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Emergency protocols in case of bridge collapse sought
Emergency protocols in case of bridge collapse sought.....»»
Baltimore Bridge collapse: Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before bridge fell
BALTIMORE — It was the middle of the night when a dispatcher’s warning crackled over the radio: A massive cargo ship had lost its steering capabilities and was heading toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Within about 90 seconds, police officers who happened to be nearby responded that they managed to stop vehicle traffic over.....»»
Hope for more survivors from Baltimore bridge collapse fades
BALTIMORE – The coast guard announced on Wednesday that hope of finding more survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse has dimmed, and efforts have switched to searching for the bodies of the missing persons, as well as seeking more answers as to why a container ship crashed into the span. The coast guard announced on.....»»
EXPLAINER: Why did the Baltimore bridge collapse and what is the death toll?
(Reuters) -Divers recovered the remains of two of the six missing workers more than a day after a cargo ship smashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bodies of two men were found in a red pickup truck submerged in the icy waters of the Patapsco River. Rescuers pulled two workers from the water.....»»
No Pinoy hurt in Baltimore bridge collapse
The Philippine embassy in Washington has not received any report of Filipinos hurt in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland on Tuesday......»»
Victims of Baltimore bridge collapse include those from Mexico, Guatemala
Maryland [US], March 27 (ANI): Among those reported missing following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US are Mexican nationals, CNN reported, citing Rafael Laveaga, Chief of the Consular Section of Mexico's Embassy in Washington. Laveaga refrained from specifying the exact number of missing Mexican nationals when he addressed reporters near the scene on Tuesday. A reporter asked Laveaga: ".....»»
Six presumed dead after ship destroys major US bridge
Authorities on Tuesday suspended their search for six people missing after a packed cargo ship slammed into a Baltimore bridge, causing it to collapse and blocking one of the busiest US commercial harbors......»»
Another bridge in Davao Oriental collapsed
A bridge in Caraga, Davao Oriental collapsed due to continuous heavy rains, following the impact of Tropical Depression Kabayan. This is the third main bridge damaged by extreme weather conditions since December 2023. The damaged bridges are still under construction. The collapse has caused isolation for some communities and led to landslides in Barangay Pichon, with at least 64 families sheltered in evacuation centers. The local government, alongside various agencies, is conducting an impact assessment to determine the damage to agriculture and infrastructure. Classes in public and private institutions are suspended until January 20. The community is rallying for strength and optimism amidst the challenges......»»
Race to find survivors as Morocco quake deaths top 1,300
Morocco's deadliest earthquake in decades has killed more than 1,300 people, authorities said Saturday, as troops and emergency services scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where casualties are still feared trapped. Authorities declared three days of national mourning, but the Red Cross warned that it could take years to repair the damage. The 6.8-magnitude quake struck late Friday in a mountainous area 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of the tourist city of Marrakesh, the US Geological Survey reported. With strong tremors also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira, the quake caused widespread damage and sent terrified residents and tourists scrambling to safety in the middle of the night. "I was nearly asleep when I heard the doors and the shutters banging," said Ghannou Najem, a Casablanca resident in her 80s who was visiting Marrakesh when the quake hit. "I went outside in a panic. I thought I was going to die alone." In the mountain village of Tafeghaghte near the quake's epicentre, virtually no buildings were left standing. The traditional clay bricks used by the region's Berber inhabitants proved no match for the rare quake. In the late afternoon, soldiers continued to search through debris, but most survivors headed to the cemetery where loud screams punctuated the last rites as some 70 villagers were laid to rest. "Three of my grandchildren and their mother were killed -- they are still under the rubble," villager Omar Benhanna, 72, told AFP. "Just a while ago, we were all playing together," he added. It was the strongest-ever quake to hit the North African kingdom, and one expert described it as the region's "biggest in more than 120 years". "Where destructive earthquakes are rare, buildings are simply not constructed robustly enough... so many collapse, resulting in high casualties," said Bill McGuire, professor emeritus at Britain's University College London. Updated interior ministry figures on Saturday showed the quake killed at least 1,305 people, the vast majority in Al-Haouz, the epicentre, and Taroudant provinces. Another 1,832 people were injured, including 1,220 in a critical condition, the ministry said. Civil defence Colonel Hicham Choukri who is heading relief operations told state television earlier the epicentre and strength of the earthquake created "an exceptional emergency situation". After a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI, the palace announced three days of national mourning, with flags to fly at half-mast on all public buildings. 