Mauritius: 10 killed after floods in Port Louis

At least 10 people were killed after the sudden floods in Mauritius capital Port Louis on Saturday. Eight dead bodies have been recovered so far, the BBC reported.

The meteorologist said that 152 mm of rain fell in less than an hour.

Prime Minister Navin Rangoolam said that Mauritian was suffering from acclimated weather and people have been advised to stay inside the houses. He has declared 1 April as a day of mourning in the entire country.

According to one of the Mauritius newspaper, the disaster has paralyzed the traffic on roads and caused chaos in the city.

More rain is expected in next few days.

Sunday 31 March 2013

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/WOR-TOP-mauritius-10-killed-after-sudden-flood-drowns-port-louis-4222285-NOR.html

Update: Leading archaeologist calls for accountability on Matale mass grave

Following reports submitted by professor in archaeology Raj Somadeva and forensic medical specialist Ajith Jayasena, who investigated the unearthed human remains, Matale magistrate court has confirmed that the deaths can be dated to a period when a Sinhala youth uprising was defeated by Sri Lanka’s military.

The time of the killings were determined by ‘material objects’ identified by the investigators. On the basis of archaeological and forensic evidence provided by experts Matale Magistrate and Additional District Judge Chaturika De Silva has said that the bodies were found to be of those killed between 1986 and 1990.

The Sinhala youth uprising led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) during the period was crushed by state armed forces in 1989. The number of unaccounted youth at the time under the rule of United national Party (UNP) was estimated to be over 30,000.

Professor Raj Somadeva says that no evidence could be found to demonstrate the Matale mass grave deaths were due to natural causes or an epidemic.

Therefore, ‘I have said in my report that there should be someone who is responsible for this mass grave,’ the Uppsala University archaeology scholar told JDS by telephone.

Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Ajith Jayasena has earlier told BBC that the mass grave should be regarded as a crime site as it was not a regular place of burial.

“Evidence of decapitation, dismemberment and concealment” indicates that “crimes were committed,” Dr. Jayasena told Al Jazeera.

Raj Somadeva of the Kelaniya University’s Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology said that the bodies were buried ‘not in a manner that is characteristic of any Sri Lankan community’.

“Some were found by themselves. There were other bodies stacked in groups of six and four. Only skulls of some of the deceased could be found. Only partial skeletons in some other cases,” he added.

‘Gota’s War’ on Matale

Sri Lanka’s powerful defence secretary was the military commander in Matale a few years into the JVP uprising, reveals a biography released last year. In ‘Gota’s War,’ Journalist C. A. Chandraprema says that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was promoted as ‘the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the Gajaba Regiment’.

“With this promotion, he was posted to Matale as the district coordinating officer tasked with bringing the JVP under control. The first Gajaba Battalion, which had been in Trincomalee for nearly one and a half years, was brought down to Matale,” Chandraprema writes in chapter twenty eight ‘The Second JVP Insurrection’.

He also records that senior Sri Lankan commanders accused of war crimes during the offensive that defeated Tamil Tigers militarily in 2009, assisted Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in the crushing of the JVP in Matale district. “Lieutenants Shavendra Silva, Jagath Dias and Sumedha Perera were among his company commanders in Matale,” says ‘Gota’s War’. Until the military defeat of the JVP in 1989 the present defence secretary has ‘remained the security coordinating officer of Matale,’ and in January 1990, ‘he applied for three months leave and went to the USA to see his family’.

The JVP and its breakaway group Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) who suspect that the destiny of their former comrades and their loved ones could be established from the Matale mass grave remains, have called for a ‘thorough inquiry’. Meanwhile, a senior official of the presidential committee appointed to investigate disappearance during the period says that the UNP government prevented the publishing of evidence provided by members of the public. Former Secretary of the Special Commission of Inquiries on Disappearances, ICM Iqbal told JDS that the government ‘intentionally removed evidence given by victims on mass graves and torture chambers’ “The commission was barred from publishing those details for a further thirty years,” he added.

Death toll in Tanzania building collapse rises to 22, bodies visually identified

As the death toll from the 16-storey building that collapsed in Dar es Salaam rose to 22 yesterday afternoon, there was fresh scare just opposite the ill-fated structure which scared off President Jakaya Kikwete and his security men from the rescue site.

