health: Lincoln Tribune

الأحد، 30 أكتوبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Strong earthquake strikes off northeastern Taiwan, no damage
Three killed, millions without power as snowstorm hits U.S. northeast
Afghan police officers sentenced to death for killing civilians
US Airways employee found dead at Mexico City hotel
Gas explosion at central China coal mine kills 2, leaves 28 missing

Strong earthquake strikes off northeastern Taiwan, no damage

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 11:21 PM PDT

KEELUNG, TAIWAN (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck the ocean off northeastern Taiwan on early Sunday afternoon, seismologists said, but no damage or casualties were reported. No tsunami warning was issued.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake at 12.23 p.m. local time (0323 GMT) was centered about 141 kilometers (87 miles) east of Keelung City, a major port city in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It struck about 221 kilometers (137 miles) deep, making it a deep earthquake, according to the country's Central Weather Bureau.

The Central Weather Bureau said light shaking could be felt along some coastal areas, mostly in Hualien County. However, no damage or casualties were reported and none were expected due to the depth of the earthquake and its distance from any land.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.5 on the moment magnitude scale (MMS), estimated some 9.6 million people may have felt very weak shaking.

Taiwan is frequently rattled by moderate and strong earthquakes. On April 26, 2010, a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Taiwan, injuring 96 people and damaging at least 340 buildings throughout the island.

And on September 21, 1999, a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan, killing at least 2,297 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The quake, the second-deadliest earthquake in the island's history, also left some 600,000 people homeless.

The only earthquake more deadly than the earthquake in 1999 was a powerful earthquake that struck western Taiwan on April 21, 1935. It left at least 3,276 people killed and injured more than 12,000 others. Railways were left destroyed, iron bridges were fractured and tunnels cracked.

Three killed, millions without power as snowstorm hits U.S. northeast

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 09:34 PM PDT

NEW YORK (BNO News) -- At least three people were killed when a rare October snowstorm slammed the U.S. northeast on Saturday, leaving some 2.5 million people without power, officials said.

The most severe snowfall was reported in Massachusetts where the National Weather Service (NWS) recorded as much as 23.0 inches (58.4 centimeters) of snow since early Friday morning. Heavy snowfall was also seen in New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and several other states.

As of early Sunday morning, utilities across Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia reported about 2.5 million customers being without power. Officials warned the number could rise as the weather is expected to continue into Sunday.

At least three people were believed to have been killed as a result of the severe weather. In southeastern Pennsylvania, an 84-year-old Springfield man was killed when he got out of his car and touched a wooden guard rail which was electrified by downed power lines, WWLP-TV reported.

In Massachusetts, a 20-year-old man was killed in Springfield when he was electrocuted by a downed power line. And in Colchester, Connecticut, one person was killed in a traffic accident blamed on a slippery road.

The extreme early season winter storm prompted the governors of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut to declare a state of emergency in the hardest hit counties.

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in thirteen counties. "With serious snowfall and wind sweeping through parts of New York, the state of emergency declaration will help deploy state resources to communities that have been hit the hardest by this storm," he said. "We are communicating with local governments to coordinate our response efforts and we will mobilize resources as needed to areas experiencing the most severe conditions. I urge New Yorkers to have safety as their top priority and avoid driving on icy roads or during heavy snowfall."

In New Jersey, where the storm has been blamed for more than 60 accidents, Governor Chris Christie declared a statewide state of emergency and urged New Jerseyans to stay off of the roadways until conditions improve.

"As we move through the worst part of this storm, I am urging all New Jerseyans to avoid unnecessary risks in severe weather like this and stay off the roadways tonight, while also issuing a state of emergency to marshal all resources of government to effectively respond," Christie said. "With this declaration, we are taking immediate steps to ensure that state, local and county governments have every tool at their disposal to manage and respond to conditions on the ground, emergency operations plans are activated, and that every part of government is positioned to assist and protect the public through this storm."

In Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy also declared a state of emergency and called on people to stay inside. He also signed an order banning non-emergency vehicles on the Wilbur Cross and Merritt Parkways due to dangerous driving conditions.

