-8-injured-after-2-buses-collide-in-ganjam-district

At least 60 killed ‘by men wearing army uniforms’ in northern Burkina Faso

The massacre happened in an area overrun by Islamist groups – but comes as the government investigates claims of human rights abuses by its own armed forces.

A woman looks at a mural in Ouagadougou, northern Burkina Faso, in March 2023. Pic: AP

At least 60 civilians have been killed by men wearing army uniforms in northern Burkina Faso, officials say.

The attack took place on Friday in a village in Barga, in Yatenga province, close to the border with Mali.

Burkina Faso‘s prosecutor Lamine Kabore did not provide details about Friday’s attack but said those injured were being treated in hospital.

“My office was alerted about the seriousness of some of the facts. I therefore gave instructions to the investigation unit to carry out investigations in order to illuminate the said facts and hear all the people who are involved,” he said.

The killings took place in an area overrun by Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

The groups have been blamed for multiple attacks which have left thousands dead and displaced an estimated two million people over six years.

Earlier this month, militants were accused of killing at least 44 people in the north-eastern province of Seno.

However, members of Burkina Faso’s military have also been accused of killing civilians in the country, where the government is said to control less than 50% of the nation’s territory.

News of the massacre comes amid growing concern about violence elsewhere in Africa, in Sudan.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/at-least-60-killed-by-men-wearing-army-uniforms-in-northern-burkina-faso-12865156

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