BOGOTA, Colombia (AFP) — At least seven people were killed and another three injured when a small plane crashed in southwestern Colombia on Sunday, a firefighter said. “Nine people were on board the plane. Seven died, while two are seriously injured,” Juan Carlos Ganan, the commander of firefighters in the area, told AFP. The third person injured was a child on the ground in the area where the plane crashed, Ganan said. Firefighters were trying […]
Tag: accident
Fire forces Japan to cancel rocket launch to ISS
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A pre-dawn fire on Wednesday forced Japan’s space agency to cancel the launch of an unnamed rocket meant to deliver supplies to the International Space Station, the operator said. The fire broke out near the launch pad on southern Tanegashima island at around 03:05 am (1805 GMT on Tuesday), as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) was preparing to launch the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s cargo vessel Kounotori8 on an H-2B rocket, […]
Morocco floods kill 11 in bus accident: local officials
RABAT, Morocco (AFP) — At least 11 people were killed Sunday in Morocco after their bus was overturned by a flood in the kingdom’s southeast, authorities said. Rescue crews evacuated 27 passengers from the bus, including several injured, after it flipped over on a bridge by “flood waters” in El Khank, local officials said in a statement. Search operations were ongoing, they said, adding that the evacuees had been transferred to hospital in the city […]
One dead, 30 hurt as train, truck collide near Tokyo
by Kazuhiro Nogi YOKOHAMA, Japan (AFP) — One person was killed and around 30 people injured on Thursday, authorities said, when an express train and a truck collided on a busy line connecting Tokyo and Yokohama. The accident derailed the front carriage of the train and badly damaged the truck, which burst into flames and spewed its cargo of hundreds of oranges and lemons alongside the tracks. The train’s front window was completely […]
30 injured as train and truck collide near Tokyo
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A train and a truck collided at a crossing near Tokyo on Thursday, injuring 30 people, rescuers said. “What we know now is 30 people were injured but we still cannot confirm further details including who they are or how serious their conditions are,” a spokesman at the local Yokohama fire department told AFP. Television footage showed the first car of the train derailed and on its side, with windows shattered […]
20 bodies recovered after California dive boat disaster
by Andrew Marszal LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Search operations were suspended Tuesday for survivors of a scuba-diving boat disaster off the California coast after divers recovered 20 bodies and spotted another four to six trapped in underwater wreckage. The remains of 11 women and nine men were transferred to coroner offices after the 75-foot (23-meter) Conception caught fire and sank Monday, trapping below-deck passengers beneath the roaring blaze. “Today we will begin […]
Eight dead, 26 missing as dive boat sinks in flames off California
by Sébastien VUAGNAT / with Laurent Banguet in Los Angeles OXNARD, United States (AFP) — Eight people were dead and more than two dozen missing and feared deceased Monday after a scuba diving boat caught fire and sank off the California coast, with passengers trapped below deck by the roaring blaze. Fire crews in helicopters, small boats and a Coast Guard cutter battled the fierce pre-dawn fire on the 75-foot (23-meter) Conception, which had been […]
Two dead, 5 missing after flash flood at Kenyan park
NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — Six tourists, including a foreigner, and their guide were swept away Sunday after a flash flood at Kenya’s Hell’s Gate national park, the Kenya Wildlife Service said, confirming at least two dead. Two bodies were recovered but the five others remained missing, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on Twitter, adding that the search and rescue operation would continue through the night. “It is with deep sorrow that we announce a […]
15 dead in Mali building collapse
BAMAKO, Mali (AFP) — Fifteen people were killed on Sunday when a three-storey building under construction collapsed “like a house of cards” in the Mali capital Bamako, the government and local media reports said. Twenty-six people were rescued alive from the partially occupied building after it collapsed just before dawn. “Thanks to the determination of the emergency services, a young girl of around four years has just been pulled out of the rubble alive. “Another […]
Three dead, over 240 rescued after Philippine ferry blaze
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — Three people were killed and over 240 plucked to safety in the southern Philippines Wednesday after a fire tore through a crowded ferry, authorities said, as rescuers hunted for more survivors. The blaze broke out before dawn as the Lite Ferry 16 was cruising to Dapitan City from Cebu, prompting some of the terrified passengers to throw themselves overboard, one witness said. It is not clear how many passengers were on […]
13 Chinese tourists killed as bus plunges into ravine in Laos
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — At least 13 Chinese tourists were killed and dozens injured when their bus skidded off the road and plunged 30 meters into a ravine in Laos, a police officer said Tuesday. The bus was carrying more than 40 Chinese nationals heading towards the tourist town of Luang Prabang when the accident occurred late on Monday. “At this moment, 13 bodies have been recovered… while two are still missing,” police officer Xaiyaphon […]
19 killed in Uganda fuel truck blast: police
KAMPALA, Uganda (AFP) — Nineteen people died when a fuel truck barrelled into other vehicles in a busy town in western Uganda and exploded, police said Monday. The blast occurred Sunday evening in the Kyambura trading center, a mountainous area near the Queen Elizabeth National Park. “Ten people died instantly when the fuel truck lost control and hit three other vehicles, leading to multiple explosions that also burned 25 small shops,” said regional police spokesman […]
