Tuesday 25 December 2012

Authorities in Ukraine Say 5 Die in a Helicopter Crash in the Central City of Kirovograd


Authorities in Ukraine say 5 die in a helicopter crash in the central city of Kirovograd.

More to follow...

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/authorities-ukraine-die-helicopter-crash-central-city-kirovograd-18062435#.UNn6wtf3TUI

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Hauna victims named


127 people have died in road accidents since the 15th of this month, marking a 100% increase in deaths compared to the same period last year.

In just ten days it has become one of the bloodiest festive season in recent years.

On Monday, eight people died when a commuter bus overturned in Mhondoro along the highway to Harare.

Among the dead were six people from the same family.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Tinaye Matake said the driver of the commuter omnibus lost control resulting in the vehicle veering off the road and overturning.

Six people died on the spot while two others died on admission at St Michael Hospital.

The Mhondoro accident occurred within 24 hours after another accident claimed 18 lives in Hauna in Manicaland.

No explanation has been given as to how the truck which was carrying 63 people travelled from Harare to Hauna passing through police road blocks with no action being taken.

Meanwhile, police have identified all bodies of the victims of the Hauna national disaster.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.zbc.co.zw/news-categories/top-stories/26960-accidents-update-hauna-victims-named-.html

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Kazakhstan military plane crash 'kills 27' near Shymkent


A military aircraft carrying 27 people including top members of the Kazakhstan border guard crashed Tuesday in the south of the country with all those on board believed dead, officials said.

The KNB security service said the An-72 military transport was carrying seven crew and 20 servicemen, including the acting head of the Kazakh federal border service Turganbek Stambekov.

The Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency said those on board also included one of Stambekov's deputies, as well as top regional guards commanders.

The plane crashed 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Shymkent airport in the south of Kazakhstan where it had been due to land after a flight from the capital Astana.

Kazakhstan's KTK television said the plane fell from a height of 800 metres (2,600 feet) and that weather around the airport at the time was very poor.

There was no immediate explanation for the crash but Kazakh military prosecutors said they had opened a criminal case into a possible violation of aviation rules or flight preparation.

Prosecutors confirmed the plane belonged to the KNB (Committee of National Security) which is the Kazakh successor to the Soviet-era KGB and is responsible for border security.

Eyewitness Baurzhan Dosov, whose home is near the crash area, told state television that he heard a noise like an explosion and then witnessed a scene of carnage.

"I was there 15 minutes ago. There are military hats everywhere and pieces of human flesh. Just like meat. The fire is still blazing," he told KTK television.

He described how he heard the plane "flying above me and then four seconds later there was a kind of explosion."

A security source told the Interfax news agency that all those on board were killed. KTK also reported there were no survivors.

"According to the latest information none of those on board survived," KTK said.

This was not confirmed explicitly in the KNB statement, though it made no reference to any chance of survivors.

"The emergency services are working at the scene of the incident. An investigation is in progress," the KNB said, without giving more details.

It said that the crash took place at 6:55 pm local time (1255 GMT).

KTK said the plane was already on a fourth loop of the landing strip, possibly implying the pilot had been doing circles, waiting for a chance to land in bad


A border guard, Vladislav Chelakh, 20, was this month sentenced to life in prison for the killings but the defence argued he was being made a scapegoat for security failings higher up.

He denied involvement in the murders and said that the post was shot at by hostile unidentified people in civilian clothes, while he was the only one who could escape.

In an often macabre trial, the defendant at one point tried to cut his wrists open in court and attempted to hang himself in the detention centre.

Stambekov was only appointed to his post by presidential decree in June on an acting basis after the border post massacre.

Aviation disasters remain a scourge across the former Soviet Union due to ageing hardware that often has not been replaced since the fall of the Soviet regime, as well as human error.

In November, eight people were killed in Kazakhstan when a Russian-made Mi-8 helicopter crashed while carrying out a pipeline surveillance mission.

Interfax-Kazakhstan said that one of Col Stambekov's deputies and several regional border service commanders were also on the flight, from the Kazakh capital, Astana, to Shymkent.

Col Stambekov was made acting head of the service in June, weeks after 14 border troops were found dead at a burnt-out border post near Kazakhstan's southern frontier with China. The incident prompted his predecessor to resign.

