Bosnia floods unearth wartime mass grave

Floods in Bosnia last month have unearthed a secret mass grave containing corpses with hands tied behind their backs, apparently Muslim Bosniak victims of the country's 1992-1995 war, an official said on Tuesday.

"We unearthed four complete bodies whose hands were tied behind their backs and two incomplete bodies today," said Lejla Cengic, spokeswoman of the government's Institute for Missing Persons, adding that exhumations will continue.

Forensic experts are combing the banks of the Bosna river for another six victims still missing from a group of 16 killed by Bosnian Serb forces nearby, Cengic said. Four other victims from the group were found nearby during earlier exhumations.

Devastating floods across Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia last month struck particularly hard in the central and northern parts of impoverished Bosnia, submerging completely the central towns of Doboj and Maglaj and northern towns of Samac and Orasje.

"We assume the victims are Bosniaks from the nearby village Jablanica, the men aged from 19 to 57," Cengic said as bulldozers removed mud from the river bank and forensic experts cleared garbage and branches from the site.

Electricity workers repairing power lines on the outskirts of the town found some victims' remains after flood waters that reached up to three metres high in Doboj receded.

Some 35,000 people went missing in Bosnia during the war. About 8,000 are still unaccounted for while 1,000 have been found but not identified yet, Cengic said.

Doboj is located on the border demarcating Bosnia's two autonomous regions established after the war, the Serb Republic and the Federation dominated by Bosniaks and Croats.

The town belongs to the Serb region but its southern part is in the Federation. When the Bosna river burst its banks, the first help came from the nearby towns in the Federation spared from the flooding. At least nine people drowned in the flooding.

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://www.independent.ie/incoming/bosnia-floods-unearth-grim-wartime-mass-grave-30326308.html

11 die in Niger boat mishap

The Niger State Disaster Management Agency has confirmed the death of 11 persons in a boat mishap between Garafini-Kodo and Garafini in Borgu Local Government Area.

The Special Adviser in charge of the agency, Mohammed Shaba, said the accident occurred on Monday.

Shaba said 18 passengers were aboard the ill-fated boat when the accident occurred between 5pm and 6pm.

He said seven persons survived while the bodies have been buried.

Governor Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu has condoled with the Emir of Borgu, Senator Haliru Dantoro and the people.

Aliyu said: “This is no doubt a dark moment for us here in Niger State. These were people who were hale and hearty, pursuing various legitimate courses until they met their untimely death.

“I see this as a personal loss not just in my capacity as governor, but first as a human being who attaches much premium to human life and dignity.”

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/11-die-niger-boat-mishap-2/

Analysis: Over 100 climbing deaths on Mount Rainier

The six people lost on Mount Rainier last week adds to the growing number list of people who've died climbing the mountain, with 91 people perishing while either attempting to reach the summit or on the way down, and another 25 dying while climbing on the mountain, according to an analysis of National Park Service records.

While it's still unknown how the six died - they're believed to have fallen or been swept off the mountain while trying to climb the difficult Liberty Ridge route - the review of the NPS database reveals the dangers of the mountain itself and the surrounding environs.

Falling is the leading cause of fatalities on the mountain, with 90 people dying in falls while climbing, hiking or taking part in other activities on the mountain or in the park since its inception.

Occasionally, victims are never found, as in the case of 11 people swept to their deaths in an ice fall in 1981 in Mount Rainier's deadliest accident. The same is true of a non-alpine accident in which a cargo transport plane crashed into the mountain in 1946 - the bodies of 32 Marines remain entombed.

"The mountain is so inaccessible and can be inhospitable. We can't always retrieve everybody who is lost there, unfortunately," said Patti Wold, a spokeswoman with Mount Rainier National Park.

The bodies of the two guides and four climbers who fell to their deaths last week on the 14,410-foot glaciated peak may never be recovered because of the hazardous terrain, authorities say.

"The degree of risk in that area, due to the rock fall and ice fall that's continuously coming down from that cliff onto the area where the fall ended, we cannot put anybody on the ground," Wold said.

It's unclear whether the climbers were moving or camping at the time of the accident, Wold said this past weekend. Searchers located camping and climbing gear and detected signals from avalanche beacons buried in the snow at the top of the Carbon Glacier at 9,500 feet in elevation.

