All four crew members killed in South Korean navy plane crash
All four crew members aboard a South Korean navy plane have been killed after the aircraft crashed in the southeastern coastal city of Pohang, the navy has said.
The P-3C Orion turboprop plane which is used for marine patrols, took off from its base in the city at 1:43 pm and crashed due to unknown reasons, the navy said in a statement.
It said it had identified the bodies of the four crew members and was in the process of recovering them.
There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties on the ground.
The navy has set up a task force to investigate the crash and has temporarily grounded its fleet of P-3s, dubbed "submarine killers" due to their submarine fighting abilities.
An emergency office in Pohang said that rescuers and fire trucks were dispatched to the site after receiving reports from residents that an aircraft had crashed on a hill near an apartment complex and caused a fire.
Photos showed firefighters and emergency vehicles near the P-3C crash site with flames flickering as smoke engulfed nearby trees.
Local emergency services said two helicopters and 40 firefighters had been deployed to the area to fight the fire.
The South Korean navy is in the middle of plans to upgrade its aeroplane fleet to Boeing P-8A Poseidon, set to be completed by mid-2025.
The Spanish government has announced a 530-million euro plan to protect communities against extreme weather events, following the flash floods that killed 233 people in Valencia in October.
On Wednesday, Sara Aagesen, the minister for ecological transition, presented the reforms to associations that represent the victims of the disaster. They included the new mapping of flood zones and the renaturalising of riverbeds.
The deadly floods in Valencia happened as a result of a phenomenon known by the Spanish acronym DANA, which occurs when warm and cold air meet to form powerful rain clouds. The process is thought to now happen more regularly because of climate change.
"Our commitment and responsibility is not only to rebuild everything that the DANA destroyed in your municipalities, but also to improve resilience in order to have a better prepared territory," said Aagesen during her meeting with the associations.
"The minister confirmed that they are working on the enlargement of the ravines, which will allow us to sleep more peacefully," said Cristian Lesaec, president of one of the groups.
Rosa Álvarez, who is part of a different association, has called for road upgrades in potentially floodable areas.
Aagesen promised that this work would begin in 2026, according to Álvarez.
The Spanish minister also detailed a plan to renovate hydraulic infrastructure, which will see the repair of supply, sanitation and purification facilities affected by October's flooding.
Another protest is due to take place on Thursday against the Valencian government's management of the disaster.
This comes after Carlos Mazón, the president of the local government, expressed his displeasure at the victims associations' decision to meet with officials from Madrid.
Mazón had wanted to meet them first. However, the associations said they would only meet him if a veto blocking an inquiry into the Valencian parliament's handling of the catastrophe was lifted.
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4 days ago
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All four crew members killed in South Korean navy plane crash
All four crew members aboard a South Korean navy plane have been killed after the aircraft crashed in the southeastern coastal city of Pohang, the navy has said. The P-3C Orion turboprop plane which is used for marine patrols, took off from its base in the city at 1:43 pm and crashed due to unknown reasons, the navy said in a statement. It said it had identified the bodies of the four crew members and was in the process of recovering them. There were no immediate reports of civilian casualties on the ground. The navy has set up a task force to investigate the crash and has temporarily grounded its fleet of P-3s, dubbed "submarine killers" due to their submarine fighting abilities. An emergency office in Pohang said that rescuers and fire trucks were dispatched to the site after receiving reports from residents that an aircraft had crashed on a hill near an apartment complex and caused a fire. Photos showed firefighters and emergency vehicles near the P-3C crash site with flames flickering as smoke engulfed nearby trees. Local emergency services said two helicopters and 40 firefighters had been deployed to the area to fight the fire. The South Korean navy is in the middle of plans to upgrade its aeroplane fleet to Boeing P-8A Poseidon, set to be completed by mid-2025. The Spanish government has announced a 530-million euro plan to protect communities against extreme weather events, following the flash floods that killed 233 people in Valencia in October. On Wednesday, Sara Aagesen, the minister for ecological transition, presented the reforms to associations that represent the victims of the disaster. They included the new mapping of flood zones and the renaturalising of riverbeds. The deadly floods in Valencia happened as a result of a phenomenon known by the Spanish acronym DANA, which occurs when warm and cold air meet to form powerful rain clouds. The process is thought to now happen more regularly because of climate change. "Our commitment and responsibility is not only to rebuild everything that the DANA destroyed in your municipalities, but also to improve resilience in order to have a better prepared territory," said Aagesen during her meeting with the associations. "The minister confirmed that they are working on the enlargement of the ravines, which will allow us to sleep more peacefully," said Cristian Lesaec, president of one of the groups. Rosa Álvarez, who is part of a different association, has called for road upgrades in potentially floodable areas. Aagesen promised that this work would begin in 2026, according to Álvarez. The Spanish minister also detailed a plan to renovate hydraulic infrastructure, which will see the repair of supply, sanitation and purification facilities affected by October's flooding. Another protest is due to take place on Thursday against the Valencian government's management of the disaster. This comes after Carlos Mazón, the president of the local government, expressed his displeasure at the victims associations' decision to meet with officials from Madrid. Mazón had wanted to meet them first. However, the associations said they would only meet him if a veto blocking an inquiry into the Valencian parliament's handling of the catastrophe was lifted.
