Seven more bodies of soldiers recovered from Gayari

The Army rescue teams on Monday recovered seven bodies of Shaheed soldiers from Gayari sector of Siachen bringing the total number of bodies recovered so far to 118.

According to a Spokesman of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) here, despite weather hazards, the search operation continues at Gayari.

In all, 139 soldiers including some civilians of 6 Northern Light Infantry Battalion came under a huge snow slide early Saturday morning (April 7, 2012) in Gayari sector.

It may be mentioned here that since Gayari incident took place on April 7, more than 300 army men and 56 engineering plants were employed on a search operation.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-142521-Seven-more-bodies-of-soldiers-recovered-from-Gayari

Explosion in illegal fireworks unit kills eight

Gloom descended on a village in Uttar Pradesh on Diwali day as an explosion in an illegal fireworks factory killed eight people and wounded 12 others.

Six of the deceased persons belonged to a family. The explosion occurred in a house in Auraiya, a village in Kanpur district, where fire-crakers were being manufactured illegally for the festival of lights.

The house is in Yaqoobpur town in Bela police station area in Uttar Pradesh, deputy superintendent of police Ashok Kumar Singh told reporters.

All eight died on the spot as fire-crackers caught fire.

The wounded have been rushed to a hospital in Kanpur.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/eight-killed-in-firecracker-explosion-in-up/article4093233.ece

6 killed in Mbeya crash

At least six people have been reported to have died, five of them on the spot, with 11 others sustaining severe injuries following an accident that involved a commuter minibus (Hiace) and a lorry in Emezu, on the outskirts of Mbeya region.

The accident occurred yesterday along the Tunduma Dar es Salaam Highway when the two commuter minibus with registration number T 245 AMH heading to Mbarali district from Mbeya crashed with a lorry registration number T27 ATQ heading to Tunduma from Dar es Salaam.

Mbeya Regional Hospital Emergency ward Nurse, Jane Kipenye confirmed to have admitted 11 injured people and received bodies of five deceased people, saying that one of the patients died while getting treatment at the hospital

She named the injured as Elia Mlowa(18), Fizara Kassim (28), Hajira Abdallah (8), Elika January (26), Charles Gumani (53), Doto Jagala (44), Beta Sanga (52), Maria Anania (32), Isaka Leonard(17) and Erasto Mlwale (34).

Morgue attendant Augen Vuruga confirmed to have received bodies of the who died in that accident and that among those corpses five have already been identified while one still unidentified.

According to him, the deceased are Steven Kimario, Shalfa Abdallah, Simon Mwakaluka, Maria Mwanginde, Andrea Simbeye and one whose name is unknown.

Mbeya’s Police commander, Diwani Athuman has confirmed the accident and promised to give details after further investigation.

Last month about 13 people died on the spot and 99 were injured, some seriously, in three road accidents in Mbeya, Shinyanga and Tanga regions.Reports said ten people died on the spot, including the secretary of Mbeya Special Seats MP Dr Mary Mwanjelwa, while 25 others were severely injured when four vehicles and a commuter bus crashed into each other at Mbalizi in Mbeya Rural District.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=47945

Saudi authorities to conduct DNA test on unclaimed bodies in Riyadh blast

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said Saudi Arabian authorities will be conducting DNA tests to identify the remains of the overseas Filipino worker said to have been killed in a fuel truck explosion in Riyadh last Nov 1.

Florentino Santiago, 44, was reported by the Philippine Embassy as among the 22 people who died in the explosion.

Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez, DFA spokesman, quoting Ambassador Ezzedin Tago, said that the body identified as Santiago’s by the OFW’s brother-in-law turned out to be that of a Syrian national.

Hernandez, in a press briefing, said there were still two unclaimed bodies that were burned beyond recognition. He said the DFA is waiting for a request by Saudi authorities to collect DNA samples from Santiago’s blood relatives to facilitate the conclusive identification of the OFWs’ remains.

“We will only know he’s dead if we are able to see and identify scientifically that one of the bodies is his,” Hernandez said.

The ill-fated fuel truck was driven by another OFW, Ruben Kebeng. Hernandez said Tago has already been able to get in touch with Kebeng, now detained at the Riyadh police department.

“He was already visited by Ambassador Tago and he (Kebeng) was sent to the court to authenticate his statement that he gave to the criminal investigation office,” the DFA official added.

According to Hernandez, Kebeng claimed the truck he was driving lost its breaks and he avoided hitting a building which was the reason why he slammed into a flyover post. However, the tank ruptured and the leaking fuel ignited, causing a huge explosion that set ablaze several vehicles and nearby buildings.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/56116/saudi-authorities-to-conduct-dna-test-on-unclaimed-bodies-in-riyadh-blast-dfa

Deadly Nepal flood due to 'small rockslide'

Flash flooding which swept away an entire village in Nepal originated with a minor rockslide, scientists said Tuesday, warning that the disaster could be repeated.

More than 70 people are believed to have died when the Seti River burst its banks on May 5, 2012 and hit Kharapani -- a village in the central Annapurna region with a population of just 100.

A team of Nepalese and US scientists investigating the cause of the flood said that a "comparatively small" rockslide had dammed an upstream gorge, forming a reservoir over several weeks.

This reservoir was then hit by a large avalanche from the Annapurna IV peak. The research team found that the impact of the avalanche had overfilled the reservoir and had "caused such stress as to break the rockslide dam. The huge outburst flood resulted."

Satellite images had shown that there had been rockslides between 2003 and 2008 with a 'significant reactivation' weeks before the disaster, they said.

The scientists, from the Nepalese government and the University of Arizona, recommended research into an early-warning system and warned villagers to be vigilant.

They cited the area's "unique" geography as a potential danger as its deep, marble gorges cause rivers to "cut directly downward like a hot knife slicing through a stick of butter".

Their report followed an expedition they had made to the region earlier in the month.

The village of Kharapani stood in the shadow of Mount Annapurna, one of Nepal's most popular tourist destinations.

The fast-flowing floodwaters smashed into two buildings and a number of shacks, as well as swamping families enjoying picnics.

Although there was never any official death toll, 23 bodies were recovered and around 50 people remain missing, including three Ukrainian tourists.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

http://reliefweb.int/report/nepal/deadly-nepal-flood-due-small-rockslide-experts-0