Sunday 6 January 2013

Five killed in road mishap in Sheohar


Intense and blinding fog claimed lives of five farm workers in the wee hours on Sunday when the truck carrying them turned turtle and fell into a pond near village Sonbarsa under Tariyani police station in Sheohar district.

The deceased were identified as Devendra Rai, Naresh Sahni, Sanjay Ram, Manoj Ram and Vijay Sahni, all natives of village Sonbarsa and were in their 30s. They were returning from Mohania in Kairmur district after the end of paddy harvesting season. The truck was full of finished paddy, which they had received in lieu of wages. About 25 labourers were on the truck, when the accident took place. Nearly half part of the truck was submersed in the pond.

Sheohar DM Anil Kumar and SDPO SM Vakil Ahmad reached the spot soon after the accident and supervised the rescue operation with the help of officials and villagers. The bodies were sent to Sitamarhi for post-mortem and the six injured labourers were admitted to the primary health centre (PHC), Tariyani, where the doctors said that they were out of danger. Meanwhile, former union minister Raghunath Jha has demanded an inquiry into the incident and a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each and government job to the kin of the victims.

Sunday 6 January 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Five-killed-in-road-mishap-in-Sheohar/articleshow/17918627.cms

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Baldia factory fire: Seven more bodies identified through DNA tests


Seven more bodies of the Baldia factory fire, which were lying in Edhi’s cold storage, have been identified through DNA tests.

According to Edhi official Anwar Kazi, five of the seven indentified bodies were taken by the families while the remaining two are still with Edhi.

Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) executive director Karamat Ali confirmed the identification of these bodies. “There are several more that need to be identified since their families are suffering,” he said.

The fourth month of the Baldia factory fire incident culminates next Friday, and 21 bodies have yet to be identified. At a news conference on Saturday, Ali announced that a German-based textile company, KiK Textilien, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Piler, under which the company will pay compensation to the victims of Ali Enterprises, the factory in which over 260 workers were burnt to death.

“Some of the workers’ bodies have decomposed and are unidentifiable, but their families are suffering as they have not received any compensation from the government despite all their struggles and efforts,” he said. Under the MOU, those victims’ whose families have not received any compensation from the government will be paid first. They will be compensated up to the level of assistance extended by the government departments and other sources so far.

KiK will be extending $1 million in the first phase, while the amount of compensation in the second phase will be determined after negotiations between all stakeholders. The company is also willing to compensate workers, who faced severe injuries in the fire leading to disabilities and loss of future employment, he added.

According to Ali, the number of missing workers is more than 21. “Piler along with other labour organisations is going to submit a petition in the Sindh High Court to seek an independent commission to manage the compensation process.”

This problem could be solved easily once the original factory records are found, he said. It will show how many workers were inside, he added. “Another way is to get testimonies from those workers who survived.”

In case the court does not establish such a commission, Piler will form a committee of prominent citizens, who have been associated with social causes and have a clean reputation. Labour rights activist Nasir Mansoor, Habibuddin Junaidi, Noor Mohammad and Rehana Yasmeen were also present at the news conference. They criticised the government for taking DNA samples for three times from the victims’ families without solving their problems.

Sunday 6 January 2013

http://tribune.com.pk/story/489663/baldia-factory-fire-seven-more-bodies-identified-through-dna-tests/

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Update: Death toll of collapsed boat in Indonesia reaches 7


An official involved in the rescue work of the recently-capsized boat in Indonesia's Maluku province said on Saturday that one more body was discovered, making the total fatality to seven.

Previously on Friday rescuers discovered six bodies from the capsized boat with a total of 11 people on board. Three of the passengers managed to survive after they swam to an island nearby.

"Merlin was found this morning. The body is placed in the hospital at the moment," Mochtar Ingratubun, head of Southeast Maluku regional disaster mitigation agency said in Ambon, the capital city of Maluku province. He was referring to 14-year-old Merlin Tabalubun, the latest boat passenger found dead.

Rescuers are now intensifying search for Jems Ohoira of eight years old, the only boat passenger who had not been discovered. 24 vessels from the military, water police and local fishermen were taking part in the effort to find the missing one, the Kompas.com reported.

The ill-fated wooden boat sailed from Tanimbar Kei island on Thursday bound to Langgur, the largest city in Southeast Maluku, and was capsized at 6 p.m. local time after being hit by tidal wave, according to the survivors' accounts.