The most recent reported missing is Gerge Merriam, who disappeared in September 2013 on a day hike on the Pinnacle Peak Trail. He's believed to have fallen to his death.

The elements have claimed a number of victims over the years, with 11 people killed by hypothermia after getting lost or trapped on the mountain. The most recent happened in December of 2011 when snowshoer Brian Grobois became disoriented and descended into Stevens Canyon, where his body was found just above 4,600 feet.

The area will be checked periodically by air in the coming weeks and months, Wold said. They will also evaluate the potential for a helicopter-based recovery as snow melts and conditions change.

In 2012, park rangers recovered the bodies of three climbers about eight months after they disappeared during unrelenting storms on Mount Rainier.

In 2001, the body of a 27-year-old doctor was discovered more than two years after he vanished while snowboarding on the mountain. Also that year, the remains of three men were removed from the mountain after being entombed there for nearly 30 years after their small plane crashed. A hiker and former climbing ranger found the wreckage of the single-engine aircraft that crashed in January 1972.

In all, 411 people have died on the mountain or in the Mount Rainier National Park since federal government records were first kept.

The first death in the park was recorded in January, 1897, but it had nothing to do with climbing. E.H. Hudson died from "traumatic injuries" after a gun fell from his pocket and he was shot in the neck.

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://mynorthwest.com/11/2535818/Analysis-Over-100-climbing-deaths-on-Mount-Rainier

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Massachusetts-native-among-missing-Rainier-climbers-261556801.html

Chaiyaphum crash victims pose ID challenge; Charred bodies prove beyond recognition

Forensic experts are stepping up efforts to identify the charred bodies of 12 Vietnamese nationals killed in Monday's road accident in Chaiyaphum province, after visual identification proved futile.

The bodies of the victims have been transferred from Kaeng Khro Hospital in Chaiyaphum to Khon Kaen University's Srinagarind Hospital for identification.

But forensic expert Viruj Khunkitti said all of the bodies had been burned beyond recognition, making it difficult for doctors to even identify their gender.

Identification documents such as passports and other necessary documents were all burned, meaning forensic evidence and accounts from relatives would have to be used to identify the dead, Dr Viruj said.

The 12 Vietnamese nationals and their Thai driver were killed and four others injured when the passenger van they were travelling in collided with an 18-wheel truck in Chaiyaphum on Monday morning.

Authorities have the names of all those on board, but have been unable to match them to the individual bodies.

The van veered into the wrong lane and smashed into the truck loaded with cassava. Both vehicles overturned and the van burst into flames. Thirteen people were trapped inside the burning vehicle.

The van had been hired to take a group of Vietnamese Catholics from Bangkok to Nong Bua Lam Phu province for a church activity. Police believe the van driver fell asleep at the wheel.

Dr Viruj said eight of the dead were believed to have died from injuries sustained in the crash, while at least two had died from smoke inhalation.

Relatives and friends of the victims arrived at the hospital yesterday to view the bodies, but were unable to identify them.

In one case, relatives told the hospital that a 25-year-old man who was among the passengers often wore a wristband. It was found that one of the bodies had a blue and yellow wristband which had survived the flames.

So far, only some of the relatives had given specific information about the victims, Dr Viruj said.

Forensic examinations would have to be conducted and there must be confirmation from police handling the case before the bodies of the victims are released to their families. DNA tests would be conducted if relatives were unable to identify their loved ones.

A source said relatives of van driver Veerachai Promsakul had gone to the hospital to pick up his body for funeral rites. They told the hospital that Veerachai, 35, a native of Phatthalung, often wore a silver ring studded with a yellow gem on his ring finger.

In Nong Bua Lam Phu, Thai and Vietnamese Catholics laid wreaths in front of Akkhara Thewada church in Muang district and performed prayers for the victims, who were on their way to the church when the crash occurred.

Church training coordinator Pornpan Inthisenpho said the church has so far managed to contact relatives of 10 of the victims.

A source said one of the surviving Vietnamese passengers being treated at Chaiyaphum Hospital could be discharged within five days after undergoing surgery.