Another border guard was jailed for life for his alleged role in the incident at the Arkankergen post near Almaty, after he had reportedly confessed to the authorities.

He later said he had been forced into making the confession.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/fatalities-feared-kazakh-military-plane-crash-155542254.html

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Indonesia to see more disasters as global warming continues


Indonesia has experienced more frequent cyclones due to persisting impacts of global warming in the past few years, and the phenomenon is predicted to continue next year.

The frequency of cyclones this year, according to data gathered by the country's disaster mitigation agency, was 28 times that for the year 2002.

"Global warming has resulted in the formation of more cumulonimbus clouds that could incite cyclones," said Sutopo Purwo Yuwono, spokesperson with the Indonesian disaster mitigation agency BNPB.

According to Sutopo, cyclone was responsible for 36 percent of the 1,200 disasters experienced by the country throughout this year.

The agency learned that most of the disasters, including floods, landslides, droughts, forest fires and cyclones, could be attributable to the persistent impact of global warming.

Sutopo predicted that cyclones would occur in Indonesia in March to April next year, while floods and landslides would hit many parts of the country from January to March.

He said a total of 60.9 million people living in 315 cities and regencies would face risks from floods and 124 million people in 270 cities and regencies would be vulnerable to landslides.

He also predicted forest fires in eight provinces during the dry season next year and drought in Java, Bali and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provinces from August to October.

Earthquakes might affect the life of some 157 million people in 386 cities and regencies, and tsunamis would follow and affect 5 million people in 233 cities and regencies in coastal areas next year.

The Indonesian government has allocated 1 trillion rupiah ( about 103.6 million U.S. dollars) for the implementation of a master plan to improve the public awareness of tsunami.

Indonesia, a country that sits in the earth's "ring of fire", may also face risks from volcano eruption next year as many volcanoes have been seen in escalating activities, according to the agency.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2012-12/24/content_27504707.htm

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Zimbabwean gov't declares national disaster after deadly accident


The Zimbabwean government on Monday declared a national disaster after 18 people were killed and 46 others injured in a road accident the previous day.

A truck carrying the victims veered off the road and overturned Sunday at the 18 km peg along the Selbourne-Hauna road in the mountainous area near Nyanga in Zimbabwe's eastern province of Manicaland.

Police spokesperson Tinaye Matake said the driver lost control of the vehicle with 64 farmers on board, adding that 17 people died on the spot and one was pronounced dead after arriving at Hauna District Hospital.

OLICE in Nyanga have named 14 of the 18 members of the Johanne Maso-we Wechishanu Jerusarema Sect who perished in the Nyanga road accident on Sunday.

Those identified were the kombi driver, Akiel Mazanhi, Laiza Chikumba and Godfrey Midzi.

The three later died at the Mutare Provincial Hospital on Sunday night and Monday morning respectively after being transferred from Regina Coeli Mission Hospital.

The others are, Philda Dzinorewa (52) of Village 4, Nyamahuru Resettlement Area, Masvingo; Jessica Tangirai (40) of Matungwari Village, Headman Masunda, Chivi; Fearlord Nhapata (1) of Matungwari Village; Lindsern Makono (1) of Matungwari Village; Febbie Mafira of Tandi Village, Chivi; Isheanesu Makotose of Village 16B, Mushandike, Chief Charumbira, Masvingo; Sophia Chiwire of Village 16B; Moleen Chiokoyo of Madhaki Village, Chivi; Enisia Mutomba (43) of Madhaki Village, Chivi; Jere Chinodyenyama (74) of House Number 534, Glen Norah A, Harare and a man only identified as Mapfumo of Matungwari Village, Chivi.

Acting Manicaland provincial administrator, Mr Cosmas Chiringa, said most of the bodies were taken to Masvingo for burial yesterday.

Police spokesperson for Manicaland Province Enock Chishiri said 29 of the injured are still at Hauna District Hospital. Chishiri urged travellers not to board overloaded vehicles while calling on drivers to exercise extreme caution.

The accident happened around 12.30am at the same spot of the Nyanga Bus disaster that killed 84 pupils and five teachers from Regina Coeli High School in August 1991.

