Latest news with #emergencyservice
LBCI
a day ago
- LBCI
At least 20 killed in incident at facility in Russia's Ryazan region, 134 injured, RIA reports
At least 20 people were killed and 134 were injured by a fire at a production facility in Russia's Ryazan region, state news agency RIA reported on Monday, citing local emergency service. It was not immediately clear from Russian media reports what caused the fire. Reuters
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pakistan defends flood response after more than 270 people killed
Rescuers recovered dozens more bodies from the rubble of collapsed homes in a north-western district of Pakistan, bringing the death toll to at least 274, as authorities defended their response to the flooding. Heavy rains and flooding also killed dozens of people in neighbouring Kashmir. Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for Pakistan's emergency service, said 54 bodies were found in Buner, a mountainous area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday. Mr Suhail said villagers remained missing, and search efforts were focused on areas where homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions. Authorities have warned of more deluges and possible landslides between now and Tuesday, urging local administrations to remain on alert. Higher-than-normal monsoon rains have lashed the country since June 26 and killed more than 600. In India-administered Kashmir, located across Pakistan's north-eastern border, rains triggered more flash floods in two villages in the Kathua district, killing seven people, officials said on Sunday. Rescuers in Chositi village are still looking for dozens of missing people after the area was hit by flash floods last week during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. At least 60 people were killed, and some 150 injured. More than 300 others were rescued. Residents in Buner have accused officials of failing to warn them to evacuate after torrential rain and cloudbursts triggered deadly flooding and landslides. There was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method in remote areas. The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted. Lieutenant General Inam Haider, chairman of the national disaster management authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50% more rainfall than in the same period last year, he said. He warned that more intense weather could follow, with heavy rains forecast to continue this month. Some countries have reached out to Islamabad offering help, but Lt Gen Haider said Pakistan had sufficient resources and did not require foreign assistance at this time. Asfandyar Khan Khattak, director-general of the provincial disaster management authority, said there was 'no forecasting system anywhere in the world' that could predict the exact time and location of a cloudburst, a sudden and intense downpour. Idrees Mahsud, a disaster management official, said Pakistan's early warning system used satellite imagery and meteorological data to send alerts to local authorities. These were shared through the media and community leaders. An emergency services spokesman in Buner, Mohammad Sohail, said more than half the damaged roads in the district had reopened by Sunday, allowing vehicles and heavy machinery to reach cut-off villages. Crews were clearing piles of rocks and mud dumped by the floods. They were still using heavy machinery to remove the rubble of collapsed homes after families reported that some of their relatives were missing. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. In 2022, a record-breaking monsoon killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes. The country also suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, particularly in the rugged north-west of the country, where villages are often perched on steep slopes and riverbanks. Experts say climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events in South Asia. Khalid Khan, a weather expert, said Pakistan produced less than 1% of planet-warming emissions but faced heat waves, heavy rains, glacial outburst floods and now cloudbursts, underscoring how climate change was devastating communities within hours.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Pakistan defends flood response after over 270 people killed in northwestern district
BUNER, Pakistan: Torrential rains triggered more flash floods in two villages in the Kathua district of Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least seven people and injuring five others overnight, officials said Sunday. In Kishtwar district, teams are continuing their efforts in the remote village of Chositi, looking for dozens of missing people after the area was hit by flash floods last week. At least 60 were killed and some 150 injured, about 50 of them critically. In Pakistan, authorities on Sunday defended their response to climate-induced flash floods that killed more than 270 people in a single northwestern district. Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for the emergency service, said 54 bodies were found after hours-long efforts in Buner, a mountainous district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday. Similar cloudburst have also caused devastations in the Indian-administered Kashmir. Suhail said several villagers remain missing, and search efforts are focused on areas where homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains, carrying massive boulders that smashed into houses like explosions. Authorities have warned of more deluges and possible landslides between now and Tuesday, urging local administrations to remain on alert. Higher-than-normal monsoon rains have lashed the country since June 26 and killed more than 600. More intense weather to come? Residents in Buner have accused officials of failing to warn them to evacuate after torrential rain and cloudbursts triggered deadly flooding and landslides. There was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method in remote areas. The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted. Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50 percent more rainfall than in the same period last year, he added. He warned that more intense weather could follow, with heavy rains forecast to continue this month. Asfandyar Khan Khattak, director-general of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, said there was 'no forecasting system anywhere in the world' that could predict the exact time and location of a cloudburst. Mohammad Iqbal, a schoolteacher in Pir Baba village, said the lack of a timely warning system caused casualties and forced many to flee their homes at the last moment. 'Survivors escaped with nothing,' he said. 'If people had been informed earlier, lives could have been saved and residents could have moved to safer places.' People still missing Idrees Mahsud, a disaster management official, said Pakistan's early warning system used satellite imagery and meteorological data to send alerts to local authorities. These were shared through the media and community leaders. He said monsoon rains that once only swelled rivers now also triggered urban flooding. An emergency services spokesman in Buner, Mohammad Sohail, said more than half the damaged roads in the district had reopened by Sunday, allowing vehicles and heavy machinery to reach cut-off villages. Crews were clearing piles of rocks and mud dumped by the floods. They were still using heavy machinery to remove the rubble of collapsed homes after families reported that some of their relatives were missing. In one of the deadliest incidents, 24 people from one family died in the village of Qadar Nagar when floodwaters swept through their home on the eve of a wedding. The head of the family, Umar Khan, said he survived the floods because he was out of the house at the time. Four of his relatives have yet to be found, he added. Extreme weather events Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. In 2022, a record-breaking monsoon killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes. The country also suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, particularly in the rugged northwest, where villages are often perched on steep slopes and riverbanks. Experts say climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events in South Asia. Khalid Khan, a weather expert, said Pakistan produces less than 1 percent of planet-warming emissions but faces heatwaves, heavy rains, glacial outburst floods and now cloudbursts, underscoring how climate change is devastating communities within hours. Thursday's floods struck during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. Authorities rescued over 300 people, while some 4,000 pilgrims were evacuated to safety.
Al Arabiya
16-06-2025
- Al Arabiya
Israeli rescuers say three dead, 74 wounded after Iran missile attack
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said Monday that three people were killed and 74 wounded following Iran's latest missile attack. It said two women and one man had been killed, without giving a precise location, but adding rescue operations were ongoing in two places.
The Independent
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ukraine-Russia war latest: 7 killed as Kyiv and Moscow trade heavy overnight drone strikes
Three children killed in latest Russian drone attack In Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, three children were killed, aged 8, 12 and 17, according to the emergency service. Twelve were injured in the attacks, the service said. Deaths were also reported in the Khmelnytskyi region, in western Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a student dormitory in Holosiivskyi district was hit by a drone and one of the building's walls was on fire. In Dniprovskyi district, a private house was destroyed and in Shevchenkivskyi district, windows in a residential building were smashed. The attacks over the past 48 hours were among the most intense Russian aerial strikes on Ukraine since the February 2022 full-scale invasion. The last in a three-day prisoner swap was expected to take place later on Sunday. Holly Evans25 May 2025 07:33 WATCH: Emotional reunions as Ukrainians return home after major prisoner swap with Russia Arpan Rai25 May 2025 07:00 Seven killed in overnight Russian attack on Ukraine A massive Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine for a second consecutive night, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, officials said early today. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said "there are already 10 injured in the capital" as of 3am Sunday. Soon afterward, Ukraine's emergency service said four people were killed and 16 were injured, including 3 children, just in the Kyiv region. Mr Klitschko said a student dormitory in Holosiivskyi district was hit by a drone and one of the building's walls was on fire. In Dniprovskyi district, a private house was destroyed and in Shevchenkivskyi district, windows in a residential building were smashed. The attack took place on the third day of a planned prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, the only tangible outcome from peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month which have so far failed to produce a ceasefire. The exchange has been a rare moment of cooperation between the warring sides. Arpan Rai25 May 2025 06:47 Zelensky says refusing ceasefire 'repeatedly' Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to a large scale attack from Russia and said the attacks show his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has refused ceasefire repeatedly. 