After an iconic landmark was destroyed, Toronto Island residents are coming together to rebuild
A group of Toronto Island residents are coming together to rebuild The Ward's Island Association Clubhouse after it burned down in a devastating fire in March 2024. CBC's Talia Ricci spoke to volunteers about how they are bringing the site back to life.
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Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Teacher in Nigeria loses dozens of relatives and pupils in devastating floods
MOKWA, Nigeria (AP) — On May 29, Mallam Hassan Umar stood waist-deep and barefoot in muddy water, his eyes on the remnants of his Arabic school, now reduced to sludge and shattered wood by devastating floods. The Islamic teacher, clutching only the threadbare clothes he escaped with, started shouting the names of the pupils he housed and might never see again. Some pupils tried to escape with him through the back of the house, which also doubled as the school. But that attempt quickly turned perilous. The tightly packed layout of the neighborhood, combined with the absence of a proper drainage system, made the floodwater quickly rise and surge through the maze of homes with violent force, leaving no clear path to safety. In the chaos, he could only watch helplessly as the water overwhelmed some of the children, sweeping them away. A community in mourning Mokwa, nearly 380 kilometers (236 miles) west of Abuja, Nigeria's capital, and a major trading and transportation hub where northern farmers and southern traders meet, has become a scene of mass mourning after torrents of rainfall early last Thursday unleashed devastating flooding. Officially, the fatality count from the sudden and intense flood that built rapidly within five hours has crossed 200. Locals say the actual number could be far higher, with more than a thousand still missing. Many were Almajiri, the poor boys sent far from their families to study the Quran under the care of Islamic teachers, living in packed, informal schools and often a common sight in northern Nigerian urban centers where they roam the streets for alms and food. 'I lost my brother while he tried to save the children' Haruna Yusuf lost 14 relatives — apart from 12 Almajiri children he helped his father teach — to the flood. Clutching a rosary, he prayed for them. Among his deceased relatives was his brother Islamila, who had managed to swim against the flood tide. Seeing others drown, he decided to go back. 'He did not make it out again,' Yusuf said of his brother. 'He was consumed by the water, while trying to save others.' 'In our house and school, we are still searching for 12 Almajiri pupils and 14 family members, including my brother, my uncle, and his pregnant wife and their three children,' he said. Children still risk their lives to learn In the Rabba community, near Mokwa, the collapse of a key bridge due to the flood has cut off access to two schools. Pupils of Rabba Nursery and Primary School, like Salamatu Salihu and Hussaina Aliyu, must wait for a canoe to ferry them across a flood-swollen river. Often, the boats don't come. When they do, the children arrive at school drenched, late, and frightened. Hussaina, 11, raised a red flag over safety. 'No life jackets,' she said. 'Some days, we wait long for paddlers who may not come. I'm scared, but I still try to go.' A teacher, Fatiman Alhassan, said that attendance has plummeted since the bridge collapsed. 'Children arrive at 9 a.m., already behind in lessons. Many miss class altogether,' she said. Man lost six family members Abdulmueen Abdullahi, lost six family members, including his mother, elder brother and four other siblings. He was not at home those 'terrible early hours of Thursday,' when his surviving sister called him. 'I met all our properties and my six family members washed away,' Abdullahi said, breaking down mid-interview, gripping a reporter's hand. Isaac Koni stared quietly at the space where his photo lab once stood. Three days before the flood, his lab was redesigned and stocked with new photo material and equipment ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebration. Koni's 12 staffers all survived, but his 30 million Naira ($19,000) investment was lost. While the government has turned a local school into a camp for the displaced, the shelter is virtually empty. It was slow to be ready, and most of the survivors had already started taking shelter in the remains of their destroyed homes or moved in with relatives. The government started distributing relief materials, including food items, on Monday. UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene specialist in Nigeria, Theresa Pamma, said the agency is on the ground to help survivors access basic healthcare and prevent disease outbreaks. Mokwa is the latest in a series of communities across Nigeria devastated by seasonal flooding, worsened each year by climate change, poor drainage, and a lack of disaster preparedness. ___ Adebayo reported from Abuja, Nigeria. ___ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gretna community ‘devastated,' by loss of beloved restaurant to fire
GRETNA, Va. (WFXR) — The Town of Gretna is still gathering its thoughts after a Tuesday morning fire left Jack's Quick Snack heavily damaged. 'It's a shock to the system but it's devastating to my life,' said owner Shirley Shelton, who opened the restaurant in 1972 with her husband, Jack, whom the restaurant is named for. She was inside the building when the fire started and said an employee alerted her to the flames. 'As she walked through the door she yelled, 'Shirley, it's a fire,' and I jumped up and ran,' she recalled. Shelton said she thought the fire started on the grill, but the Pittsylvania County Director of Public Safety told WFXR Wednesday that a cause for the fire has not yet been determined. Nearly a dozen fire crews from the surrounding areas were on scene to battle the fire, which Gretna Fire and Rescue deputy fire chief Ryan Crews said was already pretty advanced when they arrived on scene. 'When we arrived on scene, there was heavy smoke showing from the roof line all the way across,' he said, before calling the structure, 'pretty much a total loss.' Crews did confirm that everyone inside made it out safely and no injuries were reported. Fire destroys Jack's Quick Snack in Pittsylvania County But the damage to the building and the blow to the Gretna community was extensive. 'It just felt like our whole town died yesterday afternoon,' said Kathryn Jefferson Cook, who has lived in the area her whole life. Cook said she was at work when the fire happened, and was shocked as she saw photos trickle in through Facebook. 'My heart just sank and by the end of the day I was close to being sick on my stomach,' she said. Cook was just two years old when the restaurant opened, and recalled stopping by to drink milkshakes and catch up with friends after Friday night football games as a kid. As an adult, she would frequent the spot during lunch breaks and would often take her kids by after practices. 'It's so sad to look at it and think back to everything that had collected and gone on there and now it's just gone,' she said. Shelton told WFXR that she had listed the restaurant for sale last week, in hopes a new buyer would continue its legacy for years to come. The community said it hopes that happens, but the future is much less certain now. The Pittsylvania County Fire Marshal is continuing to investigate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Air quality alert in effect for Chicago area due to Canadian wildfires
As wildfires continue to rage in western Canada, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its first alert of the year for the Chicago area. The EPA is warning wildfire smoke will cause particle pollution on Thursday. This can bring potential health hazards to anyone with respiratory or pulmonary disorders. The air quality index is at 154 in the orange category. For reference, "good" air quality in the green category is an index of 0 to 50. In Illinois, an alert is prompted only when air quality is forecasted to be at or above the orange category for two or more consecutive days. The action day includes Cook County, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. The Canadian fires began in mid-May. Officials declared a state of emergency in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where crews and military forces were battling this week to try to contain dozens of out-of-control fires. There have been dozens of active fires and over 33,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. So far, two people have died.