Police said Mazanhi, who was driving a Toyota Rosa kombi with 44 passengers on board, lost control of the vehicle resulting in it veering off the road. The kombi rammed into a stone embankment on the extreme side of the road.

Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatious Chombo said all relatives of the people who died in the accident will receive state assistance, including coffins, food and money.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/752117.shtml

http://www.bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-13598-article-Nyanga+kombi+accident+victims+named.html

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Kosovo Serb and Kosovo Albanian families insist their governments must do more to locate missing persons


ICMP is pleased to distribute the conclusions of a two-day conference hosted by ICMP in Skopje, Macedonia, on 20 and 21 November,, entitled “The Future of the Missing Persons Process from the Kosovo Conflict.” The conference gathered representatives of family associations of missing persons, government representatives from Belgrade and Pristina, as well as representatives from the international community, including EULEX and ICRC.

Around 40 representatives of family associations of the missing, who represent the leadership of Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb family associations, participated in drafting the conclusions, which were later adopted by the Kosovo Coordination Council of Associations of Missing Persons, the Association of Families of Kidnapped and Killed Civilians, Soldiers and Policemen in Kosovo and Metohija, and the Association of Families of Kidnapped and Missing Persons from Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the relevant authorities from Belgrade and Pristina.

Family associations of missing Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians concluded that authorities from Pristina and Belgrade should increase their efforts to obtain information on the location of clandestine gravesites including looking through all archives and the possible use of satellite imagery and all other available means/modern technologies in order to increase their field operations in cooperation with the international community.

They also concluded that it is necessary to discuss the creation of a regional list of persons missing from the conflicts in former Yugoslavia, which would encompass a consolidated Kosovo list of missing persons. In addition, the families expressed their openness toward future discussion about joint commemoration and memorialization.

Family associations called on strengthening witness protection programs and stressed the need to educate family associations on how to use laws on access to information of public interest in order to obtain information related to missing persons.

It was also concluded that a working group should be formed that would review all identifications of persons based on the classical method prior to the introduction of DNA analysis.

The families requested from ICMP to continue its engagement after the mandate of EULEX expires in 2014 and called on commencing dialogue on the missing persons process between the relevant authorities from Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels under the auspices of the European Union.

The full list of conclusions and recommendations is available for download from our website

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.ic-mp.org/press-releases/skopje-conclusions/

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The wave recedes slowly


It has been 654 days since the earthquake and the devastating tsunami it triggered, and the residents of Ishinomaki, one of the worst-hit cities in Miyagi prefecture, are still far from fully recovered. They continue to rebuild, but the catastrophe of a lifetime has left a sadness they might never overcome.

The shops and hotels have reopened, again welcoming visitors from around the world. Other damaged buildings have been repaired and repainted. Roads and bridges again function as they did before.

The city's landfills bulge with an estimated hundred billion tonnes of debris.

The Kahoku Shimpo, the local daily newspaper, quickly got back on its feet after its ground floor was completely inundated on March 11, 2011. "We had to ask a newspaper in another city to print ours," says executive director Yoshihisa Nishikawa.

Citizens were soon being informed what had happened, what was being done, and what lay ahead. "We couldn't stop printing the paper even for one day - people needed to know what was going on and how the relief effort was progressing."

The Kahoku Shimpo's destroyed equipment was eventually replaced and the premises repaired. In the meantime Nishikawa worked on the second floor, which doubled as living quarters for many tsunami victims.

Today the walls on the restored first floor bear framed photos reminding visitors of the tragic events.

The earthquake - a rare and massive magnitude 9 - rocked the seabed off Japan's Pacific coast and set off tsunami waves that topped 10 metres in height. The force of the water travelling inland killed 3,236 people.

The recovery effort was immense, and yet 491 people were still listed as missing as of the end of this past August.

The tsunami "sea" that rampaged across the prefecture submerged 73 square kilometres - 30 per cent of the coastal lowland - including the city's central district. Nearly 54,000 homes were damaged beyond repair. Some 30,000 people moved to temporary housing.

Municipal authorities calculated the amount of debris across the city at more than 6.8 million tonnes.

In some places, the loss was far greater.

Seventy of the 108 students and nine of the 13 teachers and staff members were killed when Onagawa Elementary School was utterly destroyed. Some of the youngsters who lived through that awful day still show signs of mental trauma. Their terror began with the sound of a warning siren, the city's earthquake Recovery Office notes in a report.

