Headline

255 Killed In Afghanistan Earthquake

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2022

A powerful earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 255 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings.

The 5.9 magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged terrain of the east, where people already lived hardscrabble lives in a country in the grip of a humanitarian disaster made worse by the Taliban takeover in August.

“According to the information, the number of earthquake victims so far in the provinces of Paktika and Khost has reached 255 dead and 500 injured,” tweeted, government spokesman, Mohammad Naeem.

Earlier, another spokesman told newsmen that many houses were damaged and people were still trapped inside.

Yaqub Manzor, a tribal leader from Paktika province, said survivors were mobilising to help those affected.

“The local markets are closed and all the people have rushed to the affected areas,” he told reporters by telephone.

Photographs and video clips posted on social media showed badly damaged mud houses in remote rural areas.

Some footage showed local residents loading victims into a military helicopter.

Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan’s emergency response teams were stretched to deal with the natural disasters that frequently struck the country.

But with only a handful of airworthy planes and helicopters, an immediate response is often limited.

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

Scores of people were killed and injured in January when two quakes struck rural areas in the western province of Badghis, damaging hundreds of buildings.

In 2015, more than 380 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake ripped across the two countries, with the bulk of the deaths in Pakistan.

The latest earthquake comes at a time when Afghanistan is battling a severe humanitarian disaster, worsened by the Taliban takeover of the country.

Aid agencies and the United Nations say Afghanistan needs billions of dollars this year to tackle the crisis.

Aid agencies have particularly stressed the need for greater disaster preparedness in Afghanistan, which remains extremely susceptible to recurring earthquakes, floods, and landslides.

AFP

Headline

10 Killed As two Military Helicopters Collide

Published

7 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

Photo: file copy

Two Malaysian military helicopters collided and crashed during a training session on Tuesday, killing all 10 crew onboard, the country’s rescue agency said.

“The two helicopters collided during flight training. All 10 victims on board have been confirmed dead by the medical officers,” Suhaimy Mohamad Suhail, senior operations commander from the fire and rescue department said.

Footage shared online showed several helicopters flying low in a formation over the Lumut naval stadium in a flypast rehearsal ahead of the navy fleet’s open day celebrations in May.

One of the choppers was seen clipping the rear rotor of another helicopter, causing both to go into a tailspin and crash.

The two helicopters involved were a Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec and an AgustaWestland AW139, the rescue agency said.

Photos showed the Eurocopter model heavily mangled in the wreckage on the naval base stadium track with rescue personnel surrounding it as well as various debris.

The AgustaWestland helicopter crashed at the naval base’s swimming pool area.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying “the nation mourns the heart-wrenching and soul-wrenching tragedy”.

“I was informed that an immediate investigation will be carried out by the Ministry of Defense, especially TLDM (Royal Malaysian Navy), to find the cause of the crash,” he said.

Incidents involving helicopters are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian nation.

Last month, a Malaysian coast guard helicopter crashed in the Strait of Malacca with no fatalities.

In 2016, a deputy minister was among those who died after a Eurocopter AS350 crashed in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

AFP

Headline

Israeli Drone Shot Down Over Lebanon – IDF

Published

10 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Editor

The Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, on Monday said an Israeli drone was shot down over Lebanon on Sunday night.

Writing on Telegram, the IDF said a surface-to-air missile was launched at the drone that was operating in Lebanese airspace, adding that the drone was hit and had landed in Lebanon.

It added that fighter jets struck the missile launch site.

Fighting broke out with Lebanon on Sunday, with the Israeli army announcing that two shells had been fired in the direction of the village of Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel on the Mediterranean Sea.

The Israeli Army attacked the locations from which the shots were fired and fighter jets had also attacked terror infrastructure north-east of Nabatieh, it said.

Previously, fighter jets had also fired on targets belonging to the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Both Hezbollah and the military arm of Palestinian militant organisation Hamas claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel on Sunday.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war in October, deaths and injuries have resulted from daily firing on the border between Lebanon and Israel.

Headline

VIDEO: First Female Transgender Mosque Opens In Bangladesh

Published

23 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Editor

The world’s first female transgender mosque has reportedly opened in Bangladesh.

In the video shared by DW, some of the worshippers who transitioned from being males to females were seen observing the Muslim prayers.

It was further gathered that the land where the mosque was built, was donated by the government. The transgender Muslims expressed excitement over the development, adding that they are happy they will live and be buried like every other person.

Watch the video below…