The everyday tableau of Delhi’s nameless dead

The morning before the roll of the Republic Day tableau, a middle-aged man wrapped in a flimsy red rug was found dead on a pavement at Paharganj, a 10-minute drive from Rajpath, with no one and nothing to identify him. His emaciated body was lifted into a police jeep, taken to the mortuary at Maulana Azad Medical College, and fitted into a rack. His picture has since been uploaded on the police database.

In the first 26 days of 2014, 197 thumbnail images have gone up in the gallery of nameless dead.

Everyday, an average of seven people are dying unidentified and unclaimed in Delhi's winter. But what may be even more heart-rending is that such deaths are not limited to this season. As police data shows, they are an all-weather phenomenon. Around 2,900 died unidentified in Delhi last year. 241 perished in January; 225 in April; 279 in July; and, 238 in October. The highest deaths, 323, took place in May. Data for last three years shows that unidentified deaths peaked in summer and monsoon. A majority of such deaths were of able-bodied men.

"All seasons are life threatening for the homeless," says activist Harsh Mander. "These are very destitute people slipping through the cracks."

"Lack of shelter is only part of the problem," says Kirti Mishra of IGSSS, which sets up winter shelters and kitchens. "The bigger question is the uncertainty of livelihood, the strenuous nature of work, and poor nutrition."

Since police database doesn't disclose reasons for death as recorded in postmortem reports of unidentified bodies, it's hard to disaggregate data for murders and suicides, as opposed to those who died due to hunger, illness and bad weather. However, officials at Delhi's mortuaries confirmed most cases weren't "unnatural deaths", supporting the view they were linked to poverty and homelessness.

Altogether, 37,838 people died unidentified across the country in 2012 — more than a hundred deaths a day. While cities like Mumbai and Chennai too report high number of unidentified bodies, Delhi's numbers remain the highest among cities and nearly as high as the whole of Uttar Pradesh.

This could be partly due to the city's extreme climate, but also because it's a catchment area for migrants from some of India's poorest states, which could be additional proof for the link between urban poverty and street deaths. "Those relatively better-off, like rickshawpullers, have social bonds. They know each others' names and addresses and take charge when one of them dies. Only bodies of the very poor come to us," said Bijender Singh, SHO, Kashmere Gate, where six unidentified bodies were found last Saturday.

The bearded man with sunken cheeks found dead under the railway bridge at Paharganj was perhaps at the bottom of the street's social ladder. Even the beggars of the area did not know him.

Four hours after police took away his body, a dog took over the red rug in which he had possibly shivered to death.

Monday 27 January 2014

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/The-everyday-tableau-of-Delhis-nameless-dead/articleshow/29430667.cms

continue reading

Brazil no safer a year after deadly club fire

Never again, officials vowed a year ago, would Brazil see a horror like the nightclub fire that killed 242 young men and women, all suffocated by toxic smoke that filled a windowless bunker of a building with no emergency exits.

Yet as Brazil marks the anniversary Monday of the deadly blaze at the Kiss nightclub, almost nothing concrete has been done at any level of government to improve fire safety. That’s stoking fears that another tragedy awaits, especially as tourists and locals pack clubs during the World Cup football tournament starting across the country in June.

“What killed those kids at that nightclub was our culture, a culture of not liking to obey laws,” said Luciano Favero, a fire prevention specialist based in Rio Grande do Sul state, where the Kiss fire occurred. “Brazil is a country that reacts; it does not prevent.”

It was about 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 27, 2013, when soundproofing foam on the ceiling caught fire in the overcrowded nightclub in the university town of Santa Maria. The lead singer of a country band onstage had lit a flare as part of a pyrotechnics show, sparking the blaze.

Investigators said the burning foam released cyanide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide that quickly killed. Dozens of bodies were piled in twisted knots inside the club as hundreds stampeded through darkness, trying to reach a single row of four doors that served as both entry and exit. Aside from the dead, 630 people were injured, and about 90 of them still face grave health problems from smoke inhalation.

A day after the fire, President Dilma Rousseff presided over a previously scheduled meeting of new mayors from across Brazil, where she told them about the “indescribable pain” she witnessed upon visiting with victims’ families just hours after the blaze.

“I speak of that pain to remind all of us with executive powers of the responsibilities we have toward our population,” Rousseff said. “In the face of this tragedy, we have the duty to make the commitment, to ensure that this will never happen again.”

Those promises came to nothing, said Rodrigo Tavares, a private engineer and fire-safety consultant in Brazil.

“At first, we had this national uproar and many plans to make changes,” Tavares said. “However, in practical terms, the situation of security and fire protection remains the same.”

Monday 27 January 2014

http://www.salon.com/2014/01/27/brazil_no_safer_a_year_after_deadly_club_fire/

continue reading

Lac-Mégantic and L’Îsle-Verte: contrasts and similarities

Major disasters that have struck at the heart of two small Quebec communities in the space of about seven months have some striking similarities.

There are also some equally glaring differences.

Lac-Mégantic and L'Îsle-Verte will be forever remembered as unsuspecting communities left reeling after devastating tragedies that have generated debate on different safety issues.

Last summer's train derailment in Lac-Mégantic, near the U.S. border, killed 47 people and triggered a heated discussion on rail safety and the transportation of dangerous materials.

The official death toll, as of Sunday, in the fire at the Résidence du Havre in L'Îsle-Verte stood at 10, although another 22 people are missing and presumed dead.

The blaze has sparked debate on the issue of sprinklers in seniors' residences after it was revealed that only part of the facility was equipped with them.

There is also a common theme in the way information has been provided in the aftermath of the respective disasters.