'Unbearable' screams Faisal Badour, an engineer, said he felt the quake three times in his building in Marrakesh. "There are families who are still sleeping outside because we were so scared of the force of this earthquake," he said. "The screaming and crying was unbearable." Frenchman Michael Bizet, 43, who owns three traditional riad houses in Marrakesh's old town, told AFP he was in bed when the quake struck. "I thought my bed was going to fly away. I went out into the street half-naked and immediately went to see my riads. It was total chaos, a real catastrophe, madness," he said. Footage on social media showed part of a minaret collapsed on Jemaa el-Fna square in the historic city. An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people flocking to the square to spend the night for fear of aftershocks, some with blankets while others slept on the ground. Houda Outassaf, a local resident, said she was "still in shock" after feeling the earth shake beneath her feet -- and losing relatives. "I have at least 10 members of my family who died... I can hardly believe it, as I was with them no more than two days ago," she said. The regional blood transfusion centre in Marrakesh called on residents to donate blood for the injured. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation announced that a Cup of African Nations qualifier against Liberia, due to have been played on Saturday in the coastal city of Agadir, had been postponed indefinitely. Significant damage likely "We heard screams at the time of the tremor," a resident of Essaouira, 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Marrakesh, told AFP. "Pieces of facades have fallen." The USGS PAGER system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes, issued a "red alert" for economic losses, saying extensive damage is probable. The Red Cross said it was mobilising resources to support the Moroccan Red Crescent, but its Middle East and North Africa director, Hossam Elsharkawi, warned: "We are looking at many months if not years of response." Foreign leaders expressed their condolences and many offered assistance, including Israel with which Morocco normalised relations in 2020. Neighbour and regional rival Algeria announced it was suspending a two-year-old ban on all Moroccan flights through its airspace to enable aid deliveries and medical evacuations. US President Joe Biden said he was "deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation". Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed "deep grief for the victims" and hope that "the Moroccan government and people will be able to overcome the impact of this disaster". In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when a quake hit Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco, and in 1960 a magnitude 6.7 quake in Agadir killed more than 12,000. The 7.3-magnitude El Asnam earthquake in Algeria killed 2,500 people and left at least 300,000 homeless in 1980. The post Race to find survivors as Morocco quake deaths top 1,300 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
10 injured, buildings collapse as 5.4 quake hits east China
A shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern China in the early hours of Sunday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, with state media reporting at least 10 people injured and dozens of buildings collapsed. Videos on social media showed shaking light fixtures, trembling ground and people evacuating their buildings, with one clip showing people walking past bricks scattered on the ground. The quake, which struck at 2:33 am (1833 GMT Saturday), hit 26 kilometers (16 miles) south of the city of Dezhou in Shandong province, at a depth of 10 kilometres, USGS said. "The tremor was so strong... during the earthquake, my head was shaking on the pillow, I thought I was having a nightmare," one person posted on social media platform Weibo from Shandong's neighbouring Hebei province. USGS's PAGER system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes, issued a red alert -- estimating extensive damage and some casualties were probable based on previous quake data. Citing Shandong authorities, state broadcaster CCTV said there were at least "10 injured" and 74 houses or buildings had "collapsed" from the earthquake, which was followed by 52 aftershocks. China's Ministry of Emergency Management launched a level four emergency response and dispatched a team to Shandong province to lead the rescue work, according to state news agency Xinhua. The quake was felt as far away as the cities of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as in Shanghai, about 800 kilometres from the epicentre "I can't say anything except that it's scary," another Weibo user said. Earthquakes are not uncommon in China but it is rare for them to hit the eastern part of the country where most of the population and big cities are located. An official from the Shandong Seismological Bureau said the possibility of a larger earthquake is "very small", according to local media. The post 10 injured, buildings collapse as 5.4 quake hits east China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ukrainian drone attack damages Russian tanker
