Plane with 49 people crashes in Russia's Far East
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said that they had found the plane's burning fuselage on a hillside south of its planned destination in the town of Tynda.
Images of the reported crash site circulated by Russian state media show debris scattered among dense forest, surrounded by plumes of smoke.
An initial aerial inspection of the site suggested that there were no survivors, Russia's Interfax news agency said, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services. Its sources also said that there were difficult weather conditions in the area.
The transport prosecutor's office in the Far East reported that the site of the crash was 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Tynda. The office said in an online statement that the plane attempted a second approach while trying to land when contact with it was lost.
Forty-three passengers, including five children, as well as six crew members were on board the An-24 passenger plane as it traveled from the city of Blagoveshchensk on the Russian-Chinese border to the town of Tynda, regional Gov. Vasily Orlov said.
Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry reported that 48 people were on board the flight, which was operated by Siberia-based Angara Airlines. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.
The authorities have launched a probe on the charge of flight safety violations that resulted in multiple deaths, a standard procedure in aviation accidents.
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The Mainichi
16 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Why not enough food is reaching people in Gaza even after Israel eased its blockade
(AP) -- International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths have pressured Israel to let more aid into the Gaza Strip. This week, Israel paused fighting in parts of Gaza and airdropped food. But aid groups and Palestinians say the changes have only been incremental and are not enough to reverse what food experts say is a " worst-case scenario of famine" unfolding in the war-ravaged territory. The new measures have brought an uptick in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. But almost none of it reaches U.N. warehouses for distribution. Instead, nearly all the trucks are stripped of their cargo by crowds that overwhelm them on the roads as they drive from the borders. The crowds are a mix of Palestinians desperate for food and gangs armed with knives, axes or pistols who loot the goods to then hoard or sell. Many have also been killed trying to grab the aid. Witnesses say Israeli troops often open fire on crowds around the aid trucks, and hospitals have reported hundreds killed or wounded. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots to control crowds or at people who approach its forces. The alternative food distribution system run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has also been marred by violence. International airdrops of aid have resumed. But aid groups say airdrops deliver only a fraction of what trucks can supply. Also, many parcels have landed in now-inaccessible areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate, while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour. Here's a look at why the aid isn't being distributed: A lack of trust The U.N. says that longstanding restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment, and that while a pause in fighting might allow more aid in, Palestinians are not confident aid will reach them. "This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people as they continue to face deep levels of hunger and are struggling to feed their families," said Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. "The only way to reach a level of confidence is by having a sustained flow of aid over a period of time," she said. Israel blocked food entirely from entering Gaza for 2 1/2 months starting in March. Since it eased the blockade in late May, it allowed in a trickle of aid trucks for the U.N., about 70 a day on average, according to official Israeli figures. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that U.N. agencies say are needed -- the amount that entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. Much of the aid is stacked up just inside the border in Gaza because U.N. trucks could not pick it up. The U.N says that was because of Israeli military restrictions on its movements and because of the lawlessness in Gaza. Israel has argued that it is allowing sufficient quantities of goods into Gaza and tried to shift the blame to the U.N. "More consistent collection and distribution by U.N. agencies and international organizations = more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza," the Israeli military agency in charge of aid coordination, COGAT, said in a statement this week. With the new measures this week, COGAT, says 220-270 truckloads a day were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, and that the U.N. was able to pick up more trucks, reducing some of the backlog at the border. Aid missions still face 'constraints' Cherevko said there have been "minor improvements" in approvals by the Israeli military for its movements and some "reduced waiting times" for trucks along the road. But she said the aid missions are "still facing constraints." Delays of military approval still mean trucks remain idle for long periods, and the military still restricts the routes that the trucks can take onto a single road, which