Rescuers in Indonesia are working through a second night to try to find survivors trapped following an earthquake in West Java. Officials put the death toll at 268, many of them children, with 151 still missing and more than 1,000 injured. Damaged roads and the vast size of the affected area are making it difficult to locate and help victims. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that 22,000 houses had been damaged, and that more than 58,000 people had taken shelter in several locations in the region. The 5.6 magnitude quake struck a mountainous region on Monday, causing landslides that … Continue reading Update: Indonesia earthquake death toll rises above 200

An earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java has killed scores of people and injured hundreds, say officials. The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (6 miles), according to US Geological Survey data. Scores of people were taken to hospital, with many treated outside. Rescuers have worked through the night to try to save others thought to still be trapped under collapsed buildings. The area where the quake struck is densely populated and prone to landslides, with poorly built houses reduced to rubble in many areas. The exact number of … Continue reading Over 50 people killed and many more injured in Indonesia earthquake

South Korea’s police chief has said their emergency response to the Itaewon crush was “inadequate” – the first acknowledgement from officials that they did not do enough to prevent it. Amid growing calls for accountability, Yoon Hee-keun said he felt “limitless responsibility about public safety” over what happened. He vowed a full investigation. Interior Minister Lee Sang-min also apologised for the incident that killed 156 people and injured 152 others. It happened on Saturday night as crowds gathered in an alley in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, to celebrate Halloween without restrictions for the first time since Covid-19. … Continue reading Shambolic: South Korea police admit response was inadequate over Itaewon deaths

Police in the Indian state of Gujarat have arrested nine people in connection with the collapse of a pedestrian bridge that killed at least 141 people. Four of those detained are employees of a firm contracted to maintain the bridge in the town of Morbi. Hundreds were on the structure when it gave way, sending people screaming for help into the river below in the dark. Hopes of finding more survivors are fading. Many children, women and elderly people are among the dead. The 140-year-old suspension bridge – a major local tourist attraction – had been reopened only last week … Continue reading Update: India police arrest nine over bridge collapse that killed 141people

Eight people were found dead Thursday in a burning Tulsa-area house in what was being investigated as multiple homicides, police said. The fire was reported about 4 p.m local time on Thursday in a quiet residential area of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, 13 miles (20 kilometers) southeast of Tulsa. Broken Arrow police said that although the fire and the deaths were being investigated as homicides, they did not believe an immediate threat to the public existed. Police spokesman Ethan Hutchins said the scene was complex “with a lot of moving parts,” so no other information was being released immediately. Witnesses told … Continue reading 8 found dead in Oklahoma after house fire amid homicide fears

Turkey’s president has been criticised for linking the deaths of 41 miners in an explosion to “destiny”, saying such accidents “will always be”. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments triggered protests in Istanbul, with some describing the accident in northern Turkey as “a massacre”. Relatives of the dead claim they reported being able to smell gas for more than a week. Friday’s blast at the facility on the Black Sea also left 28 injured. Mr Erdogan made the remarks during a visit to the site in Bartin province on Saturday. “We are people who believe in the plan of destiny,” he told reporters, as … Continue reading President Erdogan’s ‘destiny’ comments criticised over miners deaths

At least 76 people have been reported dead after a boat accident in Nigeria’s south-eastern state of Anambra. The boat, which was carrying at least 80 people, capsized on Friday in the Ogbaru area in Anambra state. Most of the victims were women and children, trying to reach safety after their community had been inundated by floodwater. President Muhammadu Buhari offered his condolences to the families of the victims in the “tragic” accident. He also ordered a review of safety measures across the country’s water transport system, and said emergency services must do everything to account for those missing. Mr … Continue reading Nigeria boat accident kills at least 76 fleeing floodwater

Six people, including police officers and organisers, are facing criminal charges over a football stadium crush that killed at least 131 people, Indonesia’s police chief said. They will be charged with criminal negligence causing death, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. The disaster happened last week when police fired tear gas at fans who invaded the pitch after a defeat. Hundreds tired to flee through the exits, which caused a deadly stampede. The incident has led to public anger, with much of it directed at the police and their use of tear gas. The local police chief in … Continue reading Update: Six face criminal charges over Indonesia stadium tragedy

At least 25 people have died after a bus plunged into a gorge in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Officials said at least 40 were on board when the bus veered off the road and fell into a ravine in Pauri Garhwal district on Tuesday night. So far, 21 passengers have been rescued following an overnight operation led by the state’s disaster response force. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that his “thoughts are with the bereaved families”. The bus was carrying a wedding procession from Laldhang to Bironkhal village in Uttarakhand when the accident happened. The cause of the … Continue reading 25 killed as bus plunges into gorge in India

Two Indian sisters have been found hanging from a tree in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in a suspected case of abduction and rape. Police said the bodies were found on Wednesday afternoon in Lakhimpur district. They have started an investigation after the family alleged the girls had been kidnapped and raped. The bodies have been sent for a post mortem examination, police said. The girls, both below 18, belonged to the Dalit caste at the bottom of a deeply discriminatory Hindu hierarchy. Six men have been arrested on charges of rape and murder. Despite constitutional protections, the community … Continue reading Indian sisters found hanged in suspected rape case

The suspect in a stabbing in Canada that left 10 dead and 18 others injured has died after he was captured by police, officials say. Police said Myles Sanderson, 32, was taken into custody on a highway in the province of Saskatchewan on Wednesday afternoon after a high-speed chase. Footage from the scene showed a white SUV run off the road and surrounded by police cruisers near Rosthern town. Ten victims remain in hospital, three of them in a critical condition. “This evening our province is breathing a collective sigh of relief,” Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore told a news conference … Continue reading Update: Canada stabbings suspect Myles Sanderson dead after arrest

Canada police have said that one of the two suspects in Sunday’s mass stabbings in Saskatchewan has been found dead. The body of Damien Sanderson, 31, was found in the James Smith Cree Nation, home to several victims, they said. The two suspects were brothers and police say Myles Sanderson is still at large and believed to be in the city of Regina. On Sunday, 10 people were stabbed to death in one of the worst acts of violence in Canada’s recent history. The attacks, which left another 18 people injured happened in a remote region of Saskatchewan. In Regina, … Continue reading Update: One suspect found dead in Canada mass stabbing