At least 26 dead in Peru bus crash

At least 26 people died and seven others were injured early today after a bus plunged 200 meters down a ravine in northern Peru, police said.

The bus veered off a mountain road near the town of Otuzco some 570 kilometers north of Lima.

"So far, we've recovered 26 bodies, and seven people have been hurt," said Asto Moreno, an official with Otuzco's police force.

Officer Victor Paez of the La Libertad highway police said the cause of today’s crash is not immediately clear, though he said there have been heavy rains in the area some 600 miles north of the Lima, the capital.

The victims of the crash include three doctors, two nurses and several rural school teachers. Forty-three passengers were aboard the bus of the Horna line when it left the town of Huamanchuco headed toward the regional capital of Trujillo. Authorities blamed the region's treacherous, winding roads, the poor condition of the vehicle and driver error for the accident.

Road accidents are common in the Peruvian Andes due to poorly maintained roads, inconsistent vehicle maintenance, and the propensity of overworked bus drivers to speed.

In 2011, 1,124 people were killed and 2,583 injured in 1,108 highway accidents, according to the latest official figures.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/325714/at-least-26-dead-peru.html

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Eyes under water to monitor floating bodies on Haryana border

With police not tracing bodies, the district administration has decided to install surveillance cameras under the water in the Bhakra Main Line (BML) canal upsteam of Khanauri.

The permanent iron net had been cast in the water at Khanuari on the Haryana border in Sangrur district to stop the current from washing bodies into Haryana. The bodies of many victims of suicide, accident, and murder are in the canal water, where the administration had installed two overhead cameras last year on the order of tghe Punjab and Haryana High court. It had failed to install underwater cameras because of delayed permission from the irrigation department.

The BML would be shut from April 23 for some days to install the cameras, the official spokesperson of the irrigation department said here on Friday. The direction is issued under the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act, 1873, looking at congenial weather and the status of crop. The underwater cameras would help the police keep tabs on crime along the canal and fish bodies at the earliest, said deputy commissioner Kumar Rahul.

"Deciding on some petition last year, the high court took a serious note of how the bodies were allowed to rot in the water," said the DC. "The installation will begin from Monday after the water level recedes." The administration has also delopyed a permanent ambulance near the canal for assistance to victim's families. A senior officer in the police department said underwater cameras would would help identify criminals.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/Patiala/Eyes-under-water-to-monitor-crime/SP-Article1-1044072.aspx

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Indonesia won't launch aerial search for asylum seekers without more info

Indonesia is yet to launch an aerial search for scores of missing asylum seekers amid conflicting reports surrounding a boat that sank while heading for Australia.

It's believed that at least 14 asylum seekers have been rescued by fishermen off the coast of West Java, but there are fears for almost 60 others who remain missing.

A team from Indonesia's national search and rescue agency Basarnas was this morning still scrambling to gather information about the incident.

The team had spoken to one of the survivors, an Afghan named Habibullah Hashimi, but said he was unable to provide accurate details about the boat's last known location.

Mr Hashimi, who was plucked from the water by fishermen off the coast of Sukabumi in West Java, has said that at least five of those who had been aboard the boat had drowned.

The 29-year-old said there were 72 people aboard the vessel. He said there had been 72 people aboard the vessel. All were ethnic Hazaras from Afghanistan.

At least five asylum-seekers had died, Mr Hashimi said.

"The ship just broke," he told news agency AAP. "We saw about five people dead. They were in the water."

"The sea kept moving us around," he said.

Mr Hashimi, who was recuperating in Bogor yesterday, said the boat sank at about 8am on Wednesday.

The development came after a spokeswoman from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority initially reported a boat may have sunk in the Sunda Strait about midnight on Thursday (3am AEST yesterday).

The Weekend Australian understands a spate of mobile phone calls were recorded late Thursday night from people saying they were in a boat that was sinking.

However, the Indonesian authorities have been unable to establish a position for the calls.