KYIV (AFP) — A Russian tanker was damaged in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kerch Strait, briefly halting traffic on the strategic bridge linking Crimea to Russia on Saturday, a day after one of Moscow’s warships was hit in the Black Sea. The number of attacks in the Black Sea has increased from both sides since Moscow exited a deal last month that had allowed Ukrainian grain exports via the shipping hub during the conflict between the two countries. The Russian tanker SIG was hit around 11:20 p.m. (2020 GMT) Friday south of the Kerch Strait, Russia’s Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport said. The SIG suffered a hole at the waterline in the area of the engine room, “presumably as a result of an attack by a marine drone,” the agency said on Telegram. “The ship is afloat.” An oil boom had been placed around the vessel and preparations were underway to patch the damage, it said. The Marine Traffic vessel-tracking website showed the SIG stationary and attended by tugs just south of the strait. The oil and chemical tanker is under US sanctions for supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria supporting President Bashar al-Assad. Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency said there were no casualties in the attack, citing the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center of Novorossiysk. Traffic on the bridge across the Kerch Strait linking the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula to Russia’s mainland was halted for around three hours and resumed early Saturday, according to the Russian highways information center’s Telegram channel. The latest attack in the Black Sea came a day after Ukraine said it had carried out a seaborne-drone strike on a Russian navy ship at Novorossiysk naval base in southern Russia. In a video of the purported attack on the warship obtained by AFP, a naval drone is seen speeding towards the darkened silhouette of a military vessel before the connection abruptly cuts off. A Ukrainian attack targeting the Olenegrorsky Gornyak landing ship was “successful,” a Ukrainian security source told AFP Friday. “The goal was to show that Ukraine can attack any Russian warship in that zone,” the source added. Russia said it had repelled an attempted attack on the naval base by the Ukrainian armed forces “with the use of two unmanned sea boats.” Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been targeted since the beginning of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine more than a year ago, but attacks have increased in recent weeks. The port of Novorossiysk also hosts the terminus of a pipeline that carries most Kazakh oil exports through Russia. The fuel artery’s operator Caspian Pipeline Consortium said it was continuing to ship oil to moored tankers at the terminal, Russian state media reported Friday. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow’s Ukraine offensive but has seen more intense attacks in recent weeks. Ukrainian drone strikes on Crimea in July blew up an ammunition depot and damaged the strategic bridge across the Kerch Strait. The post Ukrainian drone attack damages Russian tanker appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ukraine attack hits Russian warship at Black Sea base
Ukraine carried out a seaborne drone strike on a Russian navy ship at a Black Sea base, a security source told AFP Friday, as Moscow said it had repelled a similar attack over annexed Crimea. The number of attacks in the sea has increased from both sides since Moscow exited a deal last month that had allowed Ukrainian grain exports via the shipping hub during the conflict between the two countries. In a video of the attack obtained by AFP, a naval drone is seen speeding towards the darkened silhouette of a military vessel before the connection abruptly cuts off. A Ukrainian attack targeting the Olenegrorsky Gornyak landing ship in the Novorossiysk naval base in southern Russia was "successful", a Ukrainian security source told AFP Friday. "The goal was to show that Ukraine can attack any Russian warship in that zone," the source added. Russia said it had repelled an attempted attack on the base by the Ukrainian armed forces "with the use of two unmanned sea boats". Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been targeted since the beginning of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine more than a year ago, but attacks have increased in recent weeks. "The presence of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea... will be put to an end," Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on social media following the most recent drone strike. "Ukraine will ensure freedom and security in the Black Sea for world trade." The port of Novorossiysk also hosts the terminus of a pipeline that carries most Kazakh oil exports through Russia. The fuel artery's operator Caspian Pipeline Consortium said it was continuing to ship oil to moored tankers at the terminal, Russian state media reported Friday. Crimea attack The Russian defence ministry meanwhile said it had downed 13 drones over the Crimean peninsula, without recording casualties or damage. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscow's Ukraine offensive but has seen more intense attacks in recent weeks. Ukrainian drone strikes on Crimea in July blew up an ammunition depot and damaged a strategic and symbolic bridge linking Russia's mainland to the peninsula. Earlier this week, Russia's defence ministry said it foiled a Ukrainian drone attack targeting patrol boats in the Black Sea. Three drones were trained on ships navigating in waters 340 kilometres (210 miles) southwest of Sevastopol, the base of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea. Also announced Friday was Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to a combat zone in Ukraine to inspect a command post and meet senior military officers. Shoigu got an update on the situation on the front and "thanked commanders and soldiers... for successful offensive operations" in Lyman in eastern Ukraine, the army said, without mentioning when the visit took place. Frontline under microscope Shoigu last visited the front at the end of June after an aborted rebellion by the Russian paramilitary group Wagner fighting along with Moscow's forces in Ukraine. Ukraine began its long-awaited counteroffensive in the same month but has made modest advances in the face of stiff resistance from Russian forces on the front line. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the counteroffensive was difficult, reporting "very violent" fighting in the key areas on the eastern and southern fronts. In late summer and early autumn 2022, Ukraine retook swathes of territory around Kherson and Kharkiv in rapid counteroffensives. But Ukrainian forces are now contending with well-entrenched Russian defensive positions built over several months. In the southern sector, Ukrainian troops were "gradually but persistently moving forward", deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar said on Telegram. The post Ukraine attack hits Russian warship at Black Sea base appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Davao LGU extends help to collapsed bridge victims
DAVAO CITY — The local government of Davao City announced on Friday that its City Social Welfare and Development Office has reached out to the families of the victims of the collapsed bridge to extend assistance. CSWDO head Julie Dayaday said she already instructed the CSWDO Marilog District head to reach out to the families of the victims. “We provide psychological first aid and assess the need of the survivors and the family left behind,” Dayaday said. To recall, five workers died and two were injured after an under-construction bridge in Barangay Malamba, Marilog District, collapsed on 24 July. The Davao City Police Office identified the dead workers as Jimboy Liga, the boom truck operator; Elmer Sayson, a foreman; Rolando Abing, laborer and masons Jay Bangonan and Cris Napao. Those injured, on the other hand, were identified as Meljay Bero, a laborer and Jonathan Dispo, a mason. The City Engineer’s Office said they had started its investigation into the incident. Meantime, Daniel Dumandan Jr., District 3 head of CEO, said that a team from the CEO had visited the collapsed bridge on 25 July. “We made a site visit but we cannot yet confirm what the cause was, we are in the process of retrieving the bridge panels to know what caused the collapse,” Dumandan said. He added that since the depth of the area where the bridge fell was 26 meters, they have required the contractor to retrieve the debris to evaluate them. “We ask them to prioritize the lifting of the panels. According to the workers, it will take two to four days to retrieve the Bailey panels. It will take days because they have to cut it into four sections,” Dumandan said. He added that they have assigned a registered Civil Engineer to monitor the progress of the construction. The post Davao LGU extends help to collapsed bridge victims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia attacks Odesa port