Mochtar said that rescue efforts were conducted since Friday morning after the authority got initial information about the capsized boat from the survivors.

Sunday 6 January 2013

http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-01/06/content_27601046.htm

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Search for bodies begins after Tasmania bushfires


Authorities have begun searching for bodies amid fears lives may have been lost in bushfires that have ravaged southern Tasmania.

More than 100 buildings have been destroyed by the fires, which continue to burn on the Tasman Peninsula, and while there have been no confirmed deaths, police say they have fears for a number of people.

Acting Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard said up to 100 people had not made contact with family or authorities by Sunday afternoon and the search for bodies has so far centred on destroyed properties in Dunalley, Boomer Bay and Marion Bay.

"It's not to say those people have necessarily come to harm, but we can't totally eliminate that until we have contact with those individuals," Tilyard told reporters.

"But we have to brace ourselves for the fact we may locate one or more deceased people."

He said police teams were checking around eight properties an hour.

"At this stage we have not located any deceased people," he said on Sunday afternoon.

"There are a lot of premises that need to be checked. Until we've had the opportunity to check every one of those locations we won't be in a position to confirm there has been no deaths."

Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) chief fire officer Mike Brown said crews were having trouble accessing parts of the Tasman Peninsula as they battled to bring the Forcett fire under control.

"There is still some problems getting fire vehicles into the Tasman Peninsula to work more on protecting properties and protecting assets," he said.

He said around 60,000 hectares have been burned out while another blaze of around the same size continues to burn out of control in remote areas of the southwest of the state.

While that blaze is not affecting any communities, Brown said Parks and Wildlife were checking on its register for any bushwalkers who may be in the area.

He said there was no time frame on when the fires would be brought under control.

"Our predictions over the next week is that temperatures will warm up a bit," he said.

More than 1000 people have been evacuated from the peninsula to Hobart via boat, with the final ferryload of 180 people departing Nubeena for the capital early on Sunday morning.

Hundreds more have sought refuge with relatives and in evacuation centres across the region, including at the Port Arthur historic site.

Acting Premier Bryan Green has announced financial assistance saying hundreds of Tasmanians have been affected.

"This is a very harrowing time for many Tasmanians and our communities have more challenges to face in the weeks and months to come," he said in a statement on Sunday.

The threat posed to communities by the Forcett bushfire was downgraded to watch and act, but the blaze continues to burn out of control, and has already done massive damage throughout the peninsula.

The town of Dunalley was the worst hit, with around 65 homes and the town's school destroyed, while dozens more buildings were razed at Connellys Marsh, Eaglehawk Neck, Murdunna, Copping and Primrose Sands.

Brown said a bushfire near Bicheno had destroyed between 10 and 15 homes, and burned around 7000 hectares.

The fire continues to burn out of control and the town's main access route, Coles Bay Road, was closed again after briefly reopening on Sunday morning.

Firefighters and support personnel have flown in from Victoria and NSW to assist the fight.

The federal government is making disaster relief funding of up to a $1000 ($1259) per person available to those Tasmanians affected by the bushfires.

Speaking in Sydney, Minister for Emergency Management Nicola Roxon said the government had made emergency funding available from noon AEDT (2pm NZT) on Sunday for those impacted by the fires.

"People living in the local government areas affected will be able to claim up a $1000 ($1259) per adult and $400 ($503) per child," she said.

"Other emergency assistance will be made available for people who need money for food and temporary accommodation.

"That comes on top of the funding that Tasmania and the commonwealth together will invest to rebuild those communities."

Roxon said the emergency relief funding was not means-tested but residents had to be affected by the fires and live in certain local government areas to be eligible.

The funding aid had so far been activated in three local government areas with assessments currently being done on two others, she said.

"We're very conscious that our emergency relief organisations do swing into action very quickly here," Roxon said.

She said she could not predict how many people might need the emergency cash.

"We've got a long way to go this summer," she said.

Yesterday insurers declared the bushfire-hit towns a catastrophe and police powers were increased when the Tasman Peninsula was declared a serious-incident site.

Electricity company Aurora said it could take several weeks to restore power in some areas, with 300 poles down on the Tasman Peninsula.

Sunday 6 January 2013

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/search-bodies-begins-after-tasmania-bushfires-5312618

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