Latest world news
Cuba: Over 100 killed in deadly air crash, three survive
In a worst air disaster in nearly three decades, more than 100 people were killed in Cuban capital Havana when a Boeing passenger plane crashed soon after taking off on Friday. Miraculously four live passengers were taken to hospital. One of them died while three are being treated.
The ill feted Boeing 737 operated by Cubana de Aviacion crashed into a field near Havana’s Jose Marti airport, sending a thick column of acrid smoke into the air. It was operating a domestic flight to Holguin, a popular tourist destination with pristine beaches, in eastern Cuba. It crashed at 12:08 p.m. (1608 GMT).
Blackened wreckage of Flight CU972 was strewn over the crash site, 20 km (12 miles) south of Havana, the report said.
Five of the passengers and the crew were foreign nationals, two Argentine citizens and an unspecified number of Mexicans were among the dead. This was confirmed by Argentine and Mexican governments.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in broadcast that a high number of people appeared to have been killed. “There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising, it seems that there is a high number of victims,” Diaz-Canel said after his visit to the crash site.
He said the fire from the crash had been extinguished and authorities were identifying the bodies of the victims. Authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. He said nine crew members were believed to have been on board, in addition to the passengers.
The 58-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel, who succeeded Raul Castro as the island’s leader last month, appeared aghast as he surveyed the recovery efforts. He was seen wearing a short sleeved green shirt and surrounded by officials.
Cuban government declared two days of official mourning period. The national flag would be flown at half-mast outside state and military institutions.
Former Cuban president Raul Castro, 86, the head of country’s ruling Communist Party, offered his condolences to the families of the victims. Currently he is recovering from a hernia operation. This was the first time Cuba reported on Castro’s health condition, who handed over the reins of power to his right-hand man Miguel Diaz Canel last month.
State television said the airliner was operated by a foreign crew. European airline Blue Panorama had been leasing a 737-400 plane to Cubana de Aviacion for several months.
In July 1997, Cuba witnessed major airline crash when an Antonov-24 passenger plane fell into the sea off Santiago de Cuba, killing all 44 on aboard. A small Antonov-2 plane was crashed while flying domestic, killing 16 people on board in March 2002.
Latest world news
World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty
Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.
Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.
The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.
It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.
The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.
The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.
The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.
The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,” and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”
Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.
The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.
Latest world news
Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods
Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.
Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.
The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.
Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.
In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.
This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.
After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.
Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.
A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.
Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.
According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.
There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.
Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.
Latest world news
Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral
The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.
1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.
The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.
Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.
One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.
Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas.
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