The president, who was scheduled to visit the tragic site for the second time yesterday, failed to arrive at the area after rumours spread that another building owned by the same person and constructed by the same contactor could also collapse.

President Kikwete was scheduled to arrive at the site around mid-day but his security officers detailed him some 60 metres away from the rescue area.

However, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda had earlier visited the area, where he hailed rescuers for their efforts.

As the operations is going on, the government has ordered people who are living close to the remaining 16th building owned by the same owner of the ill-fated structure to vacate their premises for their safety following reports that, the twin building is likely to cause a danger in future.

However, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadiq issued the order yesterday which up to now almost many people who had hired the residential apartments close to the feared building have vacated.

One of the residents in the area, Amir Khan of the Asian origin told The Guardian yesterday at the are that, he is appealing to the government to do quick investigations on the building and if possible it should be destroyed for the safety of the people around.

Meanwhile the SACP Suleiman Kova held a press conference at the site later in the evening at around 14:30 hours and said that, so far six people are being held by the police for interrogation in connection with the matter.

According to him, the construction of the collapsed building which stood on plot number 1662/75 had been given a permit for construction when it was agreed that, it was supposed to have 10 storey on its completion. But to the great dismay, other 6 storey had been added by whose authority, he queried.

Commander Kova is on the view of the fact that, the two National Boards would help to carry a soil test for the debris which he said has already been taken for hammer test to a disclosed scientist who he couldn’t mention as it is too earlier and moreover for security purposes.

He also said that, about 22 bodies have been retrieved from the scene since the rescue operation started that morning on Friday, and out of these 8 bodies have been identified. He added that, the government would finance the purchase of shrouds and coffins for the dead ones.

However, he further noted that, 17 people who sustained injuries are still in hospital receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadiq has cautioned Dar es Salaam residents and Tanzanians as a whole to be patient as the government is closely working to find out the right cause of the accident and will be getting updating information in connection with the issue.

“This is a national disaster and I am appealing to all people not to take any loophole and disengage in any matters that would disrupt investigations which the government has started to collect in order to get the truth of the matter” he said and insisted people to be calm as this is being worked out.

The Friday’s accident could be the worst tragedy involving four series of the collapse of high-rise buildings in the country since independence time. On August, 1987 a four-storey building under construction collapsed along Msimbazi Street, killing seven people.

In 2006, a three-storey building in Chang’ombe area collapsed, injuring several people. Former Prime Minister Edward Lowassa formed a team to investigate the incident but its findings and recommendations are yet to be made public to date.

In 2008, a ten-storey building along Mtendeni Street in Kisutu area also collapsed, injuring some individuals.

In another development, relatives of the people who died from the collapsed building have so far identify only eight bodies of their loved ones – but difficulties of identity could force the government bury them without traditional rites.

“I’ve been here since yesterday looking for the body of my father who died in this building. I have yet to identify his body, ” said Noel Eliakim

Noel is not alone. Abdalh Salehe who is also at the MNH to identify his father, says he failed to recognize his body because he felt confused after seeing so many mutilated bodies.

“ … it is very hard to recognize your beloved one because some of them have no heads … so you have to look at other parts like legs to identify him or her … but some of them have neither legs nor heads … they are completely destroyed,” Salehe complained

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Seif Rashid, who visited the MNH yesterday said four of the eight victims admitted at the hospital were discharged yesterday.

Dr. Rashid, however, explained there could be more casualties.

Sunday 31 March 2013

http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=52954

Floating bodies in Indira canal giving sleepless nights to the police

The Indira Gandhi Canal, which runs over 650 kilometres through Rajasthan, is considered a lifeline for thousands of farmers. The free flow of water is however giving sleepless nights to the police with the canal churning out bodies of murdered people in Jaisalmer almost every week.

It is a routine for residents of Mohangarh and Ramgarh areas in the district to spot floating bodies. In 2012, they found 32 bodies floating in the canal. As many as 14 bodies have been found so far this year.