"The storm is causing treacherous driving conditions down along the Merritt Parkway particularly, as well as on roadways across the state," Malloy said. "I am urging residents to stay off the roads and let [Department of Transportation (DOT)] crews get out there and get the streets clear. On the Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways no one should be on the roads except emergency crews. People should stay inside at this point, we are seeing heavy snow start to impact power as well as driving."

Afghan police officers sentenced to death for killing civilians

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT

KANDAHAR (BNO NEWS) -- Two Afghan police officers were sentenced to death on Saturday for killing six civilians accused of planting roadside bombs in southern Afghanistan, the provincial government said.

The two Afghan Border Police officers, who were assigned to the Spin Buldak District, were sentenced to death by a Kandahar Appeal Court in front of a public crowd. Four others were sentenced to 3, 13, 20 and 20 years for their alleged involvement in the killings.

The two police officers who were sentenced to death are brothers and were previously charged with the killings of six local civilians who the Afghan Border Police were accusing of supporting insurgents and planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the area.

"The decisions were announced by [the] head of the Kandahar Appeal Court after all evidence and documents were shown to the assigned prosecutor and defense attorney this morning," a spokesperson for the provincial government said, adding that the detainees will "face their punishment very soon."

The spokesperson added: "Law is equal to everybody and everybody is the same to law."

According to Amnesty International, no executions were reported in Afghanistan in both 2009 and 2010. However, the human rights organization said at least 100 people were sentenced to death in 2010 and had their sentences confirmed by the Supreme Court.

US Airways employee found dead at Mexico City hotel

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 05:35 PM PDT

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- A US Airways flight attendant was found dead in his hotel room in Mexico City on early Saturday morning, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) confirmed. One report claimed he was strangled.

AFA said Phoenix flight attendant Nick Aaronson was found dead in his hotel room in Mexico City, but provided few other details. "Preliminary findings do not indicate a safety breach at the hotel. Therefore, we do not believe our crew members are at risk," AFA said in an e-mail to members.

However, the union said layover crews will be temporarily relocated to an alternative location in Mexico City until more details are available. "While an investigation is underway, our priority at this time is to provide support for Nick's family and our crewmembers," AFA said.

According to the NoticiasMexico news portal, however, Aaronson was found dead at the five-star Hilton Mexico City Reforma hotel just after 6 a.m. local time. The report said hotel staff found him naked, lying face down beside the bed with his hands tied behind his back.

The news portal added that Aaronson was believed to have died from suffocation by being strangled with a belt which was found around his neck. It said his luggage was found scattered across the floor between the bed and the door to the hallway.

Gas explosion at central China coal mine kills 2, leaves 28 missing

Posted: 29 Oct 2011 04:42 PM PDT

CHANGSHA, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- At least two workers were killed on Saturday evening and dozens more remain trapped after a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in central China, officials said on Sunday.

The accident happened at around 6.08 p.m. local time at the Xialiuchong Coal Mine in Hengyang, the second largest city in the country's Hunan Province. A total of 35 mine workers were working underground when the explosion happened.

Officials from China's State Administration of Work Safety said five miners were rescued from the mine and taken to a local hospital where they are being treated for non life-threatening injuries. Two others were found dead.

A total of 28 people remained missing as of Sunday morning, according to the Administration. It said search and rescue efforts continued throughout the night and were continuing on Sunday morning.

On October 17, thirteen people were killed when a gas explosion ripped through a coal mine in Dashu Township of Fengjie County, which is located in China's Chongqing Municipality.

Safety conditions at mines in China have significantly improved in recent years but they remain among the world's most dangerous with 1,083 fatalities in the first seven months of 2011 alone. There were 2,433 fatalities in 2010 and 2,631 in 2009.

China in recent years shut down scores of small mines to improve safety and efficiency in the mining industry. The country has also ordered all mines to build emergency shelter systems by June 2013 which are to be equipped with machines to produce oxygen and air conditioning, protective walls and airtight doors to protect workers against toxic gases and other hazardous factors.

The first manned test of such a permanent underground chamber was carried out in August when around 100 people - including managers, engineers, miners, medical staff, and the chamber's developers - took part in a 48-hour test at a mine owned by the China National Coal Group in the city of Shuozhou in northern China's Shanxi Province.

One of the worst mining accidents in China in recent years happened in November 2009 when 104 workers were killed after several explosions at a coal mine in Heilongjiang province.

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الأحد، 30 أكتوبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

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