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When floods hit the Valencia region last October, following torrential rainfall, they were devastating and deadly. A reminder, it's said, of how dangerous climate change has become. Spain, like other countries, is having to adapt to more extreme weather. And, in the Valencia region, EU-funded innovation has spawned a new solution, right under people's feet. The concept of footpath paving has been redesigned using ceramic tiles, placed and spaced on their sides, to maximise absorption of water into the ground. Experts say it wouldn't prevent the type of disaster seen last year, with the overflow of a river system, but would improve drainage capacity and reduce flooding risks when heavy rain hits urban areas. 'This permeability is achieved through interstices that remain between plate and plate, vertically,' explains Ignacio Andrés Doménech, Director, School of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic University of Valencia. 'In this case, these paving stones, supported by layers of gravel, will allow the percolation of water, its filtration through a porous structure, that will also provide benefits in terms of improving the quality of these waters.' The footpath design was originally developed as part of an EU-funded project, coordinated by the Institute of Ceramic Technologies in Castellón. It saw demonstration paving installed in the municipality of Benicàssim. More recently, a second initiative called Drainker, also EU-supported and managed by the Institute, has focused on refining and industrialising the concept, with a new experimental site in Castellón. Tests, carried out as part of its work, have shown that water can be absorbed at a rate of 10,000 litres per square metre, per hour. 'This project was really born for several reasons,' explains Yolanda Reig, Director General, Institute of Ceramic Technology. 'One was because of an excess in the stock of ceramic materials with low commercial value. It was born out of the need to collect rain and the need to stop excess heat in cities. We have managed to combine the three ideas to get to a product like Drainker.' Jorge Corrales, an architect at the Institute, added: 'There's a Spanish company that's been very interested and has decided to start industrialising and commercialising this product, which is currently available for use in both national and European projects. 'And, in the last few months, we've had meetings with different architectural studios and city councils, with the objective for incorporating this project into real projects in urban spaces.' The total budget for the Drainker project is just over €142,000. Around 60% of the funding has been provided by the European Regional Development Fund, with the remainder coming from the Valencian Government. 'On one hand, it opens-up a new line of business for the ceramic industry, which is a key part of Castellón's identity. On the other, it offers an innovative solution to help mitigate a serious challenge in our region: the impact of torrential rains,' said Juan José Cortés, General Director of Innovation at the Valencian Government. 'Unlike traditional surfaces such as asphalt or concrete, this system significantly improves drainage capacity, thereby reducing the risk of flooding.' He continued: 'Our geographic location on the western Mediterranean makes us especially vulnerable to the effects of global warming. Experts predict that both droughts and torrential rainfall will become more frequent and intense, so we must prepare to meet this complex scenario head-on. 'We will actively promote the installation of these tiles in public spaces, following expert recommendations. Furthermore, we are open to collaborating with other regions and institutions interested in replicating this kind of sustainable solution.'