makes it easy for people to know where the trucks are going, U.N officials say. Antoine Renard, who directs the World Food Program's operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, said Wednesday that it took nearly 12 hours to bring in 52 trucks on a 10-kilometer (6 mile) route. "While we're doing everything that we can to actually respond to the current wave of starvation in Gaza, the conditions that we have are not sufficient to actually make sure that we can break that wave," he said. Aid workers say the changes Israel has made in recent days are largely cosmetic. "These are theatrics, token gestures dressed up as progress," said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead for Israel and the Palestinian territories. "Of course, a handful of trucks, a few hours of tactical pauses and raining energy bars from the sky is not going to fix irreversible harm done to an entire generation of children that have been starved and malnourished for months now," she said. Breakdown of law and order As desperation mounts, Palestinians are risking their lives to get food, and violence is increasing, say aid workers. Muhammad Shehada, a political analyst from Gaza who is a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said aid retrieval has turned into the survival of the fittest. "It's a Darwin dystopia, the strongest survive," he said. A truck driver said Wednesday that he has driven food supplies four times from the Zikim crossing on Gaza's northern border. Every time, he said, crowds a kilometer long (0.6 miles) surrounded his truck and took everything on it after he passed the checkpoint at the edge of the Israeli military-controlled border zones. He said some were desperate people, while others were armed. He said that on Tuesday, for the first time, some in the crowd threatened him with knives or small arms. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. Ali al-Derbashi, another truck driver, said that during one trip in July armed men shot the tires, stole everything, including the diesel and batteries and beat him. "If people weren't starving, they wouldn't resort to this," he said. Israel has said it has offered the U.N. armed escorts. The U.N. has refused, saying it can't be seen to be working with a party to the conflict -- and pointing to the reported shootings when Israeli troops are present. Uncertainty and humiliation Israel hasn't given a timeline for how long the measures it implemented this week will continue, heightening uncertainty and urgency among Palestinians to seize the aid before it ends. Palestinians say the way it's being distributed, including being dropped from the sky, is inhumane. "This approach is inappropriate for Palestinians, we are humiliated," said Rida, a displaced woman. Momen Abu Etayya said he almost drowned because his son begged him to get aid that fell into the sea during an aid drop. "I threw myself in the ocean to death just to bring him something," he said. "I was only able to bring him three biscuit packets".
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
'Over-evacuation' may have prompted traffic problems before tsunami hit Hawaii, officials say
HONOLULU (AP) -- David Sun-Miyashiro was at home on the 31st floor of a Honolulu apartment building, high above danger, when his phone alerted him to a possible tsunami from a massive earthquake far across the Pacific Ocean. With plenty of time to spare before any surging waters might possibly reach Hawaii, he did something he probably wouldn't have done in a more urgent scenario: He got in his car to go pick up his father, who would be needing a ride to the airport later. He didn't get far. Traffic in his neighborhood, Kakaako, was gridlocked. Sun-Miyashiro spent an hour going a few blocks, decided to turn around and finally abandoned his car, walking home with his preschool-age son. The tsunami from the 8.8 magnitude quake that struck off a Russian peninsula ended up causing little damage across the ocean. But Hawaii officials say the earthquake's timing -- during the afternoon rush hour -- and the several hours of warning afforded by its distance helped make for severe traffic congestion in some areas, complicating evacuation efforts that otherwise went smoothly. "It was definitely a bit of a wake-up call to me that in these very kind of dense areas with a lot of population, it works OK as long as everybody doesn't need to go into the car all at once," Sun-Miyashiro said. "If that happens, you're pretty much paralyzed in place." 'Over-evacuation' was an issue, officials say A few tourists left for higher ground rather than shelter on upper floors of hotels as called for in evacuation plans. Some residents headed to stores for supplies, and many headed home after work to gather items or meet up with family members before evacuating. Additionally, some residents may have been confused about whether they really needed to evacuate, said Molly Pierce, spokesperson for the Oahu Department of Emergency Management. There are standard tsunami evacuation zones, as well as zones for "extreme" tsunamis. Tuesday's was a standard evacuation; some residents who live in "extreme" tsunami zones may have fled as well, even though they were already in safe areas, she said. No need to hit Costco Ed Sniffen, director of the state Department of Transportation, said Wednesday he doesn't regret giving the public as much advance warning as possible. But next time, he would like to provide more education about how people should manage that time. "That additional time, everybody tried to