Marinedivers search wreck in North Sea

Divers of the Royal Navy from tuesday search for missing sailors of the Baltic Ace. That ship sank last week after a collision in the North Sea.

The wreck lies at 40 meters depth, approximately 65 kilometers from the coast of Zeeland. The divers use include an underwater robot to the ship and seabed mapping. Then they search for bodies in the wreck.

Six crew members are still not found. Five bodies have been recovered and 13 people survived the accident.

Monday 17 December 2012

(Translated from Dutch using Google Translate)

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21163921/__Marine_zoekt_lichamen_wrak__.html

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Indonesia tsunami survivor says 'tourism' can educate coastal residents

A survivor of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 says the best way to save lives in a tsunami is not by building sea walls but by showing residents what happens--and the need to get to high ground.

Rahmadhani, 42, who goes by only one name, helped recover bodies in his neighborhood after the tsunami hit the northwestern coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island. He now works as the director of the Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh.

He recently spoke of what he called "tsunami tourism" in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun. He was visiting Japan to give an address at a symposium in Osaka Prefecture organized by the National Museum of Ethnology. The conference explored ways of coping with disaster and rebuilding stricken communities.

The museum in Banda Aceh opened last year, honoring the victims and survivors of the Dec. 26, 2004, disaster. In Aceh province alone, more than 160,000 people were recorded dead or missing. The total number of casualties--around the Indian Ocean--will never be known, but is believed to be more than 220,000.

The museum has photo displays and a diorama showing residents frantically trying to flee. It also explains earthquake and tsunami science. It urges survivors to tell children of their experiences. It also uses picture cards to illustrate what they went through.

About 300,000 people have visited the museum since it opened.

Elsewhere in the city of Banda Aceh, some items washed inland have been left there as reminders of the flood. In one case, a fishing boat rests on the upper story of a house.

Rahmadhani's house stood eight kilometers from the coast, but not even that neighborhood was safe: the water there was two meters deep. He and his family could make it because they fled to a small rise of land. Afterward, Rahmadhani joined other survivors in searching for victims. He helped retrieve more than 10 bodies.

The death toll was high in Aceh province because few people there had been aware that a tsunami can follow an earthquake.

By contrast, there were only a handful of victims on the nearby island of Simeulue because islanders fled to higher ground. The island community had been hit by a tsunami in 1907--and its lessons had been passed down through the generations.

Rahmadhani says he could clearly imagine conditions in northeastern Japan when the giant earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, 2011.

"We are seeking solidarity with the Japanese as fellow victims," he says.

Rahmadhani studied tourism at a graduate school in Australia. Back home, officials noticed his eagerness to combine education with tourism and tapped him to run the provincial museum.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201212180006

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10 Samoan fishermen missing after cyclone

New Zealand searchers are now looking for 10 fishermen off Samoa since Cyclone Evan hit the island nation after a fourth boat was discovered to be missing.

As the destructive cyclone crossed Fiji, a New Zealand Air Force Orion continued its search for the missing Samoan fishermen.

It was initially thought eight were missing from three boats but Rescue Coordination Centre search and rescue mission co-ordinator Kevin Banaghan says they now know of a fourth boat.

“We have now been advised that a fourth fishing boat has been confirmed missing, with a total of 10 men still to be accounted for,” he said.

“Each boat had three crew aboard, but two men, from different boats, have made it to shore.”

A French Navy guardian aircraft is helping with the search.

Meanwhile, the cyclone has now reached Fiji, running one bulk carrier ship aground and causing destruction in Rakiraki, the Fiji Times website reported.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://www.newzealandtimes.co.uk/news/nz-news/10-samoan-fishermen-missing-after-cyclone.htm

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Delays in disposal of bodies at GMC mortuary

Although a new larger morgue is being readied for Goa medical college (GMC) and hospital, Bambolim, there is no guarantee that it would help put right the existing problem; provide adequate space for all bodies brought to the GMC morgue.

The reason being most of the time, GMC morgue cabinets remain occupied by unidentified bodies being not disposed on time as police and civic bodies wrestle over the matter of disposal.

