Entire villages washed away

Entire villages in four towns in Davao Oriental have apparently been washed away by typhoon “Pablo,” an official said yesterday.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos said the coastal towns of Cateel, Baganga, Boston and Caraga were severely hit by the typhoon.

“Structures like houses, hospitals, gymnasiums,schools and government offices were destroyed,” Ramos said in a phone interview.

Philippine Red Cross secretary general Gwendolyn Pang said “houses were smashed to the ground, the plants are gone and even century-old trees were uprooted. It’s like they were wiped out. They are now like ghost towns.”

As of yesterday afternoon, the NDRRMC)said the death toll from Pablo has hit 714, with 890 still missing and almost 2,000 sustained injury.

Of the number of fatalities, 457 have been identified and turned over to their families, while 257 remained unclaimed.

Officials believe most of the unclaimed bodies were entire families wiped out by the storm, thus no one was left to attend to them.

Data from the NDRRMC showed Pablo displaced 64,942 families composed of 308,110 individuals. Of the number, 25,812 families or 116,404 persons remained in 134 evacuations centers.

“I have not seen this kind of sisaster in my 15 years of service with Red Cross,” Pang said, adding that residents have sought refuge in any structure available, even mausoleums.

“It seems like they are still in survival mode even after so many days. When we asked them what they need, they asked for basic necessities only like food. They are not yet thinking about their houses,” she added.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://m.philstar.com/headlines/show/eaed0a7a048c4ed2aad288c26d32c9ea&t=fv6ku4sj321eh8fut3k2kodb01

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10 persons including four army personnel killed in road mishap in Khuzdar

At least 10 persons including four army personnel were killed and 16 others injured in result of collision between passenger bus and oil tanker in Wahir area of sub-district Wadh in Khuzdar. Condition of eight injured persons is critical.

A head-on collision between a passenger coach and an oil tanker resulted in 10 casualties while sixteen others were wounded.

The deceased include four Pakistan Army jawans. The injured and bodies have been shifted to the CMH Khuzadar where some of the injured are said to be in critical state.

The passenger bus was on its way to Quetta from Karachi. Over speeding was the cause of the accident. According to police, a speeding passenger coach collided with an oil tanker coming from the opposite direction and turned turtle. As a result of accident, 10 passengers including two drivers and four security men were killed, sources told. 16 others also sustained injuries in the incident.

Levies and the local administration shifted the injured and dead bodies to the hospital where eight injured are said to be in critical condition while the administration has kicked off investigation.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://www.sananews.net/english/10-persons-including-four-army-personnel-killed-in-road-mishap-in-khuzdar/

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DNA samples taken from Jenni Rivera plane crash wreckage

Authorities in Mexico have begun performing DNA tests to identify human remains found in what is believed to be JENNI RIVERA's plane crash.

The Latin superstar and six others who were on-board the private Learjet 25 have been presumed dead after wreckage was found scattered in Nuevo Leon state in northern Mexico on Sunday (09Dec12).

Experts transferred remains found in the debris to a hospital in nearby Monterrey, and investigators are now examining DNA samples in order to give relatives definitive confirmation of their loved ones' deaths.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to Mexico to help with the probe.

Officials have told the Mexican media it could take days to confirm whether the remains are Rivera's and to piece together why the plane crashed soon after takeoff.

The plane carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera plunged almost vertically from more than 28,000 feet and hit the ground in a nose-dive at a speed that may have exceeded 600 miles per hour, Mexico's top transportation official said Tuesday.

In the first detailed account of the moments leading up to the crash that killed Rivera and six other people, Secretary of Communications and Transportation Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told Radio Formula that the twin-engine turbojet hit the ground 1.2 miles from where it began falling.

"The plane practically nose-dived," he said. "The impact must have been terrible."

Ruiz did not offer any explanation of what may have caused the plane to plummet, saying only that "The plane fell from an altitude of 28,000 feet ... It may have hit a speed higher than 1,000 kph (621 mph)."

Ruiz said the pilot of the plane, Miguel Perez Soto, had a valid Mexican pilot's license that would have expired in January. Photos of a temporary pilot's certificate issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and found amid the wreckage said that Perez was 78.