Russia fired missiles and sent explosive drones to Ukraine’s Odesa port Tuesday, a day after President Vladimir Putin vowed a response to Kyiv’s deadly bombing of a bridge in annexed Crimea. Ukraine’s military claimed downing six Kalibr missiles and 21 Iran-built attack drones, but said debris and the blast wave from the destroyed projectiles damaged parts of the port and several private homes. A total 36 drones were launched by Russia overnight and 31 of these were shot down by air defenses, Ukraine’s military southern command said in a statement. An “industrial facility” in the southern port city of Mykolaiv was also hit in the overnight attack according to local governor Vitaliy Kim. A fire had subsequently broken out before being extinguished, he said on Telegram, adding there were no casualties. Kyiv’s navy and SBU security service carried out the bombing of the Kerch bridge linking Crimea to Russia, using seaborne drones, a security service source told Agence France-Presse. Russian authorities said a civilian couple was killed and their daughter wounded in the attack on the bridge, which was also damaged last year in a blast Moscow blamed on Kyiv. Local officials said traffic across the bridge had been halted and encouraged holidaymakers stranded in Crimea to drive home through occupied Ukraine. Vehicle traffic was later “restored in reverse mode on the far right lane” of the bridge, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said. WITH AFP The post Russia attacks Odesa port appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Six feared dead in torrential Japan rain
Six people are feared dead in torrential rains that hit southwest Japan this week, the country's government said Tuesday, as search and rescue operations continued on the ground. A heavy band of precipitation dumped record-breaking amounts of rain in some parts of the Kyushu area through Monday, causing rivers to overflow and sodden earth to collapse in landslides. At least three people are confirmed to have died in the rains, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Tuesday, adding officials were investigating whether another three deaths were linked to the disaster. Three people remain missing and two have been reported lightly injured, he added. "We express our condolences to those who died, and our heartfelt sympathy towards those who were affected by the disaster," Matsuno said. Some remote communities remain effectively cut off by flooding and other damage, but the safety of residents there has been confirmed. Transport remained disrupted as of early Tuesday, with some train services stopped and highways blocked, and 1,400 homes were without power. In Saga region's Karatsu, members of Japan's military were digging through the soil and debris left by a deadly landslide that engulfed homes. The downpours, which forecasters had warned risked being the region's "heaviest rain experienced", prompted evacuation notices for hundreds of thousands of people. Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy downpours, and sometimes results in flooding and landslides as well as casualties. Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. The weather agency said it had already been raining for more than a week in the region before the heavy downpours that arrived Sunday night. And while the sun was shining in many areas on Tuesday, officials have warned of more rain in the forecast, which could loosen already sodden ground. Landslides are a particular risk in Japan during heavy rains because homes are often built on plains at the bottom of hillsides in the mountainous country. In 2021, rain triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people. And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the rainy season. The post Six feared dead in torrential Japan rain appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
One dead as Japan warns of ‘heaviest rain ever’ in southwest
One person was killed and hundreds of thousands were urged to evacuate their homes in southwestern Japan on Monday, as forecasters warned of the "heaviest rain ever" in the region. Torrential downpours after a week of steady rain have caused rivers to burst their banks and sodden earth to collapse in deadly landslides, including one that killed a 77-year-old woman. The woman's home was engulfed overnight in Saga region, the local fire department told AFP. Her husband was recovered conscious and taken to hospital. A second woman was feared dead after last being seen clinging to a car in rising floodwaters in neighboring Oita region, officials there said. At least nine other people were missing in landslides in Fukuoka and Oita regions, where more than 420,000 people were under a top-level evacuation warning stating: "Your life is in danger, you need to take action immediately." Nearly two million more in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Saga, Yamaguchi and Oita were under a lower-level warning, urging them to evacuate if they were in hazardous areas. Japan has five levels of evacuation orders, but people cannot be compelled to leave their homes. "Rain and wind gusts were very, very strong. There was lightning. It was so horrible," Takashi Onizuka, 62, of Tachiarai town near Kurume in Fukuoka told AFP. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the heavy downpours risked flooding and landslides across Fukuoka and Oita. "This is the heaviest rain ever experienced" by the region, Satoshi Sugimoto of JMA's forecast division told reporters. "The situation is such that lives are in danger and safety must be secured," he added. 