But the leader of the Basarnas investigation team, Rohmali, said today that details remained vague, adding that to launch an aerial search without more information would amount to a “suicide mission''.

“We need solid information to start deploying helicopters and boats. The area between Lampung (in Sumatra) and Sukabumi is huge while helicopters and boats have limited capacity of searching,'' he said.

The boat reportedly sank in the Sunda Strait - the patch of water between Java and Sumatra and which connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean.

In August last year, Basarnas was criticised over its response to the sinking of an asylum seeker vessel in the same area.

More than 100 asylum seekers drowned on that occasion and it was later revealed that an aerial search was not launched until six hours after the first distress call.

There is also confusion over the timing of the latest incident, with initial reports suggesting the boat sank about midnight local time on Thursday (3am AEST yesterday).

An Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spokeswoman said that information about a vessel that may have sunk in the Sunda Strait had been forwarded to Indonesian search and rescue authorities yesterday morning.

Mr Hashimi claims, however, that he was on a boat that sank on Wednesday.

The conflicting information raises the possibility of a second missing boat.

The last known large-scale loss of life in an Indonesian asylum boat sinking was last August, also in the Sunda Strait. Fifty-four Hazaras were saved but an estimated 100 people were lost. Basarnas was criticised then for its slowness to initiate a search.

More than 200 asylum-seekers drowned in three sinkings last year.

With the easing of monsoon conditions since early March, people-smuggling traffic is running at an even higher pitch than the same time last year, which was a record year.

A spokesman for the Department of Immigration said last night a boat was intercepted off Christmas Island yesterday.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/five-drown-as-asylum-boat-sinks/story-e6frg6n6-1226619716376

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/five-drown-as-asylum-boat-sinks/story-e6frg6nf-1226619461072

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Nigeria: 10 killed in Yobe auto crash

Ten people died yesterday in a road accident involving mass transit bus along Damaturu - Gashua road in Yobe State.

Weekly Trust gathered that the accident occurred at about 5:30pm when the passenger bus was rushing to beat the curfew imposed on Damaturu

Alhaji Habu Sani, Secretary Damaturu Specialists Hospital confirmed that a mass transit bus conveying passengers from Gashua to Damaturu had accident in Tarmuwa Local Government Area along the highway.

“Three people were burnt beyond recognition while seven others died from various injuries. The corpses havd been deposited at the specialist hospital mortuary waiting for their relations to claim them for burial,” he added.

Yobe State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Shehu Umar, confirmed that the bus had a burst tyre before it somersaulted and went into flames.

He cautioned motorists against over speeding especially at this time of the season when the heat was tensed and uncomfortable for vehicles and tyres.

Five days ago, 20 people died in accident at Dazigau town about 11 kilometers away from Potiskum , bringing to 30 people killed in road accidents within seven days in the state.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.weeklytrust.com.ng/index.php/new-news/12251-10-killed-in-yobe-auto-crash

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Remains of over 2,500 Genocide victims found

Remains of some 2,500 Genocide victims have been discovered buried at Rebero Memorial site, the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide has said.

The number includes victims from Gokondo and Nyamirambo, among other city suburbs, CNLG said in a report done with support of the National Consultative Forum for Political Organisations (NFPO), between January and March.

Identities

The Executive Secretary of NFPO, Anicet Kayigema, said with the findings, NFPO, in collaboration with CNLG and other stakeholders, are working together to establish the names of the victims.

“Previously, our figures indicated that 14,000 remains lay interred at this memorial site, but the latest information indicate that last year, remains of 1,000 persons were discovered to have been killed and buried there, while this year, 2,500 have been confirmed there as well,” said Kayigema.

He said this figure will be included on the list of those who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and buried at the memorial.

The Rebero memorial site is a special symbol of politicians slain in 1994.

Some of the politicians buried at the site include Jean de la Croix Rutaremara, Charles Kayiranga, Venatie Kabageni, Andre Kameya and Landouard Ndasingwa, commonly known as Lando, who were all members of the Liberal Party.