Ruiz said there is no age limit for flying a civil aviation aircraft, though for commercial flights it's 65. In the United States it's unusual for a pilot to be 78.

The extremely high speeds at which Learjets can fly – close to the speed of sound – make them especially challenging to fly, pilots and safety experts said.

"These aircraft require an awful lot of skill to fly and don't leave a lot of margin for error," said Lee Collins, a cargo airline pilot and executive vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilot Associations in Washington.

He said that in situations in which a pilot loses control of an aircraft, the plane could "get into a high-speed dive and inadvertently go through the speed of sound." Collins said.

One possible cause for a nose dive like the one described by Mexican officials would be a drastic failure of the flight controls – the ailerons, elevators and stabilizers, said former NTSB board member John Goglia, an aviation safety expert.

"High performance airplanes by their nature have issues," Goglia said. "The airplane flies faster than the human mind (can keep up) sometimes. ... It takes a lot of skill to stay in front of that airplane."

Mexican authorities were performing DNA tests Tuesday on remains believed to belong to Rivera and the others killed when her plane went down in northern Mexico early Sunday morning.

Investigators said it would take days to piece together the wreckage of the plane carrying Rivera and find out why it went down.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to help investigate the crash of the Learjet 25, which disintegrated on impact in the rugged terrain in Nuevo Leon state in northern Mexico.

Human remains found in the wreckage were moved to a hospital in Monterrey, the closest major city to the crash, and Rivera's brother Lupillo was driven past a crowd of reporters to the area where the remains were being kept. He did not speak to the press.

A state official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said investigators were testing DNA from the remains in order to provide families with definitive confirmation of the deaths of their loved ones.

"We're in the process of picking up the fragments and we have to find all the parts," Argudin told reporters on Monday. "Depending on weather conditions it would take us at least 10 days to have a first report and many more days to have a report by experts."

In an interview on Radio Formula, Alejandro Argudin, head of Mexico's civil aviation agency, said Mexican investigators weren't sure yet if the Learjet had been equipped with flight data recorders. He also said there had been no emergency call from the plane before the crash. In the U.S., the plane would not have been required to have a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/364286/DNA-samples-taken-from-Jenni-Rivera-wreckage

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/jenni-riveras-plane-nosed_n_2283903.html

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35 Filipino fishermen rescued, 261 still missing

Low-flying search planes spotted three Filipino fishermen drifting at sea and flashing mirrors to signal for help, as authorities stepped up the search Wednesday for 261 others still missing more than a week after a powerful typhoon killed hundreds in the southern Philippines.

The Indonesian government sent a ship to join the search for the fishermen, who may have been swept toward the Celebes Sea from the Pacific Ocean off southern Mindanao Island, said regional military spokesman Capt. Severino David.

A total of 35 fishermen have been rescued in the past three days, including three found Tuesday in a small boat drifting about 255 kilometers (158 miles) east of Davao Oriental province, where the typhoon made landfall Dec. 4, David said.

They were found by low-flying search planes who passed on the coordinates to rescue ships. Although weak and dehydrated, some were still able to signal to the planes using mirrors, David said.

"The typhoon caught up with them, and they may have lost their way and ran out of fuel," he said.

The more than 300 tuna fishermen were about 220 kilometers (120 nautical miles ) east of Davao Oriental province as early as October. Typhoon Bopha's top winds of 210 kilometers (131 miles) per hour apparently made it difficult for them to return to shore.

The storm killed at least 740 people. Nearly 900 others are missing, including the fishermen.

Rescuers recovered at least four bodies from the sea and continued to find remains buried under mud and rubble in the worst-hit farming province of Compostela Valley and in flood-ravaged coastal towns.

Regional coast guard Commodore George Ursabia said most of the missing fishermen worked for companies based in southern General Santos City, known as the tuna capital of the Philippines. They sailed to fishing grounds in October after a fishing ban was lifted Sept. 30.

"I am still hoping that they are still alive," said Civil Defense chief Benito Ramos, citing the experience of a group of fishermen who survived in rough seas in the northern Philippines for 21 days following another storm.

He said at least some of the missing fishermen may have taken shelter in islands in the Celebes Sea.

The typhoon packed sustained winds of 175 kph (109 mph) when it knocked down power, destroyed houses, uprooted trees and set off massive flash floods that washes away roads and bridges and entire communities.