Ngian Huming, 20, was admitted on Monday with two broken legs.

He was among three Vietnamese passengers who survived the road accident. The two others were being treated at Khon Kaen Hospital.

Trailer truck driver Prayuth Leesui sustained minor injuries.

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/413457/crash-dead-pose-id-challenge

Coal mine accident in China kills 22 people

Twenty-two people have been killed at a coal mine in China in what local authorities are calling a “gas incident”.

The accident occurred at the Yanshitai coal mine in China’s south-western municipality of Chongqing at 5:40pm on Tuesday, state media agency Xinhua said.

A total of 28 people were working at the time of the incident, but six managed to escape.

Rescuers have recovered the bodies of the deceased miners, Xinhua said.

The mine is owned and operated by state-owned Nantong Mining Company.

China's mines are the deadliest in the world because of lax enforcement of safety standards and a rush to feed demand from a robust economy.

The accident comes after 20 people died in April when a coal mine in China's southwest Yunnan province suddenly flooded, leaving miners trapped.

Last year, China recorded 589 mining-related accidents, leaving 1 049 people dead or missing, according to the government.

But both the number of accidents and fatalities were down more than 24% from 2012.

Death figures for 2012 and 2011 stand at 1300 and 1973 respectively.

In an effort to lower numbers, the government launched a 'nationwide safety overhaul' to develop better working conditions on site and in turn prevent more deadly accidents.

As part of the plan it announced 2000 coal mine would be closed by the end of this year.

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/coal-mine-accident-in-china-kills-22-people

Dana crash: Lagos Coroner laments missing bodies of pilots

A coroner's inquest into the ill-fated MD-83 Dana Plane crash at Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb that claimed over 153 lives on has blamed the inconclusive report of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the missing bodies of the pilots for the difficulties at unravelling the cause of the crash.

In a verdict delivered by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe at the Ebute Meta Magistrates' Court two years after the crash, the coroner held that the AIB only submitted report of its preliminary investigation and was yet to conclude its findings with regards to the cause of the crash.

The coroner further stated that the missing bodies of the pilot and co-pilot, if found, would have been tested to determine if they were under the influence of alcohol.

In the course of the inquest, a witness who claimed to have arrived the crash scene told the court that he found the pilot's body lying on the ground after the mishap.

Notwithstanding his claims, consultant pathologist Dr. John Obafunwa had in his testimony, averred that nine bodies including the pilot and co-pilots were uncounted for at the hospital, while 144 were identified by or through their relatives.

According to Obafunwa, the unaccounted bodies could either be individuals other than those who bought the ticket or those who were completely incinerated.

Hence, Komolafe in his judgment held that "the missing bodies of the pilot and co-pilot was a lost opportunity to determine whether they were under the influence of alcohol.

"Had their bodies been identified, samples would have been taken and analyzed. The disappearance of their bodies has shut us out from finding out whether they were under the influence or not.

"I am not saying it is likely, but the opportunity was lost," said Komolafe.

On the cause of death of victims, the coroner held that most of them died from multiple injuries, blunt force trauma, air plane crash and fire.

He noted that from picture evidence, some of the passengers were alive after the crash but died from smoke inhalation, adding that 12 people died from suspected carbon mono oxide poisoning.

Quoting Obafunwa's findings, the coroner said: "A few died from heart failure, asphyxia (absence of oxygen), severe burns injury, soot inhalation, and severe crano-cerebral injury.

"I find that the commonest factor associated with death was multiple injuries - fractured arms and legs, fractured ribs, punctured lungs, fractured skull, and so on.

"You cannot attribute death to one single injury. Each one can individually cause death."

Komolafe who at the end, made nine recommendations, urged governments (federal states and local governments) to put in place effective emergency response structures.

He recommended the establishment of a national body for logistics and supply; body retrievals; body handlers as well as periodic meetings and rehearsals among the units.

Komolafe also noted the need for establishment of Forensic Science laboratories in each geo-political zone as well as the enactment of a National Coroner's Act.

"Public sensitization and provision of fire service stations in every local government across the country must be considered," he said.

Wednesday 04 June 2014

http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=16023&catid=27