'People's lives first' Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed a gash in the hillside above a home in Karatsu City that had partly collapsed into a river, with many of its traditional roof tiles smashed or sliding off. Images from elsewhere showed surging rivers washing over bridges that normally sit well above the waterline, and floodwater turning local streets into streams. The prime minister's office said a task force had been established to coordinate a response to the rains. "We have received reports that several rivers have flooded... and that landslides have occurred in various parts" of the country, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. "The government is doing its best to get a complete picture of the damage and taking measures under a policy of 'people's lives first'," he added. He warned torrential rain was forecast across much of the country on Tuesday. "If you feel your life is in danger, even just a little, don't hesitate to act," he said. In Fukuoka's Asakura City, officials said the rain was believed to have peaked but there were still fears about flooding. "Water levels in rivers are rising so we're vigilant against the possibility of overflowing," local official Takaaki Harano told AFP. Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy downpours, and sometimes results in flooding and landslides, as well as casualties. Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. The weather agency said it had already been raining for more than a week in the region. "The area is very wet due to intermittent rainfall for over a week," Yoshiyuki Toyoguchi, land ministry official in charge of rivers, told reporters. "Even with a little rain, river levels tend to rise quickly, which will increase risk of flooding." Landslides are a particular risk in Japan during heavy rains because homes are often built on plains at the bottom of hillsides in the mountainous country. In 2021, rain triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people. And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the rainy season. The post One dead as Japan warns of ‘heaviest rain ever’ in southwest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Major US highway collapses after vehicle fire
A fire caused an overpass on one of America's busiest highways to collapse early Sunday in Philadelphia, authorities said, as reports attributed the cause to a truck that burst into flames under the bridge. The collapse took out four traffic lanes along an elevated section of heavily traveled Interstate 95, though no injuries were immediately reported. "Companies arrived on location and they found... heavy fire from a vehicle -- we don't know what type of vehicle it was," Battalion Chief Derek Bowmer of the Philadelphia Fire Department told a news conference. Bowmer added the situation was considered a hazmat incident, but could not confirm reports that the burning vehicle was an oil tanker. Local media reported that Philadelphia police, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), were looking for the driver of the vehicle associated with the fire, whose whereabouts are unknown. An ATF spokesman told AFP that its Philadelphia field division "is supporting the investigation" and referred additional inquiries to the fire department. The fire department declined to comment. The north-south highway -- one of the busiest in the United States, connecting major cities along the East Coast from Maine to Florida -- remains closed in both directions in the Philadelphia area, officials said. Rebuilding the section of destroyed highway could take weeks, authorities said, a nightmare scenario for commuters as well as for road travelers at the start of the summer holiday season. "Avoid (the) area. Plan and seek alternative travel routes," the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said in a tweet. US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on Twitter he is offering "any assistance that USDOT can provide to help with recovery and reconstruction." Television images showed flames and billowing smoke coming from the crumbled section of I-95 in the northeastern city's Tacony neighborhood, with parts of the elevated roadway having fallen onto the lanes below. City authorities issued a series of alerts on Twitter about a tanker truck fire on the highway, which local media reported went up in flames underneath the bridge, apparently causing the collapse. A city spokeswoman told AFP that a "large fire under I-95" caused the highway to collapse, but did not attribute it to any vehicle. She said the fire has been declared "under control." Local media reported the fire started around 6:20 a.m. (0220 GMT) when Sunday traffic is typically light. "I will always be grateful to our first responders for the dangerous, life-saving work they do to keep residents and visitors safe," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said on Twitter. The southbound lanes of the highway, while still standing, are "compromised," Bowmer said. "They got a lot of heat and heavy fire." "I-95 will be impacted for a long time, for a long time," city Managing Director Tumar Alexander told a news conference, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Residents told city media outlets that they heard several explosions, which a fire department captain told the local NBC station were coming from underground, caused by runoff from the truck. The post Major US highway collapses after vehicle fire appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India train crash toll rises to 288: fire chief