Ishinomaki's wholesale fish markets - among the world's largest - were wiped out, along with jetties, processing plants, seawater-purification plants and management facilities, crushed under the rolling power of the tsunami.

Kanijo Snow, head of a local association of fish-processing firms, says the destruction went far beyond bricks and timber, leaving several businessmen, who lost everything, in dire mental states.

In the wake of the disaster, a significant proportion of their skilled labour moved to jobs in other cities, like Sendai and Tokyo. "And once they get a job somewhere else, it's very difficult to get them to come back," Snow says.

Some of the marine-related businesses also moved elsewhere, but the government's recovery effort convinced 60 per cent of the affected fish processors to remain and rebuild.

Snow says a third are now preparing to start over and another 10 per cent are still thinking it through. Those figures would jump if there were more incentive, he adds. "It would help us a lot if the government could provide us financial assistance to rebuild all the damaged infrastructure within three years."

Three years is too tall an order, though, for Masatoshi Hoshi, who runs the city's Disaster Reconstruction Department. The municipality will need 10 years to implement its full recovery plan and restore life to what it was, he says. Nevertheless, much has been achieved in the past 19 months, with most buildings repaired or replaced.

Hoshi says the city might relocate its residential areas away from the coast so they're safer, leaving the shoreline an industrial and commercial zone.

A 7.2-metre-tall embankment is to be erected along the shore, a safeguard against another tsunami, though the phenomenon is relatively rare in any destructive form.

More important for Tomoko Otsuka is safeguarding future generations by giving them a plan for what to do when calamity strikes.

Otsuka's work with the Ishinomaki Disaster Recovery Assistance Council has shown her ample evidence of the suffering that ensues and how people cope with it.

For one thing, she says, the survivors in general dislike expressing their feelings about what happened. Most instead look forward to getting on with their lives and leaving the sadness behind. They need time to restore the normalcy, Otsuka says.

"It's better for them not to talk about what happened in the past. Let's do something else to keep their lives moving forward. This earthquake should be a lesson learned for the next generation, in terms of how to prepare for unprecedented disaster."

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/The-wave-recedes-slowly-30196746.html

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Doomsday fears linger among tsunami hit in Tamil Nadu


On Dec 26, 2004, a devastating tsunami triggered by an undersea quake off Sumatra in Indonesia hit Tamil Nadu's coast in Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Chennai and Kanyakumari.

The waves claimed around 8,000 lives -- children, women and men. Some 6,100 died in Nagapattinam alone. Over 230,000 were killed in the tsunami in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and the Maldives.

Expectedly, fishermen along Tamil Nadu's winding coast ventured into the sea with reluctance Dec 21 this year.

"Parents were also reluctant to send their children to schools taht day due to tsunami fears. I had to comfort many parents to send their wards to school," pre-school teacher S. Lakshmi told IANS here.

"The fear was intense. Many children did not eat properly the previous day," added Valarmathi, working with an NGO.

"We have seen tsunami... slowly fear crept in," Roopa, a Class 12 student in Annai Sathya orphanage, told IANS.

In March last year, TV visuals of a tsunami in Japan reminded people in Tamil Nadu of that fateful day in 2004.

Ahead of tsunami's eighth anniversary, the doomsday prediction for Dec 21 rekindled people's dormant fears.

Nagapattinam had borne most of the brunt of the 2004 disaster.

Yet, life has moved on with many tsunami-affected students continuing their education.

According to Lakshmi, many women have since completed their graduation and post-graduation studies.

"The awareness level among women has gone up as many became widows and had to decide on family matters on their own," she said.

Valarmathi lost her husband to the waves. The responsibility of running the family fell on her.

"I decided to work. I started doing a survey for an NGO and consoled many women who lost their husbands or fathers," she said.

The tsunami not only turned upside down lives of many fishing folks but also changed their attitude to life.

Eight years later, many, including fishermen, look out for doles from anyone visiting the area for the first time, V. Kumaravelu of Akkaraipetti village and an advisor to Bay of Bengal Fish Workers Union, told IANS.

"Prior to the tsunami, fishermen would not extend their hands for doles. Now they do not think twice," he said.