Hundreds of thousands were left homeless, and the Philippine government launched a massive relief effort. The U.N. has appealed to donors for $65 million in emergency humanitarian assistance.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national_world&id=8917203

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Police hoping to solve mysteries of unknown bodies

Eight unexplained deaths dating back to 1970 are set to be re-investigated by Thames Valley Police.

Operation Nightingale covers eight unrelated cases, in which people died but have never been identified.

The cold cases cover parts of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The force, which has issued a new appeal over the cases, hope to uncover new lines of inquiry.

Led by Det Sgt Craig Kirby, of the Major Crime Review team, the force is working alongside the UK Missing Persons Bureau and Crimestoppers UK.

The earliest case involves a man found near a railway line, in Slough in 1970 "In 2008, we were tasked to undertake a review by the Serious Organised Crime Agency's UK Missing Persons Bureau to review any outstanding cases of unidentified bodies and remains," said Det Sgt Kirby.

"Since then, we have successfully resolved four of those, three purely by updating our records with other agencies and the fourth following successfully DNA analysis of exhumed remains."

That case involved the discovery of a man's body in the River Great Ouse at Olney, Buckinghamshire, in 1986.

After 23 years, it was finally identified as Michael Walsh, who had gone missing the previous year, enabling his family to give him a proper burial.

Officers hope Operation Nightingale will give the same answers to other families.

The earliest case, from 1970, involves the body of a man, thought to be between 50 and 60, who was found near a railway line in Slough.

They also include the body of a man, aged between 25 and 35, that was found floating in the Jubilee River in Dorney, Berkshire, in May 2004 and that of a man found dead alongside the northbound carriageway of the M40 in Oxfordshire.

The most recent dates from 2007, when a man in his late 20s was found dead in a shed on a country estate in Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire.

It is thought his body had been there for between seven months and two years.

None of the deaths were treated as suspicious but police stressed they always kept an open mind.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20682852

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Bridge collapse: Missing bodies found

Fourteen people died after a bridge collapsed on the R65 between Lothair and Ermelo due to heavy rains, the Mpumalanga community safety department said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Joseph Mabuza said three vehicles, one of them a taxi, were involved in the accident.

"The bridge goes over a dam and it collapsed. The cars drove over the collapsed bridge and were swept away by high volumes of water."

The bridge collapsed around 21:50 on Monday night, with six people initially killed and others missing.

"Police have retrieved the missing bodies," Mabuza said.

"The road has been closed that leads to Lothair, and will only be open for people residing in the area."

Motorists should use the R33, N17 and the Ermelo/Mpuluzi road as alternative routes.

"We have realised there is a prediction of higher rainfall in the province and people should be cautious when driving, especially when they see water on the road," Mabuza said.

"They should stop and inspect the water, because it could be dangerous to drive further down the road."

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Bridge-collapse-Missing-bodies-found-20121211

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14 die in Mpumalanga floods

The process of identifying the 14 people, including three children, who perished in a flooding incident near Ermelo in Mpumalanga, will begin today, police said.

A minibus taxi, along with a BMW, a Nissan bakkie and a Colt bakkie were washed 500 metres off Lothair Road into a dam just before 11pm on Monday.

Ermelo police Captain Carla Prinsloo said sudden heavy rainfall resulted in the force of the water sweeping away the entire road.

ER24 reported that 90mm of rain in a short time washed the road and vehicles away.

Prinsloo confirmed that 24 people had been involved in the incident, with eight taken to hospital and two escaping unharmed. Of the 14 bodies recovered, 11 were adults while three were children.

“Police divers recovered the body of a girl believed to be one or two- years-old,” said Prinsloo.

“The bodies of two boys believed to be between the ages of seven and 11 were also recovered.”

Prinsloo added that both passengers in the Nissan bakkie were found dead, while all the BMW passengers survived.

“We believe that all the people involved in the incident were accounted for,” she said.

Mpumalanga MEC for safety, security and liaison spokesman Joseph Mabuza confirmed that the Ermelo police station would be investigating the incident.

Additionally, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs in Mpumalanga warned residents of heavy rains expected over the next few days.