'Putin has refused to cease fire repeatedly. It gains him nothing, except taking lives every single day. Every day gives new grounds for sanctions against Russia. Every day proves that without pressure on Russia, the war will continue,' he said in his nightly address. Arpan Rai25 May 2025 06:45 UK and allies expose Russian cyber attacks on logistics firms aiding Ukraine The UK and allies from 10 countries have exposed what they say is a campaign of malicious cyber activity by Russia against logistics and tech firms involved in delivering foreign assistance to Ukraine. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ, said a unit within the Russian intelligence service, GRU, had targeted defence organisations, as well as IT services, maritime, airports, ports and air traffic management systems firms in a range of Nato countries. The UK, along with the US, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France and Netherlands have signed and published an advisory on the issue to raise awareness of the campaign. UK and allies expose Russian cyber attacks on logistics firms aiding Ukraine The National Cyber Security Centre and counterparts in other countries have issued an advisory on the issue. Arpan Rai25 May 2025 06:30 Trump's negotiations with Putin mean Europe needs to prepare for a second cold war It is always painful to abandon longstanding certainties. The transatlantic security bond has, for 76 years, been one such certainty. Now, Donald Trump and his Maga acolytes have brutally shattered this certainty. The transatlantic partnership is unravelling in front of our eyes: in the space of 100 days, Trump has undermined Nato's collective stance on defence; hit the global economy with tariffs; threatened the territorial integrity of dedicated allies Canada and Denmark; interfered in the internal affairs of allies with his brazen support for European right-wing populist parties; and departed from well-established multilateral bodies including the World Health Organisation, the International Criminal Court and the UN Climate Change Conference. In a series of hammer blows, Trump has shattered the rules-based global order. Trump's negotiations with Putin mean Europe needs to prepare for a second cold war The on-going conversations over Ukraine show the president continues to pull the US defence rug from under our feet – Europe must stand alone or fail, write General Sir Richard Shirreff and Dr Stefanie Babst, former NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General Arpan Rai25 May 2025 06:15 Russia 'executed Ukrainian prisoners more than 150 times' Kyiv's military intelligence agency have said that Russian forces have executed Ukrainian prisoners more than 150 times. Intelligence officials said they had received reports of multiple instances where a 'direct orders to kill' prisoners of war had been received by Putin's troops. According to the agency, these acts are 'not isolated incidents' but part of a deliberate and systematic policy of the Russian leadership. In March, the United Nations also reported a growing number of cases in which Russian forces deliberately killed or maimed Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered or attempted to surrender. Arpan Rai25 May 2025 06:12 Putin hopes to increase exports of weapons Russia needs to strengthen its position in the global arms market by increasing exports of weapons, country's president Vladimir Putin said. In televised remarks, he also said the country's military complex needs more state support to develop its potential. "The portfolio of orders for Russian military products is now serious. It is tens of billions of dollars. And it is necessary to actively increase the volume of export deliveries," Mr Putin said. He also singled out weapons that utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI). "The future of the global arms market lies with such technology. Strong competition will unfold here, and is already unfolding, for which we must be prepared," Mr Putin said. Arpan Rai25 May 2025 06:00 Three killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine At least three people have been killed and 11 others have been injured as Russian forces attacked Kyiv and other cities early this morning, officials said. Officials in the Kyiv region said three people died in two small towns outside the capital. The Russian attacks spanned a string of regional centres, including Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, as well as Mykolaiv in the south and Ternopil in the west. In Kyiv, Timur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, said 11 people were injured in drone strikes. A five-storey apartment building was hit in the Holosiivskyi district just outside the city centre, triggering a fire that damaged the building's exterior. A private home and a business centre were damaged in strikes on other districts. It was the second consecutive night that a mass attack took place. Arpan Rai25 May 2025 04:59 Overnight attacks show Russia is blocking ceasefire, says Zelensky A huge attack overnight on Ukraine by Russian drones and ballistic missiles was a fresh demonstration that Moscow is blocking a ceasefire deal to end the war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said. "It was a tough night for all of Ukraine," Mr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel. "With each such attack, the world becomes convinced that the reason for the war being dragged out is Moscow," he wrote. "Only additional sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to agree to a ceasefire." The war-hit nation has been under relentless Russian attacks this week. Russia launched dozens of attack drones and ballistic missiles at Kyiv yesterday in one of the biggest combined aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital of the three-year war, damaging several apartment buildings and injuring 15 people.