Kumaravelu said that before the tsunami, rough seas did not deter fishermen. But now, they do not venture into the sea if it is a bit rough.

While the catch has come down after 2004, fishermen said some of the fish varieties are not there post tsunami.

Also, as their housing colonies are built at a good distance from the coast, fishermen now spend on commuting to the sea front while the safety of their fishing equipment on the shore worry them.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.sify.com/news/doomsday-fears-linger-among-tsunami-hit-in-tamil-nadu-news-national-mmzqughhbgi.html

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At least four killed in firecracker warehouse blast in Tamil Nadu


At least four people were killed and nine suffered burn injuries in a blast at a firecracker warehouse in Tamil Nadu's Salem district Tuesday, police said.

According to police, four bodies have so far been recovered from the explosion site in Salem, around 350 km from here, and their identity is being ascertained.

The injured were taken to a government hospital.

The explosion took place around 2.30 p.m. Fire and rescue personnel were rushed to the spot and the blaze was soon brought under control.

Senior police and district officials have rushed to the accident spot.

Officials said the firecracker unit makes fancy crackers used in temple festivals.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://twocircles.net/2012dec25/four_killed_firecracker_warehouse_blast_tamil_nadu.html

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Air Bagan plane crash kills at least two in Myanmar


A Myanmar plane carrying 65 passengers has crash-landed in the eastern state of Shan, killing two people and injuring dozens more. Officials have said that an engine fire may have forced the emergency landing.

The plane, a Fokker-100, was forced to make an emergency landing two miles (3.2 kilometers) from Heho airport, said the aircraft's carrier Air Bagan.

"One passenger who was missing was found dead inside the plane. We are still trying to identify who the dead passenger is," the carrier announced in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

The victim was an 11-year-old child, according to the information ministry, which added that four foreigners were among those injured.



Another person was killed when the plane struck a motorcycle on a road near the airport, it said.

The cause of the incident were not immediately clear, but a government official said a fire was reported in one of the engines at around 9 a.m. local time (02:30 GMT).

The two pilots were taken to hospital, however their condition was not immediately known. Air Bagan spokesman Ye Min Oo said.

"The cause of the accident is not clear yet. Only the pilots will know the cause, but we can't contact them yet as they have been sent to hospital," he said.

The plane was forced to make an emergency landing after fire broke out in one of its engines and it reportedly struck part of a mountain as it approached the airport in fog.

Authorities said the pilot mistook the road for a runway due to bad weather.

State television reported: 'While descending, the plane mistakenly landed ... due to fog beside the runway.'

It said the aircraft made a hard landing on a road and then came to a stop in a nearby rice paddy field.

'The rear end of the plane broke and caught fire,' state TV said.

Rescuers brought the fire under control about 45 minutes later.

Following a slew of recent political reforms, Myanmar, also known as Burma, has seen an influx of tourists and business travellers after decades of military rule kept them away. Air Bagan is one of several domestic carriers seeking to profit from the new tourist boom.

Air Bagan was the country's first privately run carrier when it was established in 2004 and is owned by Tay Za, a tycoon with links to the former military government.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.dw.de/air-bagan-plane-crash-kills-at-least-two-in-myanmar/a-16478055

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253042/Burma-plane-crash-Two-British-tourist-injured-crash-killed-people.html

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Eight dead, many left homeless in Philippine fires


Eight people were killed and thousands left homeless as two fires struck the Philippine capital on Christmas Day, with one of the blazes sparking a riot in a slum, officials said.

Seven charred bodies, all believed to be from one household, were recovered after a blaze razed a row of old apartments in northern Manila at dawn, fire officer Francisco Mabunga told AFP.

The cause of the blaze, which broke out as the metropolis of 14 million people held Christmas Eve parties that lasted until dawn Tuesday, is under investigation, officials said.

"They are all believed to be from a family that owned the apartment row and lived in one of the units where the fire was suspected to have started," Mabunga added.

A second blaze broke out at a sprawling shantytown, sparking riots that left one man dead and lead to two suspected rioters being arrested, said Manila fire marshal Santiago Laguna.

"They (residents) started grabbing hoses from our firefighters, who could not do anything as they feared for their own safety," Laguna said in a radio interview.

