Thursday 3 January 2013

Update: Death toll in Cote d'Ivoire's stadium accident rises to 63 people


Cote d'Ivoire's Health Minister Raymond Goudou Coffie said on Wednesday that the death toll from the stampede that occurred in Abidjan on the New Year's Eve has risen to 63 people.

The minister who was speaking on national television, said that the government had paid all hospital expenses for about 50 people who were seriously injured in the accident.

"We are satisfied with the response of the health teams and the support that they offered the injured people," she said, while also reiterating the government's condolences to the families of the victims.

A deadly stampede occurred early on Tuesday evening during a fireworks display to usher in the New Year. 60 people died and about 50 others were injured on the spot. The number of deaths and those injured has been increasing.

The Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara declared a three days national mourning period starting Wednesday and ordered an investigation into circumstances that caused the tragedy.

Thursday 3 January 2013

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2013-01/03/c_132077878.htm

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5 boat tragedy victims buried at their villages


Five out of six people, who drowned after a boat capsized in the Meghna in Chandpur on Tuesday, were buried at their respective villages in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna and Tarash upazila of Sirajganj districts yesterday.

The boat tragedy victims are Sajibur Rahman Sajib, 18, of Langolmore village, Helal Sardar, 22, and Md Mostafa alias Bidyut, 20 of Boradnagar village in Chatmohar upazila; and Md Abdul Mojid, 45 and Monir Uddin, 25, Ranigram village in Tarash upazila.

They all were day-labourers and went to Chandpur in search of job, family sources said.

The bodies of the five arrived at Chatmohar upazila headquarters at around 11:00am. After janaza on Boradnagar Madrasa and Langolmore Eidgah premise, they were buried at their village graveyards after Zohr prayers.

At least six people drowned and another went missing after a boat with around 50 people on board hit a jetty in dense fog and sank in the Meghna River at Harina ferry terminal in Chandpur on Tuesday morning.

Thursday 3 January 2013

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=263661

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Slow process of identifying Srebrenica victims


In July 1995, Nura Mustafić lost her husband, Hasan, and their adult children Mirsad, Alija, Fuad, and many relatives in the Srebrenica massacre. She buried Hasan, but still hasn't buried their sons because their bodies haven't been identified nearly two decades after their deaths.

"The old photo of my family is all I have. And hope -- hope that I will find their bones. I keep thinking that at least one of my children is alive, and that he calls me 'Mother' at least once a year, I would be over the moon," Mustafić said.

After so many years of searching and waiting, many families still have not found the remains of their loved ones. The bones of murdered Srebrenica residents, according to experts, have been moved several times to different mass tombs, making the identification process more difficult.

"It seems that everyone agrees with the stalling of the identification process, and families are at the end of their strength. Many people have died and had no chance to bury their loved ones," said Hajra Ćatic, president of the Women of Srebrenica association.

Hundreds of unidentified remains rest in the identification center in Tuzla. Some of them cannot be identified because the entire family was killed. There are a large number of tiny bones which cannot be used in order to determine the DNA strands and hence, it cannot be determined where they belong.

"The families of the victims prevent us from [building] one common tomb where the unidentified bones would be buried. They believe that the bodies of their loved ones will be identified in the future, [but] keeping these skeletons costs [400,000 euros]," Amor Mašović from the Institute for Missing Persons told SETimes.

On a few occasions, re-exhumations of already buried bodies were done in order to add the bones which were subsequently found and identified in secondary mass graves.

"During the identification of the remains, the question arises whether to bury the incomplete mortal remains or possibly wait for some time to find the missing body parts. The decision is left entirely to the families. Very often the family decides to bury incomplete remains, and with the family consent, we subsequently add to the already buried bones new parts which we determine on the basis of DNA analysis," Kešetović said.

Hiba Ramić, from the Veljaci-Bratunac 92 Foundation, said that the families of the victims are afraid of the deterioration of the mortal remains.

"We are all aware of the fact that bones and their composition deteriorate after a certain period of time, so we'll probably have this problem too. Therefore, we believe that it is necessary to begin with the burial of the victims in a common grave," Ramić told SETimes.

Thursday 3 January 2013

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2013/01/03/feature-02

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More than 100 dead as cold snap hits India


Police say more than 100 people have died of exposure as northern India deals with historically cold temperatures.