“The heavy rain could result in an increase of dam and river levels, thus making small streams and rivers very dangerous,” the department said in a statement.

In case of possible flooding, residents were advised to call Disaster Management on 0800-202-507.

The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services assured residents that a number of measures were in place to alert EMS of possible flooding in the city.

EMS spokesman Nana Radebe said Automatic Rainfall Systems, that alerts EMS of rising water levels, were in place in areas prone to flooding.

These areas include Orlando East in Soweto; Alexandra in the east of Johannesburg; and Pennyville on the outskirts of Soweto. New Canada Road in Pennyville was identified as being prone to flooding.

“We work closely with various stakeholders during flooding situations where a standard disaster plan is followed,” said Radebe.

“Disaster teams were specifically trained and equipped to deal with instances of flooding in Johannesburg.”

The Democratic Alliance’s shadow member of the mayoral committee for public safety, Mervyn Cirota said there had been problems with disaster management in Johannesburg in the past.

“A contingency plan does however exist to deal with disasters in the city,” he said.

“Hopefully disaster management has learned from past experiences on how to deal with future disasters.”

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://www.citizen.co.za/citizen/content/en/citizen/local-news?oid=366749&sn=Detail&pid=146857&14-die-in-Mpumalanga-floods-

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Aerial, sea search continues for 'Pablo' survivors

The search for the missing continues, as the government intensified its search and rescue efforts for the over 800 who are reported missing from Typhoon "Pablo."

Aside from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fishing and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), volunteer civilians and the fishing industry have come together to search for survivors by land, air and sea.

Lt Gen Jorge Segovia, who is in charge of the Search and Rescue Task Force under President Benigno Aquino III's directive, said on Wednesday, December 12, they are making progress in their operations. Segovia is the commander of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City.

Segovia said the Air Force has searched 75% of the area that they had been assigned to, and that relief goods have been dropped in isolated communities located by pilots.

Captain Robert Empedrad of the Philippine Navy, who is in charge of maritime search, also said that they have been successful in saving victims stranded at sea.

"As of this moment, we are able to recover already 35 bodies at sea," he said.

"The good news is that we also coordinated with the Indonesians because when we assessed the situation there is a possibility that some of our missing fishermen drifted to the Indonesian waters," he added.

Segovia also emphasized that they are not likely to end efforts anytime soon.

"We have not set a deadline for the end of the rescue effort. We are continuing to do our best to try to find survivors in this disaster," he said. "The relief operations will continue for a long, long time and, from what I saw, the rehabilitation will take a much longer time."

Of the reported missing, about 300 are said to be fishermen.

In addition to local ships that are scouring the area, Empedrad said the Indonesian government has also heeded their request to send one ship to the area south of Central Mindanao where they believe some of the missing fishermen may have drifted to. He said they have also received approval from Indonesia to conduct aerial searches there.

Empedrad admitted that he is not an expert on how long humans can stay lost at sea without dying, but was optimistic after the first set of survivors were found.

"It depends if, when they (got) lost, there were provisions that they had in their possession. But most of the rescued, recovered at sea have their own provisions. So they were able to survive because they had food to eat. But when we recovered them, they were somewhat injured. They were dehydrated," he said.

Segovia said they are using trucks, Navy ships and helicopters to deliver relief goods to far-flung communities, especially those isolated by broken bridges.

He also denied reports of chaos and violence in the disaster areas.

"Some of the rumors of mobs and rioting, and the lack of so many things (are) hardly true. I’ve been there, I was there during the first delivery in Banganga (Davao Oriental)," he said.

"I saw the relief goods on trucks. Except for minor incident involving the locals, the governor of Davao Oriental is very much in command of the situation."

Segovia also said that most of the provinces "are doing well" in terms of receiving relief and healthcare.

He commended the victims for their fighting spirit, and continued to ask for more donations to help in recovery efforts.

"I would say that the people of these devastated areas are very resilient, they are very patient. And, of course, as we go through with this disaster, we need more delivery of relief goods for us to assure our people that we are attending to them," he said.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

http://www.rappler.com/nation/17841-aerial,-sea-search-continue-for-pablo-survivors

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Eight People Killed In Cambodia Market Fire

Eight people, including four children, have been killed in a fire that tore through a popular night market in the Cambodian tourist town of Siem Reap.