fill it. As soon as many heard about the event coming through, they tried to leave as soon as possible," he said. "In other areas, people who were in safe zones, left those safe zones to go fill gas, went to go buy stuff from Costco or Safeway." It would have been more efficient for people to stay put if they were in a safe location, leaving the roads to those who needed to leave inundation zones, "and then make their way home in 20 minutes versus 2 1/2 hours." The state should also do a better job informing tourists that another option is simply to walk inland to higher ground, he said. State Rep. Adrian Tam, who chairs the House Tourism Committee, said he was concerned about the gridlock in Waikiki, a legendary beachfront neighborhood that's highly popular with tourists and which has only four roads in and out. He called it "a warning sign for the state and the city to look at ways to make things a little bit more organized." "I'm grateful that it wasn't as serious as it could have been," Tam said. "It does raise serious questions about how are we going to address massive gridlock." Hawaii usually has plenty of warning before tsunamis strike Hawaii does not sit near the edge of a tectonic plate, but in the middle of the Pacific Plate. The major earthquakes that strike the state typically involve the weight of the still-growing volcanic islands bending and stressing the Earth's crust and upper mantle. Rarely are those strong enough to cause a large tsunami, though a magnitude 7.2 quake in 1975 generated a tsunami that killed two campers on the Big Island. The tsunamis that reach Hawaii usually arise from far-off earthquakes around the Ring of Fire -- including in Japan, Alaska and Chile -- and provide hours of lead time for evacuations. On Tuesday, officials also took heed from the devastating wildfire in Lahaina, ensuring that a military road from Oahu's Waianae Coast to the center of the island was open. A private road on Maui -- commonly known as "Oprah's Road" because Oprah Winfrey has an easement to use it -- was also open for any evacuees who needed it. 'I didn't hear a car horn honk' Jake Bacon, a freelance photographer from Arizona, was vacationing with his family at Bellows Air Force Station, a military recreation area on Oahu, when a security officer knocked on the door of their oceanfront cabin with instructions to evacuate to a military hospital partway across the island. It took him about 90 minutes to reach the hospital in traffic, and the family eventually wound up spending the night in a Safeway parking lot, where they had access to food and a restroom. Still, he was struck by how orderly the evacuation was, especially compared to wildfire evacuations he's witnessed. "I didn't hear a car horn honk," Bacon said. "Maybe a wave coming that's not gonna be here for two hours is different than seeing the mountain on fire and knowing that it's coming and worrying that you're gonna lose everything you own," he added. "But everybody just sat patiently and moved through traffic. Everybody acted in a way that just seemed, you know, how you would want it to be."
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Passengers Flee Smoking Jet on Emergency Slide after Apparent Landing Gear Problem at Denver Airport
Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver International Airport due to a possible problem with the plane's landing gear, authorities said. American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a 'possible landing gear incident' during its departure from Denver on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The problem involved an aircraft tire, the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline said in a statement. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 173 passengers and six crew members was on its way to Miami International Airport, American said. Video aired by local media showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway. Passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus. Shay Armistead, a 17-year-old from Minturn, Colorado, described a chaotic scene. After hearing a loud 'boom,' the plane 'started to violently shake and we were drifting to the left side of the runway,' Armistead told The Associated Press in an interview. Armistead and her teammates on a ski racing team were on their way from Colorado to Chile when it happened. 'I started grabbing my friend's hands, I was like 'Oh my God,' and then they slammed on the brakes, and we all like went forward and they finally brought the plane to a stop,' she said. 'It was just terrifying.' One of the passengers was taken to a hospital with a minor injury, American Airlines said in its statement. Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization, airport officials said. 'About halfway to takeoff speed, we hear a big bang and a pop,' passenger Shaun Williams told KUSA-TV. 'The pilot immediately started abort procedures for taking off. You could feel him start to hit the brakes.' Firefighters extinguished a fire on the aircraft, the Denver Fire Department said. 'All customers and crew deplaned safely, and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team,' American said. In a statement, the FAA said it's investigating. Armistead said she's thankful for everyone who helped her and the other passengers, and grateful that she's safe. 'You've just got to appreciate what you're given, and I'm so grateful that it wasn't worse,' Armistead said. ___ This story corrects the spelling of a passenger's name. She is Shay Armistead, not Armisteaz.