Police spokesman Surendra Srivastava said Thursday that at least 114 people have died from the cold in the state of Uttar Pradesh. At least 23 of those died in the past 24 hours.

Srivastava said many of the dead were poor people whose bodies were found on sidewalks or in parks.

The weather department said temperatures in the state were 4 to 10 degrees Celsius (7 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit) below normal.

Temperatures in New Delhi, which borders Uttar Pradesh, hit a high Wednesday of 9.8 degrees (49.6 Fahrenheit), the lowest maximum temperature in the capital since 1969.

Thursday 3 January 2013

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/334485/more-than-100-dead-as-cold-snap-hits-india

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Rangers pay tribute paid to disaster victims


RANGERS remembered the victims of the 1971 Ibrox Disaster with a poignant service at the statue of John Greig outside the Bill Struth Stand yesterday.

It was the 42nd anniversary of the tragic day when 66 Gers fans died in a crush on Stairway 13 at the end of an Old Firm game.

Reverend Stuart McQuarrie conducted the annual service on Edmiston Drive and a two-minute silence was observed.

Rangers manager Ally McCoist and his predecessor and current club director Walter Smith were both in attendance.

Supporters' chief Jim Hannah and club chief executive Charles Green spoke and chairman Malcolm Murray laid a wreath at the foot of the statue.

Reverend McQuarrie also expressed hope Rangers legend Sandy Jardine, who is currently battling cancer, will make good progress in the coming year.

A tribute was then paid to Hugh Adam, the former director who played an active role in the redevelopment of Ibrox after the disaster, who died on Saturday.

The Ibrox Disaster of 1971 was the biggest single loss of life at the Glasgow stadium.

A total of 25 people died at a Scotland v England international in 1902 when a section of terracing collapsed.

Two fans died on Stairway 13 in 1961 when a barrier collapsed.

The 1971 Ibrox Disaster led to the club developing a modern, safe stadium in the following years at a cost of £10million.

Club legend and former manager Willie Waddell travelled to the 1974 World Cup in West Germany and advised that steep terracing and exits be replaced.

Thursday 3 January 2013

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/tribute-paid-to-disaster-victims-111462n.19819775

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Paisley remembers tragic victims of Black Hogmanay


Paisley paused on Hogmanay to remember the children who lost their lives in the Glen Cinema disaster.

Members of the Paisley Development Trust held the fourth annual service to honour the victims and support the families and survivors of the disaster, which took place 83 years ago.

Paisley MSP George Adam, Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Jim Sheridan and Renfrewshire North and West MSP Derek Mackay joined members of the public as they stood in the cold and rain at Paisley cenotaph to pay tribute to the 71 children who died as a result of the tragedy in 1929.

Tony Lawler, treasurer of the Paisley Development Trust, opened the short service.

He said: “We are here to remember the 71 kids and pay our respects, as well as offer our condolences to their families and friends.

“We also want to offer support to the survivors.”

The Reverend Alan Birss, of Paisley Abbey, and Father John Tormey said blessings and prayers before three survivors – Jim McCallum, 88, Emily Brown, also 88, and 90-year-old Robert Pope – laid a wreath at the cenotaph.

Emily said: “It’s important that we have this ceremony every year to remember the kids who lost their lives.”

And Robert added: “We are very grateful to the Paisley Development Trust for organising this event every year.

“It means a lot to us.”

After the service, everyone was invited back to Hamishes Hoose pub, which is run by Paisley Development Trust chairman Piero Pieraccini.

December 31, 1929, became known as Paisley’s Black Hogmanay as the town witnessed the worst cinema disaster in British history.

More than 70 children were killed at the cinema, which was just off Dyers Wynd, after going there to watch a matinee showing of the cowboy movie Desperado Dude.

Within minutes, their excitement turned into a hellish nightmare as a smoking reel of film caused panic.

The children mistakenly believed there was a fire and that started a stampede towards the exit doors, which were locked.

Some of the youngsters suffocated, while others were trampled to death as they tried to flee the fire that never was.

To this day, Buddies have never forgotten what happened and a plaque commemorates the disaster at the site of the cinema, which is now a furniture store.

Mr Adam said: “The Glen Cinema disaster is such an important part of this town’s history.

“People in Paisley take a great pride in the town and it’s important that we remember such events.

“The Paisley Development Trust deserves our thanks for making this commemoration happen every year.”

