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Guatemala Volcano explosion kills 75, leaves 192 missing

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Guatemala Volcano explosion kills 75, leaves 192 missing

Toll may rise while rescue workers extract bodies

At least 192 people are missing and over 75 are dead after the Fuego volcano in Guatemala suddenly erupted Sunday, Sergio Cabañas, the executive secretary of Guatemala’s National Coordination for Disaster Reduction said on Wednesday.

Towns and villages were engulfed by thick, heavy ash while hot gases, rock and ash raced down the volcano, killing dozens, erasing hillside communities, blocking roads and leaving behind steaming debris that rescuers had trouble navigating.

According to reports from various sources more than 1.7 million people have been affected by the Sunday’s eruption while more than 3000 people were evacuated from the affected areas.

On Tuesday, the residents and rescuers were shocked to see sudden explosion after volcanologists said the eruption which had sent ash up to 10 km in the sky on Sunday was over for the near future. Guatemala’s National Institute of Seismology had predicted of “no imminent eruption over the next few days”.

The fresh flows of ash, gas and rock spewing from the volcano, as well as seismic events have put the areas of El Jute and Las Lajas in danger. The disaster agency said, “This new flow will produce a curtain of ash” and will “principally disperse to the west and northwest following the direction of the wind,” the agency said.

Sergei Cabanas, the chief of Guatemala’s disaster Relief Agency, said that no evacuation alert was issued before the volcano erupted on Sunday. He also said that local residents had received training in emergency procedures but they were not able to implement them as the initial volcano activity happened too fast.

The volcano eruption generated pyroclastic flows- fast moving mixtures of very hot gas and volcanic matter- descending down the slopes, engulfing people in El rodeo and San Miguel Los Lotes.

Volcanologist Dr Janine Kripper told BBC that people should not underestimate the risk from pyroclastic flows and volcanic mudflows, known as lahars. He said, “They are extremely dangerous and deadly as well.”

The witnesses only realized how fast it is travelling as the flow is almost upon them. The speed lava, gas, smoke and dust travel depends on several factors, such as output rate of the volcano and the gradient of its slope. In some cases it reaches speed of 700 km/h, close to the speed of a commercial passenger aircraft.

Moreover, the gas and rock within a flow are heated to extreme temperatures, ranging between 200C and 700C. Victims directly on its path have little chance of escape.

Guatemala Volcano explosion kills 75, leaves 192 missing

On Tuesday, the people in the affected areas were coming to terms with a gut-wrenching scenario. Most of them lost nears and dears including parents, spouses, children, brothers, and sisters.

Many of them were seen asking rescuers to give them a chance to identify the dead bodies before declaring them unidentified.

The dangers were compounded by heavy rain that could mix with ash to form acid rain or spawn mudslides or floods.

Dazed residents were seen conducting funerals for the dead while recovery workers brace for the likelihood of finding more bodies when they reach hillside areas overrun by the volcanic flow.

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US reiterates its call for fair, transparent, legal process for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, speaks on Congress frozen accounts

The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections.

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A day after India summoned an US diplomat over their remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, the US reiterated its call for fair, transparent, timely legal processes on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on India summoning Gloria Berbena, the US Acting Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that they will continue to follow these actions closely, including the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Notably, the meeting at the foreign ministry’s South Block office lasted nearly 40 minutes yesterday with India objecting strongly to the US remarks on the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal.

Matthew Miller also responded to a question on the Congress party’s frozen bank accounts. The US spokesperson said that they are also aware of the Congress party’s allegations that tax authorities have frozen some of their bank accounts in a manner that will make it challenging to effectively campaign in the upcoming elections. He added that the US encourages fair, transparent and timely legal processes for each of the issues.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested last week by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the Delhi liquor policy scam. Earlier, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh were arrested in the same case.

The External Affairs Ministry had earlier stated that states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies, adding that it could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents.

The Ministry further emphasized that India’s legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. It mentioned that casting aspersions on India’s legal procedure is unwarranted.

The United State’s remarks followed days after Germany’s Foreign Office stressed that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial. The Indian government labelled their remark as blatant interference in internal matters.

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5 Chinese nationals killed in suicide bomb attack in Pakistan

This is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

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Nearly five Chinese nationals were killed in an explosion during an attack on their convoy by a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a convoy of Chinese engineers travelling from Islamabad to their camp in Dasu, situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Regional police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur said that five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack. As yet, none has claimed responsibility for the attack. Bisham Station House Officer (SHO) Bakht Zahir asserted that the incident was a suicide blast and the authorities concerned were collecting the evidence.

The Station House Officer further added that security arrangements were tightened at the spot and the bodies were being shifted to a hospital. He added that they will investigate from where and how the vehicle of a suicide bomber came and how it happened. Notably, this is the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan within a week.

Previously, two attacks hit an airbase and a strategic port in the southwest province of Balochistan where China is investing billions in infrastructure projects. Several Chinese engineers and Pakistani construction workers have for multiple years been working on hydroelectric projects as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the western province of Khyber-Paktunkhwa.

Notably, Dasu is home to a significant dam project, has been a target of previous attacks. Earlier in 2021, the attack in Dasu resulted in the deaths of nine Chinese nationals, along with two Pakistani children. The incident occured when a bus carrying Chinese engineers and workers to the Dasu Hydropower Project site was targeted.

There was confusion surrounding the nature of the attack initially, with some reports suggesting it was a bus accident. Nonetheless, subsequent investigations revealed that it was indeed a terrorist attack. The bus was hit by a blast, leading it to plunge into a ravine.

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US bridge collapses after being hit by ship

The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

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Major portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US collapsed on early Tuesday morning after it was hit by a large container ship. The incident occurred at nearly 1.30 am (US local time). The Baltimore City Fire department said the collapse is a mass casualty incident.

According to reports many vehicles fell into the river below. The rescuers were searching for at least 7 people in the water. Some reports said upto 20 construction workers were there on the Baltimore Bridge at the time of the incident. A video of the incident which was widely shared on social media showed the moment the 3 km long bridge collapsed.

It seems the vessel had hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in many places and plunge into the water. The ship caught fire and appeared to sink. Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the registered owner of the ship, and the manager, Synergy Marine Group, said it is a Singapore flagged ship Dali which collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined; the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual Incident response service. It added that all crew members, including the 2 pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries.

The local traffic police said all lanes on both directions of the bridge have been closed and the traffic is being de-toured. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the bridge. The bridge was opened in 1977, spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. It is named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner.  

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