Deaths reported in Ukraine plane crash

At least four people died when a plane made an emergency crash-landing in Ukraine on Wednesday, the Russian news outlet, state-run RIA Novosti, reported.

There were 45 people on board when the AN-24 crashed in the Donetsk region, an emergency official said. At least two people are unaccounted for. Thirty-nine were evacuated before the airliner caught fire, the official said.

"The plane missed the landing strip, turned upside down and broke into pieces," the official said.

The Donetsk-bound charter flight was carrying soccer fans from Odessa. They were heading to a UEFA Champions League game between Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund, the Ukrainskaya Pravda website reported.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/13/world/europe/ukraine-crash/

Police Chief condones Chibombo looting

Inspector General of Police is embarrassed by police officers who allegedly looted money and luggage of the accident victims in Chibombo last week.

Libongani has also appealed to any member of the public that were involved in the looting to return the accident victims’ and survivors belongings.

“If at all any officer got money or we can have evidence that they in fact got that money, then we are going to deal with those officers because it is unprofessional for police officers especially those who go to such a scene to assist injured persons and investigate what has happened to get money. So the reports indeed are disturbing,” she said.

Some family members of the Post Bus accident victims have accused the police of ransacking bodies and looting money and luggage.

It has been alleged by survivors and family members of the deceased that many lost money and luggage during the accident in Chibombo.

A few family members of the deceased and survivors have claimed the loss of about K40 million.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

http://zambiareports.com/2013/02/13/police-chief-disburbed-by-chibombo-looting/

Ezu River: Corpses to be exhumed again

The 25 unidentified corpse which were found floating on Ezu river in Awka, Anambra State, may again be exhumed for the second time, following revelations that the police did not give approval for their burial.

Apart from the non-approval by the police, the corpses were hurriedly buried at the bank of the river which is the only source of water for the community.

These were the feelers from the Senate Committee on Police Affairs and Security and Intelligence which visited Ezu river in Amansea, Awka north local government area of the state yesterday.

Vanguard investigation team was already at Ama-Owerri, in Amansea at the time of their arrival.

The committees discovered that the corpses were not properly buried and that they could be washed back into the river any time it overflows its bank.

The committees, led by Senator Muhammed Magoro, had asked Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Bala Nasarawa, whether he gave approval for the burial which he denied. The committee expressed disgust over the burial, without the approval of the police who ougtht to be investigating the matter remarked that it was wrong to bury them close to the river bank.

“The corpses were buried close to the river which is the only source of water and if the river overflows its bank, the corpses will be washed back to the river, he said.”

The State Commissioner of Health, Dr Lawrence Ikeakor said the bodies would be exhumed.

This will be the second time the bodies will be exhumed. The bodies were first exhumed for autopsy after examination on three of the bodies were carried out.

The committees were not happy that other neighbouring communities as Ugwuoba were not represented.

There were contradictory reports on how the bodies were found. While some said the bodies were already decomposed and floating, others said there were blood stains on the bridge which is approximately 200 meters from a police post, indicating that the bodies were fresh but the police commissioner while responding to question by members of the committee, said there were no blood stains found in the area.

Vanguard investigation revealed that a woman living in the area said she noticed a vehicle parked on the bridge and some people were throwing some objects into the river. “Around 3am while I was preparing my Kunnu for sale, I noticed some people were at the bridge throwing objects into the river.”

Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo of Amansea, who disclosed that no member of the community was missing, after being prompted by the senate committee, said the community is employing the traditional means of fact finding which he said would soon be concluded.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/ezu-river-corpses-to-be-exhumed-again/

Tanzania: Eight perish in Coast Region crash

At least eight people, including four students, died in a road accident that occurred on Morogoro-Dar es Salaam Highway on Monday evening at Kibiti in Coast Region, the Regional Police Commander, Mr Ulrich Matei, has confirmed.

Three people were injured in the accident. Mr Matei said the accident occurred after a motor vehicle with Registration Number T 363 AZG, a Toyota Mark II, collided with a Mitsubishi Fusso with Registration Number 433 AYQ.

He said that the Toyota, which was in high speed caused the accident when its driver, Abuu Ahmed (21), failed to control it, and collided with the Fusso that was heading for Morogoro from Tanga. According to the RPC, Ahmed (the driver of the Toyota) also died.

He was heading for Dar es Salaam from Morogoro. He named the deceased as Esau Enos (16), a Form Three student, Bahati George (18), Latifa Maneno (17) both being Form Four students and Stella Isaack Kazimoto (18), all students from Chalinze Secondary School.

Other deceased victims are Hassan Kulunga, Maria Sadick Lelela and her three-year-old child identified as Samuel Ismail from Ubena Lulenge. The dead also included the driver of the Toyota Mark II, Abuu Ahmed. The injured victims include William Tobias (30), a resident of Matombo in Morogoro Region and Ahmade Juma (36).

These were rushed to Chalinze Health Centre. The bodies of the deceased were preserved at Tumbi Hospital Mortuary. Following the accident, Mr Matei asked drivers and other users of roads to abide by traffic rules and regulations.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

http://allafrica.com/stories/201302130178.html

Bodies of Komi Miners Killed in Blast Identified

The Investigative Committee confirmed Tuesday that 18 workers died in Monday's methane explosion in a mine in the Komi republic and said all the bodies had been identified by relatives.