Others are Jean Baptiste Mushimiyimana, who belonged to Social Democratic Party, Frederic Nzamurambaho, Faustin Rucogoza (MDR), as well as Felicien Ngago and Joseph Kavaruganda.

The late politicians are remembered for their commitment in putting pressure to the then government of Juvenal Habyarimana to stop sectarianism against the Tutsi and promote peace and reconciliation as well as engage in talks with the opposition.

Discovering remains

Hundreds of survivors are still haunted by the fact that the remains of their loved ones were never found.

However, time and again, remains are discovered across the country and beyond. In 2009, remains of more than 900 victims were discovered in Tanzania, where authorities have since mooted the idea of constructing a Genocide memorial centre.

Hundreds of other remains of the victims of the pogrom have been discovered in the country.

During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, many of those killed had their identification documents destroyed in an apparent effort to conceal the Genocide.

Many victims had their bodies mutilated beyond recognition or dumped into Kagera River to be washed away by water currents to Uganda and Tanzania.

Way forward

During the interview, Kayigema said their forum has put in place measures to ensure that future leaders, regardless of their political inclinations, are able to work for the betterment of the citizens and the development of the country.

Among other measures, he said that the forum developed a mechanism through which the young generations, through their respective political parties, undergo civic education to prepare them for leadership at an early stage.

Today, the last day of the official commemoration week, will see politicians hold a special ceremony at Rebero memorial site to honour their colleagues who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Youth leaders are expected to lead the ceremony.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15326&a=65901

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Rwanda: 35 genocide victims accorded decent burial in Nyabihu district

Remains of some 35 Genocide victims were yesterday given befitting burial at Mukamira Memorial Site in Nyabihu district, Western Province.

The event was attended by over a thousand mourners including government officials, district leaders and area residents.

Speaking at the event, Senator Evariste Bizimana said despite the massacre that claimed over a million innocent lives, Rwanda is several steps ahead towards development and self reliance, which he urged them to embrace.

He urged Genocide survivors to be strong and help build the nation.

“You shouldn’t remain in despair because you lost loved ones, you should try to relieve yourselves from sorrow and strive for a bright future, the government is ready to support Genocide survivors in any means,” said Bizimana, adding that it is a pity that 19 years after the Genocide, remains of many victims are yet to be found.

“We should have buried all the remains of our deceased relatives and only remain with the duty of commemorating them. Those who are aware of the whereabouts of their bodies should provide the necessary information to ensure they are taken to decent resting places,” said the lawmaker.

Anastase Juru, president of Ibuka – the umbrella body of Genocide survivors’ associations – in Nyabihu district said locating remains of deceased relatives is a relief to survivors.

According to Juru, 2,050 Genocide victims are buried at Mukamira memorial.

He said remains of around 3,000 bodies are yet to be discovered in the whole district.

Anastase Kayisire, who survived Genocide in Nyabihu, said he had witnessed mass killings in the area where he was hiding.

He said he saw people being drowned in the nearby Lake Nyirakigugu.

“They hunted for me, but I escaped and fled into a tea plantation. I witnessed Interahamwe (militia) killing my relatives as well as my neighbours. I spent over two weeks hiding and I used to eat maize grains and drink water from a nearby swamp,” he testified.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=15326&a=65910

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Mystery of WW1 soldiers' identity

Attempts to identify two British World War I soldiers found buried in a mass grave in Northern France have failed. It comes as five more Australian soldiers are identified.

The graves were found in 2009 at what was the scene of the 1916 Battle of Fromelles - a joint operation between British and Australian troops. So far 250 bodies have been recovered.

Scientists are using DNA and personal possessions to reveal who they were. Of the 124 Australian soldiers found, 89 remain unnamed, along with two British soldiers and 35 of unknown nationality.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://bfbs.com/news/worldwide/mystery-ww1-soldiers-identity-63295.html

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Family gives DNA to help identify bodies

Muhammad Ali and his cousin Ghulam Ali travelled 13 dangerous hours from Quetta City to Islamabad this week to give Australian officials the DNA samples likely to confirm the news they prayed would never come.