Two others were seriously injured in the blaze, which raged for about two hours early on Saturday, said Sath Nady, chief of Siem Reap police.

The children, aged between nine and 14, were sleeping with their families on the upper floor of a building on the premises when the fire broke out, he said.

"Eight people from two families died in the fire. They could not find their way out."

The fire, apparently caused by an electrical fault, also destroyed more than 100 stalls selling souvenirs, and forced the market to be closed.

Siem Reap, a small town in the northwest, is the gateway to the country's main tourist destination, the ancient temple complex of Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Saturday 8 December 2012

http://news.sky.com/story/1022561/eight-people-killed-in-cambodia-market-fire

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13 killed as bus plunges into Taiwan ravine

Thirteen people were killed and ten others injured Sunday when a bus they were travelling on plunged into a ravine in a mountainous area of northern Taiwan, rescue workers said.

The bus, carrying 22 passengers, veered off the road and rolled down a steep mountainside in Hsinchu county at around 3:00 pm (0700 GMT), the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau said.

"Most of the passengers were in their 50s and 60s," an official at the bureau told AFP. "Our understanding is that they were all Taiwanese."

The ten injured passengers were taken to a local hospital, one with serious injuries. The bus driver was among the survivors, according to the official.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/325339/13-killed-as-bus-plunges-into-taiwan-ravine

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Bus accident leaves six dead and 41 wounded

The victims were identified as Rocio Allen Marroquin, 1 year; Wilson Alexander Diego Lopez of 2 years and 9 months, Alicia Lopez, 20, Maria Gil Sarazua Algeria, 37, and also two women aged 25 and 30 who have not been identified.

The bus crashed Carrillo Transport is carrying about 50 people of Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez to Chimaltenango.

Witnesses reported that the collective unit was overloaded and the driver was driving at excessive speed. They explained that before reaching the kilometer 56, where the descent begins, the driver tried to stop, but he heard a noise and the bus lost control and went into a ravine.

Relief Corps moved 41 people to the National Hospital of Chimaltenango and Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez.

According to the National Civil Police, the driver fled the scene mass transit.

Wilson Lopez Appen Audy, husband and father Aliai Judith Wilson Lopez, two of the deceased, said he had gone for a walk with your family because it met five years of marriage. "I was alone, I'm going to do. Only my child I was ..." he sobbed.

Translated by Google Translator. Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://www.prensalibre.com/chimaltenango/Accidente-autobus-deja-muertos-heridos_0_825517571.html

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12 dead in central China road accident

12 people died after a bus hit an electric bicycle and ended up in a roadside pond in central China's Henan province on Sunday morning, authorities said Monday.

The accident occurred at 11 am when the bus carrying 34 people ran into the electric bicycle, hit a tree, and then went into the pond in Minquan county in the city of Shangqiu, a county government spokesman said.

As of Monday morning, 12 people, including the bicycle rider, died despite medical efforts, the spokesman said.

23 other people were in a stable condition after being taken to hospital.

The bus, with a load capacity of 30 passengers, belongs to a local transportation company. It was heading for the provincial capital of Zhengzhou from Shangqiu when the accident happened, according to the spokesman.

An initial investigation showed that the accident was caused by the bus driver's improper operation of the vehicle. A further investigation is under way.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-12/10/content_16002798.htm

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9 killed in western Colombia traffic accident

At least nine people were killed and at least 10 others were reported wounded Monday after a bus falls of a 300-meter cliff in western Colombia.

The bus crashed in the department of Tolima while en route to the city of Medellin.

The vehicle fell about 300 meters off the rural road which, due to Colombia’s mountainous terrain, can often be precarious and sometimes dangerous to maneuver.

Colonel Javier Herrera, the department’s police chief, was quoted as saying "The bottom line of this tragic event is 9 people dead and another 10 are injured," going on to claim that "The cause is bad weather, fog, rain also, the bus tried to avoid a rock that had fallen on the road."

Initially five people were reported dead. However, four more died on the way to the areas hospital, reported Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/27354-9-killed-in-western-colombia-traffic-accident.html

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Report on deadly accident to be submitted in two weeks: minister

Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo said Monday that the investigation report on a deadly coach accident that left 13 dead and 10 injured in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu County will be submitted in two weeks.

