health: Lincoln Tribune

السبت، 18 فبراير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Sri Lanka police fire tear gas during fuel price protest
Small plane crash in northern Brazil kills 4
Rescue helicopter crashes while responding to accident in Wyoming
Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche in Austria, in critical condition
REPORT: DUTCH PRINCE JOHAN FRISO BURIED BY AVALANCHE IN AUSTRIA

Sri Lanka police fire tear gas during fuel price protest

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 12:43 AM PST

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (BNO NEWS) -- Police fired tear gas and used water cannons on Friday to disperse a protest against fuel prices and the rising cost of living in Sri Lanka's capital of Colombo, local media reported on Saturday.

Thousands of people joined the protest which was organized by opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe and members of his United National Party (UNP) outside Colombo's main railway station. Police used tear gas and water cannons after barricading the road to disperse protesters who were trying to march towards the president's residence.

Protesters pelted stones at police officers in retaliation of the tear gas and water cannons and sat on the main road, the Colombo Page reported. Police closed the main road, affecting thousands of rush hour commuters.

Friday's protest came after one demonstrator was killed on Wednesday when police officers opened fire on fishermen who were protesting against fuel prices in the town of Chilaw in northwestern Sri Lanka. Thousands of fishermen in the region have been staging protests since the Sri Lanka government increased fuel prices on Saturday evening.

The government raised diesel prices by 35 percent and kerosene prices by 49 percent, both fuels used by the fishermen. Private bus owners also launched a strike but it was settled when the government allowed them to increase bus fares by 20 percent.

The government has pledged to spend 2 billion rupees ($17 million) a month to provide fuel subsidies to affected sectors such as the bus and rail service and fisheries. The government says the petroleum authority is losing billions of rupees from subsidizing fuel and the government has to follow global market trends.

Small plane crash in northern Brazil kills 4

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 12:37 AM PST

CAMETA, BRAZIL (BNO NEWS) -- Four people were killed on Thursday when a small plane crashed in northern Brazil, officials said on Friday. There were no survivors.

The accident happened at around 8:30 a.m. local time when the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron aircraft, operated by Norte Jet Táxi Aéreo, caught fire and crashed in the city of Cameta, located in the state of Pará in the country's northern region. All four people on board were killed.

Among those killed was a pilot, identified only as Eduardo, as well as the co-pilot and two security guards. The aircraft, which was contracted to transport valuables for security company Prosegur, was heading to the city of Belém when it suddenly experienced a malfunction and caught fire in mid-air. It soon crashed about 300 meters (984 feet) from the runway.

Prosegur expressed regret following the accident and assured it is providing the necessary assistance to the families of its employees involved in the accident. The Norte Jet company, meanwhile, said it has deployed personnel to the scene of the accident to assist in the investigation.

Thursday's accident is the second twin-engine aircraft accident in Pará in less than two weeks. On February 8, an F90 King Air aircraft crashed in Baía do Guajara, near the Belém Air Base, as it was preparing to land. The pilot and four passengers survived without suffering from serious injuries.

In October 2011, four people were killed when a Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft crashed into a farm in Maraba Paulista, a municipality in the southern state of Sao Paulo. Police said the aircraft exploded upon impact but caused no casualties on the ground.

In July 2007, nearly 200 people were killed when TAM Airlines Flight 3054 crashed upon landing in Sao Paulo. It remains the deadliest ever aviation accident in Latin America history.

Rescue helicopter crashes while responding to accident in Wyoming

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:29 PM PST

JACKSON, WYOMING (BNO NEWS) -- One emergency worker was killed on Thursday afternoon when a rescue helicopter crashed while responding to a snowmobile accident in Wyoming, local authorities confirmed on Friday. Two others were injured.

The accident took place at Wyoming's Togwotee Mountain, located about 6.7 miles (10.7 kilometers) south of the Togwotee Mountain Lodge, after Teton County Dispatch received a call at 11:48 a.m. local time. The call reported a snowmobile accident on the mountain.

A Teton County Search and Rescue helicopter crewed by a pilot and two Search and Rescue members was dispatched at 12:24 p.m. local time and landed at the scene of the accident shortly after. 53-year-old Steven Anderson, of Morris, Minnesota, was killed as a result of the snowmobile accident while his family and friends were unharmed.

After confirming Anderson had died, the helicopter left the scene in order to return later with additional personnel. But the aircraft began experiencing difficulty and disappeared from the sight of witnesses after going over a ridge, officials said.

Radio contact with the helicopter was lost for approximately 45 minutes, but the crew later re-established contact and informed Teton County Dispatch of their situation and position. 63-year-old Ray Shriver, a member of the Teton County Search and Rescue (SAR) team, was killed in the accident.

"Our team and the Teton County community has suffered a tragic loss," the county's SAR said in a statement. "Ray Shriver was a thoughtful and patient teacher, committed to the highest standards of training and rescue, a gifted dog handler, a loyal team member and completely dedicated to this community, our dear friend and family member."

The causes of both crashes are under investigation.

Dutch Prince Friso buried by avalanche in Austria, in critical condition

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST

AMSTERDAM (BNO NEWS) -- Dutch Prince Johan Friso was critically injured on late Friday afternoon when he was buried by an avalanche in western Austria, the Dutch government said. He was skiing with other members of the royal family.

Officials said the prince, 43, was skiing in the town of Lech when he was hit by an avalanche and buried under the snow for about 15 minutes before he was rescued and resuscitated at the scene. Other members of the royal family were not injured.

"Prince Friso has been hospitalized at the intensive care unit of the hospital in Innsbruck," the Dutch government said in a brief statement. "Doctors treating the prince describe his condition as stable but not out of life danger."