As a result of the cinema disaster, health and safety legislation changed across the world, making it compulsory for entertainment venues to fit push-bar fire doors.

It also led to changes in the type of film that was used, with the old nitrate film, which was highly flammable, being replaced with safety film.

Mr Mackay, who is also Local Government and Planning Minister, said: “Now that I’m part of the government, I see how important different laws are to people’s lives.

“What happened at the Glen Cinema is an example of how a disastrous event can lead to a change in the law that is worthwhile.

“The loss of life inspired a change in the law and we should continue to remember those children from Paisley who suffered.”

Thursday 3 January 2013

http://www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk/renfrewshire-news/2013/01/02/paisley-remembers-tragic-victims-of-black-hogmanay-87085-32523614/

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Nigeria’s Cremation Bill


The cremation law has been passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly against the wish of residents of the state reports.

Last Friday could be described as frustrating for staff, guests and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly because the sitting scheduled for 10 a.m did not start until about 4 p.m. Ordinarily, the House does not sit on Fridays, but a similar late commencement in sitting the previous day resulted in the lawmakers’ inability to exhaust the Order Paper, which outlines the issues to be deliberated upon. The leadership of the House adjourned till Friday.

However, in the midst of the anger and lamentation, one of the lawmakers and Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Suru Avoseh Hodewu, was very excited. His Cremation Bill, one he personally proposed to the House, would finally see the light of day. And it did.

Indications that the bill, which has now legalized the cremation of unclaimed corpses at any of the government mortuaries in the state as well as voluntary cremation of corpses by those who want it, would be passed became clear on Thursday when the House took the presentation of the report to establish the law.

As such, some media houses concluded that the law had been passed even though the lawmakers had not taken the third reading which would herald the Speaker’s gavel to bring the bill to life.

The bill came about after its sponsor told the House that most of the mortuaries in the state had become full and that through the oversight function of the Committee on Health, it had been discovered that majority of the corpses cannot be identified. Mr. Avoseh had told his colleagues that this had become a major challenge to those handling corpses in the state such that new corpses do not find spaces for preservation. He had also argued that with the location of the state, it had a major challenge in terms of enough space for the burial of corpses and thus believed that people could be encouraged to cremate corpses of the relatives as a possible solution to these challenges one of which is the decongestion of the mortuaries.

While confirming that cremation was strange and new in Nigeria, the lawmaker said with the introduction of cremation, health officials, who were faced with the problems of how to get land, and thus resorted to mass burials, would be relieved. Avoseh was supported by the likes of Mrs. Funmilayo Tejuosho, representing Mushin Constituency 1, and Mudashiru Obasa representing Agege Constituency 1 at the House, as according to them, the present condition of mortuaries in the state could cause epidemics if nothing was done urgently. While Tejuosho said that people should have an option to cremate their dead while unclaimed bodies should be cremated by the state after six months, Obasa said that the idea would reduce the incidence of the ritualists, who often invade cemeteries at night to mutilate corpses.

It was with such ease that the bill’s journey began. It was then broken into sections with Section 2 stipulating that no cremation may take place except in a crematorium established by the Ministry of Health or by any other body upon the recommendation of the authority and approval by the Commissioner for Health and Section 6 stipulating the guidelines to getting permission to cremate and listing those eligible for permission to cremate to include a child or children of the deceased; a close relative of the deceased; an undertaker and an agent/legal representative.

Also Section 8 of the law gives the Medical Directors of the state hospitals power to order cremation of unclaimed bodies in their respective mortuaries but that this must be with the consent and approval of the Commissioner for Health while Section 10 of the law states that the cremator in charge of a crematorium must not dispose of the ashes remaining after a cremation except in accordance with any reasonable written instructions of the applicant adding, however, that the cremator in charge may bury the ashes in a burial ground if, “within one year after the cremation, the applicant does not give reasonable written instructions for the disposal of the ashes.”

The lawmakers may not have anticipated the hitches suffered by the bill. It was several times rejected by residents of the state making critics think it may end up being like other laws that were only passed just to add up with the already existing ones in the gazette and without effective implementation.

Within the House, one lawmaker, Bayo Oshinowo, opposed the bill till it became law. Osinowo, representing Kosofe 1, who had, at the bill’s proposition, warned that the tradition, culture and religion of Nigerians had to be properly considered before embarking on the act, had also argued that the congestion at mortuaries was due to the negligence of morgue attendants.