He said a man was beaten up and later died from his injuries in the melee as the blaze consumed the shantytown in the San Juan district. Arson is believed to be the cause of the blaze.

Laguna said residents were apparently angered by the delayed arrival of firefighters. He said the emergency workers could not get their fire trucks through narrow streets jammed with parked vehicles.

Volunteer firefighter Willy Tiongson, his bloodied head wrapped in a bandage, told GMA television that his team was met with a shower of rocks and other projectiles as they drove into the slum.

Mr Laguna said residents were apparently infuriated by the delayed arrival of firefighters and took it upon themselves to grab fire hoses to aim at their blazing houses.

However he said the residents were themselves to blame.

"Our fire trucks had difficulty entering the narrow streets that were blocked by parked cars and carts," he said.

"Our firefighters had to drag the hoses into the alleys, where they were attacked."

Mr Laguna said the cause of the apartment blaze was under investigation, though he added electrical circuits had probably overloaded from increased use during Christmas Eve parties across the metropolis of 14 million people.

The shantytown blaze left some 2,000 families homeless, Laguna said, adding that equated to around 8,000 people without a roof over their heads at Christmas.

An AFP photographer on the scene saw hundreds of people left homeless huddled on the floor of two basketball courts nearby. –

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/573371

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Eight trapped in galamsey pit; two feared dead


Information gathered by XYZ News indicates that eight people have been trapped in a galamsey pit at Subrisufante a suburb of Tepa in the Ashanti region.

The pit is reported to have collapsed on Sunday evening.

Residents close to the pit have managed to rescue two people who are reported dead. Their bodies have since been deposited at the Tepa Government Hospital.

Six more people are still reported trapped in the pit with rescue efforts ongoing to save their lives.

According to Radio XYZ’s Ashanti regional correspondent, Isaac Bediako Justice, the pit collapsed on Sunday evening. Reports also indicate that officials of the National Disaster Management Organization are yet to arrive at the site to help in the rescue mission.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=260427

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An empty chair left at table helps families remember the missing

Some of the families of the country's 'missing' leave vacant chairs at the Christmas dinner table to mark their painful absence.

Former garda Tosh Lavery, who chairs the Searching for the Missing group, said the festive season in particular was a "horrible" time for the families of those who vanished.

"It is very hard to counsel someone about a missing person, it is different from a bereavement, so no one can empathise with them unless you are in that situation," said the former garda, who spent 30 years diving rivers and lakes in search of the missing.

"Some people have a vacant chair at Christmas to mark that person."

Mr Lavery said some of those who went missing did so intentionally, while others may have met unfortunate accidents or been deliberately killed.

"Over 30 men are missing in the Limerick area. I've no doubt some of them have been killed and buried," he said.

The former garda appealed to those who might now be older and raising families of their own to call the Searching for the Missing helpline on 086 8956917 in confidence and leave information on where some of the missing might be located.

In 2011, there were 8,511 people reported missing to Garda Missing Persons Bureau, with the latest available figures showing 28 of those were still missing.

Michael Deely, from Naas, Co Kildare, revealed he had drawn strength from his Catholic faith in the 12 years since son Trevor went missing.

"We have a prayer service every year," Mr Deely said.

"Christmas is a particularly difficult time, it is a time of friends coming back, and coming home."

The 22-year-old was last seen in the early hours walking along Haddington Road after a Christmas party on December 8, 2000.

His father said they were still hoping a member of the public would contact gardai with information.

Gerry Daly Snr (72), from Tallaght, Dublin, said he had "no idea" what had happened to his son, security dog trainer Gerry Daly Jnr (42), who disappeared from his home in Bailieboro, Co Cavan, on June 26, 2011.

His son lived in the same area as former garda John Kerins, who was found shot dead in November. Mr Kerins was arrested and questioned after his neighbour vanished.

Heartbroken father Bob Shanahan (70) said each festive season had been particularly difficult since their son Gussie disappeared from the streets of Limerick 12 years ago.

The family believe the 20-year-old employee of computer firm Dell may have been killed.

"From the moment you wake up, you are hoping and praying someone will have the courage to tell you what happened," he said.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/an-empty-chair-left-at-table-helps-families-remember-the-missing-3335412.html

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