Express bus plunges down Genting ravine, 33 confirmed dead

A passenger bus has plunged into a deep ravine while travelling downhill near a Malaysian highland resort, killing 33 people, an official said.

Sixteen people survived the accident, which occurred on a winding slope in central Genting Highlands, a popular destination that houses Malaysia's sole casino on Wednesday, said fire department official Azizan Ismail.

The bus, which fell about 60 metres into the ravine, was carrying mostly Malaysians and several tourists believed to be from the Middle East, Azizan said.

He said one body had been recovered from the bus, with 32 more bodies remaining inside the vehicle.

The bus was reported to have crashed at about 3pm today, some 2km from the Chin Swee Caves Temple on the popular getaway, en route to Kuala Lumpur.

The daily also reported that traffic had backed up on the narrow mountain road, to prioritise rescue personnel working to reach the scene of the fatal accident.

Bernama reported that Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Service department rescuers are using a crane to get down into the ravine and bring up the victims.

Two bodies had been reported taken to the mortuary at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Their identities remain unknown.


Road fatalities involving express buses have been a recurrent issue in Malaysia.

Today’s crash may be the most deadly in recent years.

The record for the highest fatalities previously was December 20, 2010 when an express bus, also on its way down from Genting Highlands, hit a divider and overturned, killing 27 people onboard, including the driver.

A year before that, 10 people died on December 26, when the northbound bus they were in crashed into the guardrail at the Ipoh toll plaza.

Another 10 died on December 7, 2008 died when their express bus skidded and overturned in Pagoh, Johor.

Another incident with high fatalities happened on August 13, 2007 when 22 people, including the driver, died when the express bus they were traveling in crashed near the Bukit Gantang, Perak rest area on the North-South Expressway.

More recently, a teacher and three students were killed on November 11, 2011 when their chartered bus collided with a tanker while they were on their way up Genting Highlands from Kulim, Kedah.

Rescue operations are still ongoing.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/express-bus-plunges-down-genting-ravine-15-feared-dead

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/killed-in-bus-accident-in-malaysia/story-fn3dxix6-1226701619862

India pilgrimage disaster recalls other mass-casualty religious events

An express train traveling through the eastern Bihar State of India plowed through a group of pilgrims Monday on their way to a holy site, killing dozens and injuring many more. Officials said the driver had been given clearance to pass through the remote station, but hundreds of people were crossing the tracks on a pilgrimage to a nearby temple to offer holy water to the Hindu god Shiva. Indian officials are still arguing over whether the government should be held responsible for the accident, with the chief minister of the state calling the incident “the rarest of rare tragedies.”

Though this event may seem rare, the history of pilgrimage is marked by tragedy. Many disasters have occurred during the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Islamic holy sites that each Muslim is required to make at least once in their lifetime, as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. As the world’s population grows, so does the number of pilgrims trying to reach the same holy sites year after year. Many pilgrims are aware of the possibility for disaster and yet embark on the pilgrimages anyway, believing the benefits of the journey to outweigh the dangers.

Below are some of the more notable pilgrimage disasters from recent history:

June 2013 – Flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand killed at least 1,000 people and stranded at least 40,000 others. Most of the affected were on a pilgrimage called Char Dham Yatra, which takes Hindus to four of the holiest sites in Uttarakhand between May and November. The Indian military has been called on to aid in the massive rescue operation, but the mountainous valley terrain is hindering efforts to reach the thousands who are still missing. Google created a “person finder” app to help people locate each other amidst the chaos.

February 2013 – At least 30 people were killed in a stampede in India as pilgrims rushed to board trains arriving at platforms. The pilgrims were participating in the Hindu religious festival Kumbh Mela, which occurs every 12 years. Millions of pilgrims gather by the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, and each event outranks the last as the largest gathering in human history. With a growing religious population in India and other nations, there are fears that mass pilgrimages will only continue to be fraught with disaster if infrastructure cannot meet the demands of population growth.

January 2006 – At least 345 pilgrims died in a human stampede in Saudia Arabia, during the hajj. One portion of the holy Muslim practice consists of throwing stones at a wall in the city of Mina. This event has been accompanied by a large death toll more than once, as pilgrims push forward through crowds to ensure their stone hits the wall.

April 1997 — At least 340 pilgrims were killed and 1,500 more injured when fires swept through the tent city at Mina where thousands of pilgrims stay during the hajj.

July 1990 — In the most deadly hajj disaster of recent times, 1,426 pilgrims traveling through overcrowded tunnels leading to worship sites were killed in a massive stampede in Mecca. Most of the pilgrims were Malaysian, Indonesian and Pakistani.

July 1987 — Security forces in Mecca clashed with mostly Iranian pilgrims protesting U.S. policies in an illegal demonstration, resulting in the deaths of 402 people, with 649 more wounded.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/belief/history-pilgrimages-plagued-disaster

Divers continue search for bodies in submarine

Naval divers continued their efforts on the seventh day to recover bodies of sailors from INS Sindhurakshak, which was rocked by blasts on August 13. The divers have so far recovered seven bodies; there were 13 sailors aboard when disaster struck.