The police inspector attached to the respective police station has to assume responsibility for an unclaimed body found in his jurisdiction, and though he may be willing to do his duty, many a time he is left helpless for alleged lack of cooperation from the village panchayat.

"There is clear instruction from the collector to the police that a body has to be disposed off within 15 days, but it is rarely done," a doctor from the forensic department said, seeking anonymity.

The village panchayat has to bear expenditure for burial or cremation of a person who has died in the village if the body remains unclaimed.

Some police officers, however, complained that most of the time, village panchayats are just not willing to shell out money. A police officer claimed that the Curca-Bambolim panchayat has been "the most adamant" and till date, has not paid him expenditure incurred for disposing four bodies.

"I have written several letters to them over the past few months but they have not paid me till date,"said a police officer, even as he claimed that it was the prime responsibility of the panchayat to give at least 1000 per body, and arrange for a hearse van.

When contacted, sarpanch Ghanashayam Vernekar, however, claimed during the last panchayat meeting, they had passed a resolution and some money was sanctioned to be paid to police.

He was unable to spell out how much amount was sanctioned and how much they paid per body. At the time of writing this article, there were two bodies attached to Agasaim police station, lying at the morgue but coming under the domain of Curca-Bambolim-Talaulim village panchayat.

The police officer also complained that Curca village panchayat only pays 750 per body while actually they need to give 900 per body like other panchayats.

A body of a Russian national, Tatiana, 27, has been lying in the morgue ever since March, 2010.

Anjuna police inspector Vishwesh Karpe said he was helpless as there has been no response from the Russian embassy. "We have written six to seven letters to them but they are yet to trace relatives of the deceased," he said.

He also complained that most of the time, delays also occur as a result of non-cooperation by the civic bodies, especially panchayats.

"If they arrange things on time we can dispose off bodies immediately," he added.

The GMC morgue has been compelled to hold bodies for a longer duration as police fight with civic bodies to compel them to adher to their civic responsibility.

The head of forensic medicine, Dr Silvano Sapeco, claimed that they are constantly after respective police stations to take the bodies.

The existing capacity of the morgue is 62 (cabinets) while at any given time 35- 40 cabinets remain occupied with 35-40 unidentified and unclaimed bodies and sometimes from medico-legal cases.

When all cabinets are full, the department is left with no option but to keep new bodies in the morgue without the cabinet facility. "As a precaution, we have to post an attendant there, when a body is not kept in the cabinet, lest rats do not eat parts of the body," said a forensic department official.

Forensic and Toxicology department receives on an average five -six bodies for autopsies whereas various hospitals send eight-ten bodies in connection with non-police cases everyday.

Sometimes, there are requests from individuals to keep a body in the morgue till the final rites are arranged for. The new morgue will have 200 cabinets and certainly be bigger than the existing one. But it won't matter if police and civic bodies do not resolve their issues over disposal of bodies.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Police-pyats-squabble-delays-disposal-of-morgue-bodies/articleshow/17644733.cms

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Adverse weather affects rescue operation to in Siachen

Very adverse weather condition has hampered the operation to rescue a soldier, still missing after a snow avalanche hit a post in Turtuk near the Line of Control (LoC) at Siachen in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Seven soldiers of One Assam Regiment were buried alive under a huge snow avalanche when a forward post at a height of over 17000 feet came under an avalanche in Sub Sector Hanif, in Turtuk area of Siachen yesterday morning.

Bodies of six soldiers were recovered and seventh went missing.

The chances of his survival were very bleak as the area received fresh snowfall.

Defence ministry spokesman Lt Colonel J S Brar said this afternoon that the rescue operation had to be halted due to adverse weather conditions yesterday afternoon.

“We could not start the operation even today as the weather was still bad,” he said, adding the rescue operation would be started as soon as the weather improves.

This was the first major tragedy during this winter.

India and Pakistan Army had suffered causalities in Siachen, the highest battle field in the world, since both the countries decided to deploy troops there.