The accident occurred Sunday on County Road No. 60 in Jianshih Township, which is administrated by the local government, Mao said during a legislative session.

The Directorate General of Highways has set regulations on medium- or large-sized tour buses driving on provincial highways in mountainous areas, Mao noted.

The ministry will help local governments fully review county roads in mountainous areas across Taiwan to ensure safety, the minister said.

The accident, which occurred Sunday afternoon, involved a bus that fell about 300 meters into a ravine after it reportedly backed off the road leading to Smangus Village. The bus was carrying a driver and 22 tourists, who mostly came from Taishan District in New Taipei.

Family members of the deceased planned to hold a ritual for their late relatives at the scene of the accident on Dec. 13, according to the Taishan District Office.

A Christian church in the Atayal aboriginal village has already performed a ritual for the dead at the crash site.

Local residents, including aborigines from Smangus that helped with the rescue mission, prayed and sang a hymn at the occasion.

According to Hsinchu County Police Bureau's Hengshan branch, the accident spot is in a steep location and the wreckage of the coach is scattered over a large area.

The Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office sent three prosecutors to interview injured passengers and others who have knowledge of the accident, said Chen Chia-hsiu, a prosecutor from the office.

The dead bodies have undergone post-mortem examinations, she said.

She added that prosecutors will determine the cause of the accident after reviewing testimonies and evidence, including video footage from a vehicle's on-board camera that showed the bus going backwards and falling into the valley.

The prosecutors and the police said that cause of the accident can only be completely verified when the wreckage has been removed from the ravine.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2012/12/11/363691/Report-on.htm

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310 tuna fishermen are still missing

Typhoon "Pablo" may have spared this city, but the long wait is tearing apart the families and loved ones of the more than 310 tuna fishermen who are still missing.

The fortunate ones who survived the rough seas on that fateful day had chosen to remain silent, unable to muster the courage to talk about what happened.

It doesn't help that the disaster occurred on December 3, the week leading to the fight of this city's favorite son, Manny Pacquiao, in Las Vegas. To the families of the victims, it hurts that many seemed more preoccupied with the monumental loss of the city’s iconic figure last Sunday, December 9, than the fate of the missing tuna fishers.

News of the missing tuna fleet did not spread until we wrote about it Thursday last week, citing information we gathered from some of the vessels' owners who were in Manila for the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting held on December 2-6.

It is easy to blame greed for the alleged failure of vessel owners to recall all their fishing fleets in the area. Or to put the blame on the Philippine Coast Guard for allowing them to set sail despite the storm warning.

But most of these fishing boats were already out in the sea weeks before the storm developed into a super typhoon. Medium-sized purse seines can stay up to 6 months in open sea, regularly receiving fuel and food supplies from carrier ships.

Marfenio Tan, former president of the Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries (SFFAI), said most of the missing boats were caught in the middle of a perfect storm at the unholy dawn hours of Monday, December 3, when most radio communication units in base companies were either unmanned or had been turned off.

The typhoon was predicted to make a landfall on December 3. On the morning of December 4, a worried Dominic Salazar, a ship owner, told colleagues they had lost contact with one of their catcher vessels. Salazar however said all 3 crew members of a support light boat had been found alive after their own vessel sank.

Later in the morning, I met John Yap of Rugela Fishing who said two of his catcher vessels were also missing, including their complement of light and ranger boats.

Jake Lu, president of SFFAI, quoted survivors as saying that they saw at least 3 dead bodies and a capsized catcher vessel. “Ga-tumbling daw,” Lu said (It was tumbling all over).

The manager of RR Fishing said one of their catcher vessels was forced to make a port call after "Pablo" triggered giant waves before slamming into the coastal villages of Davao Oriental and Surigao del Sur.

The next day, December 5, former SFFAI president Tan arrived at the WCPFC meeting in Manila and told the Philippine delegation that 6 catcher vessels could no longer be traced and that as many as 300 fishermen were missing.

Before that, Tan made frantic calls to the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy. He was told that the available floating assets of both the coast guard and the Navy lacked the capability to a launch a search and rescue operation without endangering their own crew. At that time, the seas were still dangerous for light vessels.