Officials said the search will continue though very high temperature , which melted the submarine's body of steel, would have incinerated bodies in the forward section. "No timeline can be set in such cases. Finding bodies of their loved ones will give a sense of closure to the victims' families and to us for doing our duty towards our colleagues,'' officials said.

The navy has also begun salvage operations. "When the submarine is brought to the surface, we could determine the explosion cause. The bodies which divers could not see underwater can also be recovered,'' officials added.

The divers' biggest impediment is near-zero visibility due to oil-seawater sludge in the submarine and lack of depth.

"Mumbai's port has the dirtiest water. Divers are practically entering blindfolded into an unfamiliar and a constricted, flooded compartment full of live missiles and torpedoes to search for the bodies,'' an official said.

"We cannot even insert underwater material below the submarine, which when done, it gains buoyancy and automatically flats it when we complete pumping, as water continues to enter due to structural damage,'' officials said.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Divers-continue-search-for-bodies-in-sub/articleshow/21946358.cms

23 children among missing in Cebu sea tragedy, death toll rises to 71

The death toll from the collision between two ships in Talisay, Cebu last Friday has risen to 71. Around 49 remain missing, including about 23 children.

Technical divers as well as surface search and retrieval teams resumed work early morning Wednesday to find the still missing passengers of MV St. Thomas Aquinas.

Cebu Disaster Management Chief Niel Sanchez, however, could not guarantee that all the missing passengers could still be retrieved.

While the teams will attempt to dive deep into the cabins of the sunken ship, there may be rooms that would be difficult to penetrate.

"Andun ba yun or baka they drifted away to other islands? But we will do our best to return, reunite the bodies with their families para naman may closure,” Sanchez said.

The 23 children missing are all aged 12 years old and below. Almost half are babies, or three years old and below.

He said they don’t have the exact figures as to how many children were really on board since they are often not listed on the ship's manifest because they are free of charge.

Pictures of their happy faces, however, were posted on the wall of the command center, such as that of one-year-old Mark Julius, eight-month-old Christine Joy and nine-month-old Heart Rhianzel.

Bodies in Bohol

Sanchez received information two more dead bodies had already drifted to Bohol.

"May dalawang bangkay na nilibing na daw because of the stench in an islet in Bohol, but we’re still confirming it," he said.

There were also body parts that were found in Lapu-Lapu City. "May torso, leg, an arm, but we list them as body parts.”

At the Funeral Parlor, more families continued to look for their missing loved ones.

Janet Oledan posted a picture of her husband, Nestor Oledan, who is the hotel supervisor of the 2GO ship. She said it was heroism that led to the probable death of Nestor.

He was already at the railings of the ship getting ready to jump according to co-workers, but at the last second went back inside to try to save more passengers.

Nestor is now among the missing. "May mga anak sya na dapat balikan, dapat tumalon sya," Janet lamented.

She said she cannot help but think of their three daughters who now face the possibility of growing up without a father.

The search, rescue and retrieval operations are taking longer than usual because of the sea conditions, Sanchez said. The operations were halted on Tuesday afternoon due to strong underwater current and big waves induced by monsoon rains and winds.

Sanchez said the divers are also being cautious of their safety before plunging at least 120 feet below the surface.

"We also have to consider the safety of the divers with considerations sa water current and also sa oil spill," he said. “That is one aspect that also imposes health concerns.”

Several life vests at the command center were seen drenched in oil after rescuers plunged into the waters to retrieve the bodies.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/08/21/13/23-children-among-missing-cebu-sea-tragedy

Bus careens off cliff after brakes fail in West Java, at least 18 dead

A speeding passenger bus lost control and careened off a 12-meter cliff, killing at least 18 passengers after its brakes failed in Cisarua, West Java, Wednesday morning.

The bus, operated by the tourism bus company Giri Indah, was reportedly speeding along Puncak Pass when the driver collided with a pickup truck near Tugu Utara Village, according to a witness. The bus rolled down the cliff side before landing upside down on top of the truck, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 30 others, police said.

Witness Sugianto, 57, was riding his motorbike behind the bus when it veered off the cliff.

“The road was winding but the bus was running at full speed,” he said. “The bus [then] lost control. It hit a pickup truck and pushed the vehicle off a 12-meter cliff. It flipped twice and hit the ground upside down. The pickup was crushed beneath it.”

According to police, the bus lost control when its brakes failed.

“The cause of the accident is still under investigation but we suspect it was because the brakes did not work based on the driver’s information,” West Java Police spokesman Sr. Cmr. Martinus Sitompul said.

The bus was taking members of the Bethel Church, in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, back to their homes after a visit to Kota Bunga, a popular picnic destination known for its flowers.

The injured, including bus driver Muhammad Amin, were transported to the nearby Dr. M. Goenawan Partowidigdi Lung Hospital, in Cisarua, Bogor, for treatment.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/at-least-16-killed-as-bus-careens-off-cliff-in-west-java/