The toll from a horrific three-train rail crash in India rose to 288 early Saturday, an official told AFP. Sudhanshu Sarangi, director general of the Odisha state fire department, confirmed the new number to AFP. Hundreds of people were also injured in the accident late on Friday. At least 288 people were killed and more than 850 injured in a horrific three-train collision in India, officials said Saturday, the country's deadliest rail accident in more than 20 years. Images from the crash site showed smashed train compartments torn open with blood-stained holes near Balasore, in the eastern state of Odisha. Carriages had flipped over entirely in the crash late on Friday and rescue workers searched for survivors trapped in the mangled wreckage, with scores of bodies laid out under white sheets beside the tracks. [caption id="attachment_140197" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] People gather at the accident site of a three-train collision near Balasore, about 200 km (125 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar, on June 3, 2023. At least 207 people were killed, more than 850 more were injured and many others are feared trapped after a horrific three-train collision late June 2 in eastern India's Odisha state, local officials said. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)[/caption] As dawn broke on Saturday, rescue workers were able to see the full extent of the carnage. Sudhanshu Sarangi, director general of Odisha Fire Services, said that the death toll stood at 288. "The rescue work is still going on," he told AFP from the accident site, adding there were "a lot of serious injuries". [caption id="attachment_140198" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on June 2, 2023 shows flipped-over train carriages after a three-train collision near Balasore, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Bhubaneswar, capital of eastern India's Odisha state. At least 207 people were killed, more than 850 more were injured and many others are feared trapped after a horrific three-train collision late on June 2, 2023. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP)[/caption] India is no stranger to railway accidents and has seen several disasters, the worst of them in 1981, when a train derailed while crossing a bridge in Bihar and plunged into the river below, killing between 800 and 1,000 people. But Friday's crash is believed to be the worst since the 1990s. Odisha state's chief secretary Pradeep Jena confirmed that about 850 injured people had been sent to hospitals following the crash, which took place around 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar. "Our top priority now is rescuing (the passengers) and providing health support to the injured," he said. Amitabh Sharma, executive director at Indian Railways, told AFP that two passenger trains "had an active involvement in the accident" while "the third train, a goods train, which was parked at the site, also got (involved) in the accident". One survivor told local TV news reporters that he was sleeping when the accident happened, and woke to find himself trapped under about a dozen fellow passengers, before somehow crawling out of the carriage with only injuries to his neck and arm. [caption id="attachment_140199" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Damaged carriages are seen at the accident site of a three-train collision near Balasore, about 200 km (125 miles) from the state capital Bhubaneswar, on June 3, 2023. At least 207 people were killed, more than 850 more were injured and many others are feared trapped after a horrific three-train collision late June 2 in eastern India's Odisha state, local officials said. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)[/caption] With so many injured, the injured were carried by both ambulances and buses to any hospital that had space. SK Panda, a spokesperson in Jena's office in Odisha state said "all big government and private hospitals from the accident site to the state capital" were prepared to support the injured. The spokesperson added that authorities had sent "75 ambulances to the site and had also deployed many buses" to transport injured passengers. At Bhadrak District Hospital, ambulances brought in casualties, with the bloodied and shocked survivors receiving treatment in crowded wards. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "distressed by the train accident". "In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon", Modi said on Twitter, adding that he had spoken to railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to take "stock of the situation". Vaishnaw said that he was rushing to the accident site, with rescue teams including the National Disaster Response Force and air force working frantically. "Will take all hands required for the rescue ops," he said on Twitter. Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal offered his "deep condolences" in "this hour of grief". US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said: "Our thoughts are with the people of India at this time." Despite the latest crash, railway safety -- thanks to massive new investments and upgrades in technology -- has improved significantly in recent years. The post India train crash toll rises to 288: fire chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Finnish footbridge collapse injures 27, mostly children