The men's brothers are believed to be the last victims to be identified of 17 dead asylum-seekers recovered from the Indian Ocean last June, after a criminally overloaded fishing trawler sank on its way to Christmas Island.

In all, 94 people are believed to have drowned.

Pakistani authorities this week arrested four key members of the people-smuggling ring responsible for cramming 204 people -- mostly from Pakistan's persecuted Shia minority -- on to the Indonesian trawler built to carry no more than 60 for the final leg of their Australian asylum bid.

The Federal Investigation Agency responsible for the arrests says it hopes to see more people detained as it shares information with its counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. Digital Pass $1 for first 28 Days

That is little comfort for Muhammad and Ghulam who scraped together money "from here and there" last year to send their younger brothers out of violence-racked Quetta, a death trap for so many Hazara Shia muslims now being targeted in escalating numbers by Sunni extremists.

Should the tests confirm the last two bodies in a Perth morgue are those of Khadim Hussain, 26, and Safar Ali, 25, it will draw a line under one of the most tragic episodes in the politicised calamity that has been Australia's asylum-seeker experience.

In a tired-looking hotel room in Islamabad's Blue Area, Ghulam points to his brother Khadim's six-year-old son Asif who -- as the closest male relative -- travelled with his uncle to give blood and saliva samples this week.

"He cried when they took his blood but he doesn't understand what's going on," Ghulam told The Weekend Australian. "He sometimes asks me 'where is my father?' and I tell him he is in Australia."

And that is where Ghulam insists his brother should stay.

Both men say they will not accept their brothers' repatriation, because after 10 months their bodies will be too badly decomposed for their families to see.

Instead they want the Australian government to send them to Perth so that they may oversee the burials in the country the men had hoped would one day be home.

It is a desperate and long-shot bid at asylum and they make little attempt to disguise the fact.

Both Afghan families live illegally in Pakistan and have little hope of citizenship, given the Pakistani government's vow to evict a million illegal Afghan migrants from the country by 2014.

Khadim and Safar had worked in Shia Iran, earning money for their families, but were deported.

They might have gone back but the assassination last year of a busload of Hazara pilgrims rendered that road yet another no-go zone. In recent years target killings of Hazaras -- easily identified by their Asian features -- have escalated in Quetta. Those attacks have turned even deadlier since January with more than 200 Hazaras killed in three attacks.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/family-gives-dna-to-help-identify-bodies/story-e6frg6so-1226619464355

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Nepal: Govt apathetic towards families of 30 missing Seti flood victims

Almost a year after flash floods in the Seti River in Kaski had resulted in the death of 31 people and left dozens missing, their families rue that the government has forgotten their plight.

Though 28 bodies missing in the May 5 flood of last year were recovered, 30 people are still missing. Families of those missing complain that the government has not provided any compensation to them. “The government offered compensation to the families of the deceased, but is yet to address our concerns,” they bemoan.

Nepal Red Cross Society, Kaski senior officer Khemraj Sapkota said the goverrment’s negligency was unfortunate. “If there is no law, the government has to formulate one,” he added.

Ramji Koirala of the District Administration Office, Kaski, however, said the District Disaster Rescue Committee had sent the accounts of missing people to home ministry, but is yet to receive any respons. According to him, the Disaster Rescue Committee had provided Rs 25,000 each to families of the deceased as final rites expenditure and Rs 1 lakh as compensation, but government had not offered any financial assistance to the families of those gone missing during the flood.

On its part, Radio Annapurna had granted Rs 25,000 each to the families of missing people. Dipendra Shrestha, CEO, Radio Annapurna, said his office had collected a relief of around Rs 4.4 million for flood victims through the relief fund opened in the wake of flood.

Saturday 13 April 2013

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Govt+apathetic+towards++families+of+missing+Seti+flood+victims++&NewsID=372629

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