Local and federal authorities had cited differing numbers of fatalities after the accident Monday morning in the town of Vorkuta, with emergency officials saying only 16 had been confirmed dead.

One miner who was seriously injured in the blast was flown to a Moscow hospital, where he was in critical condition Tuesday, a Health Ministry representative told Interfax. Two other miners who were injured were being treated in a Vorkuta hospital.

The blast at the Vorkutinskaya coal mine was the second fatal accident at a Russian mine in less than a month.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/bodies-of-komi-miners-killed-in-blast-identified/475436.html#ixzz2Km1nwOGW

4 more bodies found, launch death toll now 18

Four more bodies were recovered Wednesday morning, five days after a launch capsized in the Meghna river at Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj.

Of the bodies, two were found floating in Meghna river of the upazila while two more in Shatnol area of Chandpur.

One of the deceased was identified as Abul Hasan of Matlab in Chandpur.

With the recovery of the bodies, the death toll of the launch tragedy now stands at 18, reports our Munshiganj correspondent quoting Tariqul Islam, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Munshiganj.

At least 12 people were killed and many went missing after a Chandpur-bound launch MV Saros capsized in Meghna river after being hit by a sand-laden cargo on February 8.

One day after, two more bodies were recovered when salvaged ship towed the launch to shore.

Locals found a floating body at Manikchar of Gazaria upazila in Munshiganj around 10:45am Wednesday and informed police. Later, police recovered the body.

Around 12noon, another unidentified body was found floating at Ismanichar area of the upazila.

Police also recovered two bodies from Shatnol area of Chandpur in the morning whose identity could not be known immediately.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=44742

Bodies of seven stampede victims yet to be identified

There are still seven unclaimed bodies lying in the mortuary of the SRN hospital while rest 29 bodies have been identified.

Additional director, health, Dr Ramesh Kumar told TOI "After identification and subsequent postmortem, we have handed over the bodies to their family members (after all formalities) and further arranged ambulances so that the family members could take the bodies to their respective destinations."

He added: "There are still seven unclaimed bodies whose identities are yet to be ascertained.

Scores of people have arrived SRN hospital and mortuary in search of their family members, relatives, friends and even nears and dears who were still missing.

As per information, more than 127 people including 43 children are reportedly missing from Mela area and both police and family members are trying to trace out their current locations.

Family members visited the Lost & Found camp also thinking that the missing persons would be reaching at camps. Patesar Singh, a resident of Gonda, who was searching for his missing mother, said that his mother along with two others had come to Allahabad to take holy dip but his mother unfortunately went missing. Despite extensive search at various places, her location was yet to be ascertained.

The family members keep on taking rounds of Lost & Found camp as well as police station concerned to get the locations and reunion.

Mela police officials claimed that they have been coordinating with volunteers and organizers of Lost & Found camp as well as city police and intensified a drive in search of missing ones.

The Mela police claimed to have compiled the details of missing persons and inputs have been shared with all police stations and outpost to get them traced at the earliest.

Wednesday 13 February 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Bodies-of-seven-stampede-victims-yet-to-be-identified/articleshow/18475946.cms

Erratic power causes Pantang corpses to decompose in morgue

Corpses in Ghana’s morgue in Pantang hospital are decomposing as a result of the erratic power supply to the area.

The whole nation has been feeling the effects of the load shedding exercise, which has locally been christened the ‘dum-so-dum-so’ phenomenon.

Commercial activities are suffering and residents are feeling the pinch as government, power producers and distributors continue to project different dates for the exercise’s conclusion, which was previously set for late last year.

Joy News’ reports that even in death, the corpses in Pantang, Accra are not exempted from the anguish that comes with erratic power supply.

Authorities at the hospital have removed over a hundred corpses from the freezers and dumped them on the bare floor because the frequent black outs have rendered the machines useless.

They explained to Adu that the heat in the freezers caused by the frequent power outages is speeding up the decomposition of the corpses.

According to mortuary attendant Thomas Awuku, the best option to stop the bodies from decomposing under the circumstances is to remove them from the freezers and dump them on the floor.

The solution is certainly not an optimal one, as Adu reported a foul stench emanating from the morgue.

Hospital administrator Yaw Adjei said the facility has been without consistent power for four days. As if by design, the lights went off again in the middle of the interview, though it was no surprise to the administrator and his colleagues.

He said the hospital has a generator but that it cannot provide electricity to most parts of the hospital.

Mr Adjei explained that the hospital spends at least GHC1,000 a week on fuel to power the generator.

He hopes that authorities will improve the power supply to the hospital soon.

Tuesday 13 February 2013

http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201302/101281.php

Three killed, five missing after Yangtze ferry collision

Three people died and five others went missing after a ferry boat collided with a cargo ship and sunk Tuesday in a section of the Yangtze River, China’s largest, in the central province of Hubei.

The accident took place at 3:15 pm when the boat was crossing the river southward from Jianli county of Hubei Province to Yunxi district of Yueyang City, Hunan Province, the city government said in a statement.

The boat, which is designed to carry a maximum of 20 passengers, had 14 people aboard at the time of the accident.

All the 14 people, all from Yunxi district, fell into the river after the collision.

Rescuers from local maritime authorities’ patrol boats and five other boats helped to rescue nine people, but three were already drowned, the statement said.

The search and rescue is underway to locate the missing people.

Tuesday 12 February 2013

http://www.asianews.co/five-missing-after-yangtze-ferry-sinking/