In both cases, authorities have tended to hold two or three daily media briefings to update the number of fatalities and those missing and to reveal the identities of the deceased.

Even some of the people providing those details are the same.

Lieutenant Guy Lapointe of Quebec provincial police was a constant figure in Lac-Mégantic and has resumed that role in L'Îsle-Verte, skilfully answering questions in French and English and urging reporters not to get too carried away with various theories.

Then there's Geneviève Guilbault, an official with the coroner's office whose duties include officially releasing the names of the deceased. She became a daily staple in Lac-Mégantic and seems likely to be just as prominent in L'Îsle-Verte.

Another player in both communities has been provincial police Lieutenant Michel Brunet, who spelled Lapointe on news-conference duty in Lac-Mégantic and surfaced again on Saturday.

Asked about the two events, Brunet mentioned one of the most obvious differences — the weather.

"In Lac-Mégantic, the bodies were completely burned and that was in the summer time and the weather was approximately 40 degrees," he said Saturday.

"And here (in L'Îsle-Verte), with the wind factor, it's minus 40."

Another difference is the geographical area affected.

A large swath of downtown Lac-Mégantic was wiped out after the explosions that followed the train derailment. Rebuilding will likely take years.

In contrast, the destruction in L'Îsle-Verte was generally contained to in and around the location of the seniors' residence.

"It's a lot smaller," Brunet said. "That's the difference — and the number of people who died."

Brunet had been a police officer for 36 years before Lac-Mégantic and said it was the worst scene he, law-enforcement colleagues and firefighters had ever seen.

"We weren't expecting another one like this, but seven months later we are here and again many people died in a scene a little bit like Mégantic.

"It's something we don't like to see."

Monday 27 January 2014

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4335915-lac-m-gantic-and-l-sle-verte-contrasts-and-similarities/

continue reading

Andaman ferry tragedy: one still missing, all bodies identified

One person was still missing after a tourist boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal off Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday.

All the bodies have been identified and sent back to Chennai and other places where the victims hailed from, sources said.

There were no life jackets and divers on board the ill-fated boat that capsized in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Union Minister V Narayanasamy on Monday said.

Eyewitnesses to the boat tragedy also claimed that there was a blast before the boat capsized and that there was an hour’s delay before the marine rescue team could reach the spot.

“The boat capsized and they (tourists) died. In fact I came to know from reports that there were no life jackets in the boat and no divers to rescue the people. There was no guard in the boat,” the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office said, terming the incident as “sad” and “unfortunate“.

He also demanded a thorough inquiry into the tragedy.

Twenty-one persons died and 29 were rescued in the boat tragedy.

Of the dead, three hailed from Maharashtra, 16 from Tamil Nadu and one each from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

The survivors included seven from Maharashtra, 15 from Tamil Nadu, two from New Delhi, one each from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and three from the Andaman Islands.

Monday 27 January 2014

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/three-detained-in-connection-with-andaman-ferry-tragedy/article5622485.ece

continue reading

Canadian fire bodies search resumes

Crews have resumed searching for the remains of 22 people presumed killed in a fire at a Quebec retirement home after temporarily suspending their activities due to the frigid temperatures and swirling snow.

Officials so far have confirmed 10 dead from the massive fire.

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois cut short a trip to Europe to visit the town of L'Isle-Verte on Sunday, where she met with the mayor and went to the scene of Thursday's fire at the Residence du Havre.

The premier told a news conference that everything is being done to provide support for those who survived the fire and to give closure to those still awaiting word on their loved ones.

She called the blaze 'unacceptable' and said the provincial government is prepared to bring about any changes that are necessary to increase safety in senior residences.

'First of all, we will wait for the inquiry because now, we don't have the results of this evaluation and examination,' Marois said.

'After that, we will see if there are some new rules to adopt.'

Marois said a working committee has been in place for one year studying a number of issues, including whether mandatory sprinklers are necessary in these types of buildings.

Quebec's Department of Social Services said the Residence du Havre was up to code and had a proper evacuation plan.

A Quebec Health Department document indicates the home, which has operated since 1997, had only a partial sprinkler system.

The home expanded around 2002, and the sprinklers in the new part of the building triggered the alarm.

'If they recommend to us to change the rules, to change the laws and implement (mandatory) sprinklers, we will do that,' Marois said.

The cause of Thursday's blaze remains under investigation. There were media reports that the fire began in the room of a resident who was smoking a cigarette, but police said Saturday that was just one possibility among many.

'It could be a cigarette, it could be a small heater, it could be an electrical problem,' Police Lt Michel Brunet said at a news conference.

'We have to be sure at 100 per cent.'

'We're going to take the time we need.'

Harsh weather conditions continued to hamper the search with Quebec Provincial Police spokeswoman Ann Mathieu saying poor visibility, blowing snow and frigid conditions forced authorities to temporarily suspend searches early Sunday.

Quebec police said later Sunday that they were gradually resuming the search for more victims, a day after the remains of only two more people were pulled from the rubble.

On Saturday, search teams brought in equipment normally used to de-ice ships that pushes out very hot air to melt down ice that police said is as thick as 60 centimetres in certain places.

'You can imagine how difficult it is to go through the ice, melt it, and do it in a way that we preserve the integrity of potential victims,' Quebec Police Lt Guy Lapointe said Saturday.

A total of 10 bodies have been recovered as of midday Sunday. Quebec Provincial Police lowered the number of missing from about 30 to 22 based on more detailed information.

'I think we can all agree here today that the ... people who are still missing, I think we can assume the worst,' Lapointe said.

Monday 27 January 2014

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=945216

continue reading