Some 27 young people, mostly children, were injured in Finland on Thursday when a temporary footbridge near a construction site collapsed and they fell several meters onto a road, officials said. The accident occurred at around 9:20 am (0620 GMT) in Espoo, near the capital, Helsinki, when wooden planks are believed to have given way and the group fell five to six meters (feet) onto the carriageway of the small side road. Most of the injured were eighth-year pupils aged around 14 or 15, who were on a school field trip, city officials said. Their teacher was among the injured. Twenty-four people were taken to various hospitals in the Helsinki region. "No one has life-threatening injuries," Helsinki hospital service HUS said, adding that the majority had limb fractures. "There has been no indication of any risk of paralysis but there are some head injuries involved as well," HUS medical director Eero Hirvensalo told reporters. Photos from the scene showed the sides of the footbridge largely intact but a gaping hole across half of it and a pile of wooden planks in a jumble under one end. Rescue workers could be seen treating multiple people lying injured on the road shortly after the accident. Cause unknown The cause of the collapse has not been confirmed and is being investigated, the Espoo city authorities said. "I saw the bridge was no longer up and many people (were) on the ground," Jaakko Markkula, who lives on the fifth floor of a building near where the accident took place, told AFP. The head of the Helsinki city education department, Satu Jarvenkallas, told AFP the injured were pupils from the Kalasatama comprehensive school in the capital. "They were on a normal field trip to the Emma Art Museum. And then the accident took place," she said. A crisis team has been set up at the school, she added. The city of Espoo said weekly inspections had been conducted on the structure, most recently on May 5. The contractor whose company built the bridge, Jarno Tuuri, told the Iltalehti daily "nothing out of the usual was observed" during the weekly checks. "The situation is of course very bad. We're now checking all the structures and making the necessary additional reinforcements," he said. "We're assisting the authorities in every way we can," he added. The director of Espoo city services, Jukka Makela, expressed his "regrets" to the injured, adding: "This simply should not happen." "Shocking news from Espoo. Our strength to those injured in the accident and their loved ones. You are in our thoughts," Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Twitter. The post Finnish footbridge collapse injures 27, mostly children appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DPWH to put early warning designs in all projects after bridge collapse in Pangasinan
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has ordered all its officials to strictly impose the inclusion of an “early warning design” in all government infrastructure projects. This is in response to the incidents of distorted roads, collapsing bridges, and other inevitable devastations occurring in some government-funded infrastructures due to improper usage of public utilities, the recent was the Wawa Bridge in Pangasinan, now called the Carlos P. Romulo Bridge, which was damaged when two overloaded trucks crossed the bridge. DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan said that a lack of proper awareness among the public leads to further disastrous occurrences. Bonoan reiterated the preceding Department Order No. 164, Series of 2016, which mandates DPWH Regional, District Engineering Offices, and Unified Project Management Office Clusters to include all safety design features in all government projects. According to Bonoan, safety design features should always be included in all national roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects. “Every road project needs to meet the criteria of the International Roughness Index (IRI), and have necessary drainage facilities, shoulders, or slope protection works, among others. These features will be included in our projects as early as their planning stages to guarantee our projects are safe for public use,” Bonoan noted. He furthered that under DO No. 164, implementing offices are required to ensure that any findings in a road safety audit, carried out before or during design, are addressed as part of the road or bridge project itself, and not treated as a separate project later with different funding. “Implementing offices are also mandated to properly plan and work with the DPWH Planning Service (PS) to ensure sufficient road safety funds are included as part of the proposed projects during the annual budget preparation, as well as propose appropriate safety intervention or features in the Program of Works (POW) and Detailed Engineering Design (DED) of a proposed project,” Bonoan said......»»