Again, during the adoption of the report that would enable the bill pass through the third reading of the House, Oshinowo called on the state government to provide land for burial of corpses rather think of cremating them.

Stressing that many Nigerians are not in support of the bill, he stressed: “cremation is not part of our culture. If government cannot provide land to bury our dead, then it is a shame to humanity.”

Oshinowo’s position had been echoed by residents of the state in several fora. During the public hearing of the bill, officials of the state government and the lawmakers could not convince those in attendance as the latter stood their ground in opposition stressing that it was against religious and cultural practices in the state and country. They also accused berated the state government over the poor state of the mortuaries saying if the morgues were taken care of, there would be no problems with the 180 unclaimed corpses which the state said it was battling with. They also punctured the state government’s excuse of lack of space saying the space were being amassed for the construction of expensive estates by the same government. A resident, Abdulrasaq Olatunji, who spoke on behalf Muslim lawyers in the state, asked the government officials: “if it is true that lands in Lagos state have been exhausted, why can’t the state government liaise with other neighbouring states and ask them to give it land to be used for mass burial?”

Another Muslim leader, Abdulmojeed Addulkareem, explained that the proposed bill was against Islamic faith as according to him, “if we keep silent on the issue, and we say unclaimed corpses should be burnt, the spirit of Muslims among the corpses will be on our heads.

“This idea, apart from being against our religion is also against our culture. If you say there is a crematorium in Ogun state, we know that there is no such law in Ogun state. So we are not in support of this particular bill.”

Few days later, the Catholic Church and the Oshodi, Lagos branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, also expressed their rejection of the bill and asked the lawmakers to throw it out.

In a statement by the Very Rev. Gabriel Osu, Archdiocesan Director of Social Communications, on behalf of the Administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, the Catholic Church said: “the issue of cremation is a very sensitive one because it bothers on our culture, tradition and religion. As Africans, it is against our culture and as Christians it is against our religious beliefs. In the Koran, the respect of the dead is very clear.

“They do not allow the corpse to stay long, not to talk of cremation. We believe after life and the need to give the dead proper burial as prescribed in the Bible. “I do not see any one who would want his corpse or that of loved ones cremated.

Already you can see the response of Lagosians during the public hearing. Most of those who spoke are vehemently opposed to it. It is not acceptable at all. My advice is for the lawmakers to quickly jettison the idea and look for better ways of dealing with unclaimed corpses,”

Urging the government to build more modern and affordable cemeteries in various parts of the state as well as rehabilitate the old ones, the statement added: “it is only in Africa that we have no respect for the dead. Go to Atan and Ikoyi cemeteries, for instance, they have been over-taken by weeds. Security is another issue entirely. The dead deserves to rest in peace.”

On his part, the head of CAN in Oshodi, Pastor Barnabas Otoibhi, in a statement, described it as a culture of shock to see loved ones being burned in the name of cremation.

Otoibhi, who is also the General Overseer, Temple Rebuilder Mission, said apart from the fact that the bill came to Nigerians as a rude shock, “if the bill is passed into law, it will impact negatively on our socio-cultural values. Cremation is incompatible with the cultures of the various ethnic groups in Nigeria. One of our socio-cultural values is paying the last respect to the dead. Cremation or burning the body of the dead certainly does not amount to paying the last respect to the dead.

“The government has a constitutional responsibility to preserve and promote the cultural values of the nation. But if this bill on Cremation is passed into law, the government will unwittingly be creating an avenue to erode one of our much cherished socio-cultural values.”

Many residents of the state also expressed reservations concerning the bill to the extent that the Speaker of the House, Adeyemi Ikufoiji, while speaking at a Ramadan lecture gave the impression that the bill would not be passed against the wish of the people.

“Let me assure our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters that the assembly will not go against your wish concerning the cremation bill. If you say you do not want the bill, we will not pass it. We will not do anything to jeopardise your interests. He however added: “I am a Muslim, I cannot allow my corpse to be burnt but we should allow those who want their dead bodies to be burnt have their way,” he added.

Now that the House has passed it in the face of this heavy rejection, it is left to be seen how it would be effectively implemented by the state without attracting the ire of the already irritated residents.

Wednesday 2 January 2013

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/01/02/nigerias-cremation-bills-tortuous-journey/

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