Eight bodies have been found over the past one week from the canal in Jaisalmer where it ends after having an 800 kilometre-long flow from Punjab. So far, the cops were able to identify only one of the bodies found this year. Most of them are of people who were murdered, they said. The criminals dump the bodies in the canal either in Haryana and Punjab or in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar to avoid detection by the cops.

"We had found three bodies at two different places on Sunday. Only one was identified due to a tattoo on his hand. The deceased man turned out to be Jasveer Singh, an elected sarpanch at Haryana's Chattargarh Patti. He was murdered by his wife with help of her paramour," said SP, Jaisalmer, Pankaj Kumar Choudhary. Haryana police came to Jaisalmer and took away the body, the SP added.

After Jasveer went missing, a case was lodged with Haryana's Sirsa police station where the family members also gave Jasveer's photo and told the police that his wife's name was tattooed on his right hand. Based on these details, the body was identified.

Haryana police informed their counterparts in Jaisalmer that Jasveer was murdered on February 10 and his body was immediately dumped in the canal. It took 35 days for the body to flow to Jaisalmer before being spotted in the canal. The Haryana police are said to have arrested the wife and her paramour.

Similarly, the body of one Gurlal Das was recovered on November 10 last year. It came up that the victim was a resident of Sriganganagar. He too was killed allegedly by his wife Sonu with the help of her paramour. Officials said that of the 32 bodies found in 2012, the police have been able to identify only 14.

Sunday 31 March 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Floating-bodies-in-Indira-canal-put-cops-in-a-fix/articleshow/19299613.cms

Searchers pull bodies out of Tibet mudslide that buried 83

Authorities in Tibet said Sunday that chances were slim that any survivors would be found after a massive mudslide at a gold mine buried 83 workers in piles of earth up to 30 meters deep. Searchers have found 11 bodies and were searching for the remaining missing.

The landslide Friday has spotlighted the extensive mining activities in the mountainous Chinese region of Tibet and sparked questions about whether mining activities have been excessive and destroyed the region’s fragile ecosystem.

The workers were buried when mud, rock and debris swept through the mine in Gyama village in Maizhokunggar county and covered an area measuring around 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles), about 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of the regional capital, Lhasa.

By Sunday afternoon, searchers had found 11 bodies and were searching for the remaining 72 missing workers, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said. Xinhua quoted the Communist Party deputy secretary for Tibet, W. Yingjie, as saying chances were slim of finding anyone alive.

The miners worked for Huatailong Mining Development, a subsidiary of the China National Gold Group Corp., a state-owned enterprise and the country’s largest gold producer. Beijing says the cause of the disaster has yet to be fully investigated, although state media say the mudslide was caused by a “natural disaster,” without giving specifics.

Criticisms over possibly excessive mining in Tibet flashed through China’s social media Saturday before they were scrubbed off or blocked from public view by censors.

Btan Tundop, a Tibetan resident, noted the Huatailong mine’s dominance in the area in a short-lived microblog: “The entire Maizhokunggar has been taken over by China National Gold Group. Local Tibetans say the county and the village might as well be called Huatailong.”

The Chinese government has been encouraging development of mining and other industries in long-isolated Tibet as a way to promote its economic growth and raise living standards. The region has abundant deposits of copper, chromium, bauxite and other precious minerals and metals, and is one of fast-growing China’s last frontiers.

Tibet remains among China’s poorest regions despite producing a large share of its minerals. A key source of anti-Chinese anger is complaints by local residents that they get little of the wealth extracted by government companies, most of which flows to distant Beijing.

Wangchuktseten, a Tibetan scholar at Northwest University of Nationalities in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, said he was most worried about the environment. “The Tibetan plateau is considered the lungs of Asia,” he said. “Those short-sighted mining activities chase after quick benefits but ignore the environment for future generations.”

State media said that two of the buried workers are Tibetans, and that two are women.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang ordered authorities to “spare no efforts” in their rescue work, state media have reported.

Sunday 31 March 2013

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/chinese-crews-search-through-30-meter-pileups-after-tibet-mudslide-buries-83-miners/2013/03/30/ff392e7e-99b5-11e2-b5b4-b63027b499de_story.html