On December 7, I called PCG eastern Mindanao chief Commodore George Ursabia who said 3 of their floating assets were just on their way to Davao from Zamboanga, while the Philippine Navy had already deployed a ship to begin the search and rescue mission. But the Navy ship was to reach the area on December 8 yet.

A survivor said waves of more than 3 stories high slammed into his outrigger handline tuna fishing boat. He refused to give further details, saying the tragedy that claimed some of his companions is still too grim to be retold.

Light boat operator Montgomery Montealegre, whose son Mark Gil is still missing, said their fish carrier loaded with fish left the mother boat (catcher vessel) on November 30, some 302 kilometers off Baganga town in Davao Oriental. The mother boat owned by LPS Fishing was to follow the following day.

Montealegre reached the port of Mati on December 2. He was expecting his son to dock at the same port for refueling before heading back to General Santos City the following day.

They have not made it and it is already Tuesday, December 11.

He and his wife have been going daily to the command center of Task Force Maritime Search at the adjacent wing of the General Santos City Police Office in Camp Lira.

Task Force Maritime Search operations chief Commander Lued Lincunan said they have officially listed 306 fishermen missing from General Santos City and nearby Sarangani alone from the total 46 fishing vessels also reported as missing. (The national government put the missing fishermen at 310.)

Lincunan fears the number could rise because several complainants are claiming to have relatives on board these vessels whose names are not on the official list submitted by vessel owners to authorities.

“We are still on a search and rescue mission,” Lincunan said with cautious optimism.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://www.rappler.com/nation/17756-pacquiao-s-city-weeps-but-not-over-him

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Attorney general applies to quash Hillsborough inquest verdicts

The attorney general Dominic Grieve has formally applied to the High Court for the verdicts of the original Hillsborough disaster inquests to be quashed.

A total of 96 people lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster

Mr Grieve said there was a ‘good case’ to quash the accidental death verdicts following a damning report that revealed a cover-up and attempt to shift the blame on to the victims.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans were killed following the April 15, 1989, disaster at Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium during the FA Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest.

‘I believe that the case for the High Court to quash the original inquests is a good one,’ Mr Grieve said, adding that he planned to appear in the High Court himself to petition for new inquests.

‘My application has now been lodged with the Court. It is my intention to appear to argue the case at the hearing that will take place in the High Court.’

If the High Court accepts the attorney general’s application it can order new inquests in the district where they were originally heard, in this case either Sheffield or Doncaster, but the Hillsborough families want any new inquests held in Liverpool.

Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, whose 18-year-old son James died in the Hillsborough disaster, said: ‘We have waited over 20-years for these verdicts to be overturned and I’m sure all the families will be delighted to hear that these steps are being taken.

‘It is a great step towards getting the justice we have fought for.’

Last week MPs approved new powers for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating actions of up to 2,400 retired or serving officers, to compel serving officers or staff on other bodies to attend interviews.

The legislation is yet to be approved by the House of Lords, however.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://metro.co.uk/2012/12/10/attorney-general-applies-to-quash-hillsborough-inquest-verdicts-3310763/

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Death toll from 'Pablo' now up to 714, at least 800 more missing

The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Pablo (Bopha) went up to 714 as of early Tuesday as more bodies were recovered from areas hit by Pablo Monday night.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council head Benito Ramos said at least 861 more remained missing, radio dzBB's Rodil Vega reported Tuesday morning.

Ramos was quoted in the report as saying at least eight bodies were found in Cateel in Davao Oriental province on Monday night.

At least 1,906 people were reported injured in the wake of Pablo, which dissipated after reaching Northern Luzon last Sunday night.

Tropical Cyclone Pablo plowed through parts of Mindanao and Visayas and then headed for Northern Luzon, but weakened and dissipated once over the Ilocos area.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285856/news/nation/death-toll-from-pablo-now-up-to-714-at-least-800-more-missing

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Mass grave found in Tripoli

One-hundred and three bodies have been discovered in a mass grave in the Gergarish district of Tripoli.

The find was made on Tuesday at the Sidi Hamid cemetery as part of a broader search for missing persons killed by the former regime that is ongoing across Libya. The entity responsible for the excavation is the Tripoli Missing Persons Committee, which falls under the SSC.