On April 7, 2012, 135 Pakistani soldiers were buried alive in Siachen area on other side of the LoC.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/newsite/adverse-weather-affects-rescue-operation-to-in-siachen/

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One more dead body discovered in the rubble

The body of a dead man was discovered by a Police and Rescue team about 5pm this afternoon in the debris behind the CCCS Church at Vaiala.

Police could not identify the deceased but suspect he could have been washed from the inland villages of Maagiagi and Lelata during the flooding.

The body has been taken to the National Hospital at Moto’otua.

Police say the man has a tattoo on his arm and they will be putting out notices for families and relatives to come and identify the victim.

It places the death toll at 5 while search continue for the others missing since last weeks Cyclone Evan.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://www.talamua.com/one-more-dead-body-discovered-in-the-rubble/

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At least 5 killed, 12 injured as building collapses in Russia's southwest

A three-story building under construction has collapsed in the port city of Taganrog, killing at least five people and wounding twelve. Nine people are still missing, RIA Novosti reports, quoting the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

"Fourteen people have been pulled out of the rubble; five of them have died," the Ministry says. "Up to nine people may remain in the debris."

Twelve people have been taken to hospital; according to the local Health Ministry; condition of seven of them is serious to critical.

Around 30 construction workers, some of them foreigners, were reportedly at the scene when the building crumbled. Some of the workers were evacuated in the wake of the incident.

Up to 300 people are working at the scene searching for those missing and removing the debris.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but local authorities suspect errors in construction. The construction cite is reported to belong to a local investor who was planning to build a small-sized appartment house.

A criminal case has been opened into the deaths, citing charges of security violations at construction sites which lead to deaths of two or more people. Police are also checking if migrants working at the site have job permits and visas.

Taganrog is a port city of over 250,000 people on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov.

Thursday 13 December 2012

http://rt.com/news/russia-south-building-collapse-995/

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Chandigarh 7 dead as fog causes road crash near Narwana

Seven people, including six of two families from Chandigarh, died when their tempo collided with a mini-truck amid fog in the early hours of Sunday at Dhakal village, around 7km from Narwana in Jind district.

At least nine people were injured in the mishap, which occurred around 5.30am when the families were on their way to Sirsa to attend a weekly congregation of a spiritual programme at Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa.

The Jind police have started investigation after registering a case of rash and negligent driving against the truck driver in this regard. "The driver of the mini-truck managed to leave the accident spot. We are trying to arrest him," said Narwana deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rameshwar Singh.

Of the victims, all of the deceased and seven injured were relatives, including Pala Ram, 50, and his wife Phooli Devi, 45, whose son and two daughters were injured. Ved Pal, 40, and his wife Raj Bala also died, and their son also suffered injuries. Two sisters, seven and 12 years old, also died, while their parents and five-year-old brother escaped with injuries.

The injured were provided first aid at Narwana's civil hospital and then shifted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) at Chandigarh. The condition of two patients is serious.

Police said the villagers heard a loud boom after the collision and had started the rescue before approaching them. Dense fog that marred visibility on the road is seen as the plausible reason.

The stretch of National Highway 65 - a 3-km straight patch between Dhakal and Hathoi villages -- where the collision occurred has seen several such mishaps. Hisar additional sessions judge Pardeep Kumar had died in an accident barely a kilometre from Sunday's crash site on December 5.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://www.dailypioneer.com/city/116121-head-on-crash-snuffs-out-eight-lives-near-jind.html

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Eight die after PNG boat capsizes off East New Britain

Eight people, including six children, have died in Papua New Guinea after their boat capsized in rough seas in East New Britain province last Thursday.

The newspaper, The National, reports that the eight were part of a church group travelling to Lassul Baining to attend a youth convention.

The group was travelling aboard a 20-foot banana boat on a short journey to Lassul Bay from another provincial port when big waves filled the boat with water and caused it to sink.

The acting Gazelle district administrator Ekonia Walom, who indicated the boat was overcrowded, said the bodies of the eight were washed ashore.

He said police at Kerevat and provincial disaster officers conducted an assessment last Friday and are due to file a report.

Monday 17 December 2012

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=72917

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