It is reported that some of the bodies have been identified as being from Zawia, and it is believed they were killed during the 2011 revolution. DNA samples from the bodies will be sent for testing to try and establish the identities of each of the dead individuals.

In the past 12 months, mass graves have been discovered in numerous Libyan towns and cities, including Tripoli, Benghazi, Zliten, Ajdabiya and Sirte.

Monday 10 December 2012

http://www.libyaherald.com/2012/12/06/mass-grave-found-in-tripoli/

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At least 13 dead after floods in Congo

At least 13 people have died in the Republic of Congo and two dozen others were injured after torrential rains caused homes to collapse in southern Brazzaville.

A Red Cross official said 13 bodies had been recovered over the weekend, while Laurel Kihounzou, mayor of the southern Brazzaville district of Makelekele, told reporters that at least 26 people were injured.

According to witnesses, dozens of houses collapsed after a river in the Makelekele neighbourhood burst its banks.

Police confirmed the death toll, adding that they had provided shelter to nearly 600 residents affected by the flooding.

Monday 10 December 2012

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/at-least-13-dead-after-floods-in-congo/story-fn3dxix6-1226534116686

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Baldia fire tragedy: Fresh samples for DNA test sent to Islamabad

Police investigators have sent fresh samples, collected again from the 33 unidentified bodies at the Edhi morgue, to a forensic laboratory in Islamabad for DNA matching with the families whose loved ones have been missing since the Sept 11 Baldia Town factory inferno.

The exercise for the identification of the 33 bodies, which are beyond recognition, was started afresh following a recent Sindh High Court directive in the Baldia factory fire case, while the families of many victims desperate to know their fate for the past three months have been told to wait for another two weeks.

The process, officials said, could take 15 to 20 days.

“We had collected the samples on Nov 30,” said Dr Jalil Qadir, the police surgeon who heads a medical team tasked with the job.

He said: “Thirty one complete bodies are beyond recognition, while two others can’t be said complete bodies but fragments of bodies. The samples of all 33 objects were collected and handed over to the police investigators for further process.”

He said the Sindh health department had conducted a similar exercise some three months ago. However, there were some ‘complications’ that could not lead to complete results of the sampling.

His observations matched comments of Sub-Inspector Jehanzaib of the SITE-B police station, the investigation officer of the Ali Enterprises inferno that killed more than 250 people in September.

“In the previous exercise, we had sent samples of 76 unidentified bodies,” the police officer said.

“We kept sending reminders and requested them to expedite the process. Once or twice they mentioned some lacking or something missing but mostly the delay was on the part of the laboratory,” he added.

He said the fresh identification process was initiated under the Sindh High Court directives to make the process more transparent and flawless.

This time, he said, extra care had been taken in collection of bodies’ samples as well as blood samples of the claimant of the bodies for matching.

“But it would take 15 to 20 days to complete the process. I agree it is hard to satisfy the family members of the missing workers and to give them an exact timeframe for the completion of the process after so much delay,” he added.

While hearing two petitions related to the Baldia Town factory fire, the Sindh High Court earlier last week was informed that only 16 bodies could be identified through the earlier DNA testing.

The bench ordered the case investigation officer to take fresh samples from the family members to test the 33 unidentified bodies.

The authorities had declared a total of 259 deaths in the fire that engulfed the Baldia factory on the eve of Sept 11 and took more than 18 hours to extinguish with over 50 firefighters taking part in the operation using almost all available machinery and equipment of the fire department.

As the process of bodies’ identification remained inconclusive, the agony of the victims’ families has yet to end. It also gave birth to challenges for other institutions involved in the process.

The Edhi Foundation, which has been looking after the unidentified bodies for almost three months at it morgue, has finally asked the authorities to settle the issue or allow it to bury the remains.

“It’s quite difficult for us to manage the task,” said Anwar Kazmi, the administrator of the Edhi Foundation.

“Last week, we informed the police authorities and sought permission from other relevant authorities for the burial in our Mowach Goth graveyard within the next 10 days. However, the plan was put on hold on a police request and also under the Sindh High Court directives.”

Monday 10 December 2012

http://dawn.com/2012/12/10/baldia-fire-tragedy-fresh-samples-for-dna-test-sent-to-islamabad/

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