Tag Archives: Death

Chinese Firefighter Rescued After Being Trapped 32 Hours

In what might be the only good news to come out of the massive explosion at a Chinese port late Wednesday, a lone firefighter was found alive after 32 hours of being classified as “missing” by Chinese authorities.

The 19-year-old firefighter, Zhou Ti, was quickly rushed to a local hospital where it was reported he has significant injuries to his face, chest and feet.  Fire officials said that they are continuing to search for other missing fire personnel.

“Forces from all sides are searching for the (remaining) missing firefighters,” Tianjin Fire Department head Zhou Tian said at a news conference Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Chinese government officials confirmed that 56 people have died because of the explosion including 21 firefighters.  Over 700 remain hospitalized because of blast related injuries.

Western officials are now asking if the firefighters contributed to the intensity of the explosions because many of the chemicals reportedly stored at the site react with water to form explosive compounds.

David Leggett, a chemical safety expert, told Reuters that calcium carbide reacts with water to form acetylene, a highly explosive gas.  That could have ignited ammonium nitrate that was stored at the facility. (By comparison, ammonium nitrate and acetylene were used by terrorist Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing.)

“In my mind, the presence of ammonium nitrate makes it easier to explain the level of devastation,” he told the news agency.

Heat Wave Sets Records in Germany; More Deaths in Egypt

The death toll in the Middle East heat wave continues to climb.

Egyptian officials say that 76 people are now confirmed dead because of the extreme heat which reached 116 degrees in some parts of the country.  State media said that 21 people died from heatstroke on Tuesday.

Over 1,200 people are hospitalized with heat related illnesses.

The heat outside is also causing the heat to rise in the arena of socio-political problems within the Middle Eastern nation.

“It is highlighting the huge gap that exists between classes in the region in general and specifically in countries that are not as rich as the Gulf countries. So in Egypt, for example, it is dividing the classes further,” Ziad Akl, a senior researcher at the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told VOA.  He said that the rich remain inside with air conditioners while the poor have no choice but to use locations like public fountains.

In Iraq, the heat is causing people to short out electrical systems in attempts to keep cool.

“Last week most Iraqi areas were left without electricity for almost three days,” Suadad al-Salhy, a freelance journalist who covers Iraq for Middle East Eye said to VOA.

The heat wave is moving north from the Middle East into Europe causing electrical grid disruptions.

Poland’s national electric supplier cut power to factories for several hours Monday to try and keep the grid from total failure.  The heat combined with extended dry weather has reduced water levels to rivers that cool the nation’s power plants.

Wroclaw, Poland saw an all-time record high of 102 degrees.  The average high for that area is 72 degrees.

Germany tied its all time record high with a mark of 104.5 in Kitzingen.  It was the second time in a month the city had hit the 104.5 mark.

At least 19 cities in the Czech Republic have also tied or topped all-time heat records.

Chinese City Rocked by Massive Explosion

A massive explosion ripped through parts of the Chinese city of Tianjin Wednesday causing at least 300 reported injuries and seven deaths.

“The hospital cannot count how many patients we have received – there are too many of them and many of them have burn injuries,” an unidentified doctor told the London Guardian newspaper.  He said that doctors who had been in Beijing for a conference are being rushed back to the community because of the amount of injured.

The Chinese Seismological Network reported two major explosions, the first equivalent to the detonation of 3 tons of dynamite and the second which took place 30 seconds later equivalent to 21 tons of dynamite.

China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, reported that the explosions took place at a container port where flammable material was being stored.  The initial blast also triggered secondary blasts that residents reported feeling similar to earthquake tremors.

The blasts shattered windows and in some cases blew apart fish tanks in homes of nearby residents.

Chinese Public Security Ministry released information that they initially were called to the scene because of a fire and that the explosions took place after they arrived on the scene.  At least four firefighters are injured and two have been reported to have “lost contact” with Ministry officials.

Middle East Heatwave Kills 42 in Egypt

A heatwave scorching Egypt has left 42 people dead.

Egyptian officials said 21 people died on Sunday and 19 more died on Monday.  They added most of the dead were elderly people although they confirmed one German national, patients at a psychiatric hospital and some prisoners also died from the heat.

Temperatures in parts of the northern half of the country reached 120 and in the lower part of the nation topped 115.   The capital city of Cairo hit 105.

The heatwave has also caused power outages.  The Cairo subway was shut down due to power loss and many neighborhoods are getting one hour of power a day.

The heat wave is also causing problems in other nations.

In Beirut, Lebanon, which is on the Mediterranean coast, temperatures are in the 90’s but with 50% or greater humidity the conditions are almost unbearable.

“We had electricity from 3am to 6am last night, and the power comes on one hour during the day,” said Hasan, who lives in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where power cuts have been especially dire during the heatwave. “Officials sit in their offices with electricity.”

On Friday, the heat and humidity in Bandar Mahshahr, Iran, combined to give a feeling of a temperature of 165.

“That was one of the most incredible temperature observations I have ever seen and it is one of the most extreme readings ever in the world,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Anthony Sagliani in a statement.

At Least 28 Dead from Typhoon Soudelor

Officials in China and Taiwan report that at least 28 people have been confirmed dead as a result of Typhoon Soudelor.  The death toll has been steadily rising since the storm roared through Taiwan into mainland China.

Taiwanese officials say that six people are confirmed dead including a mother and her twin daughters who were swept out to sea.  At least 379 people were injured by the storm and over four million homes were without power, a record for most homes without power at one time.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the storm’s heavy rains caused mudslides which buried homes in the Wenzhou and Lishui areas.

Some areas reported 27 inches of rain in a 24 hour period, the most for that area in over 120 years according to state media.

Damage to crops from the storm is estimated at $644 million with overall damage estimated at $1.43 billion.

The western Pacific has experienced ten typhoons this year.

Second California Firefighter Killed Fighting Wildfires

A second firefighter is dead in the battle against multiple wildfires raging through drought-stricken California.

Michael Hallenbeck, 21, died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a falling tree while fighting a fire in the Lake Tahoe area.  Cal Fire reported that Hallenbeck was struck by the tree during the crew’s initial attack on the fire south of the Echo Summit mountain pass.

“The grief we are feeling at the sudden loss of two of our firefighters … reminds us of the sacrifices these men and women make every day,” said Randy Moore, the agency’s Pacific Southwest regional forester.

Cal Fire reports over 10,000 firefighters are currently fighting 18 wildfires in the state.

The largest fire, the Rocky Fire, has burned over 109 square miles including 43 homes, 53 outbuildings and 8 other buildings.  Cal Fire says the fire is 85% contained as of Sunday evening.

Some of the firefighters fighting the Rocky Fire have moved to fight a nearby fire outside the community of Lower Lake.  The flames are threatening the Jerusalem Valley, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents who had just returned Thursday from a forced evacuation due to the Rocky Fire.

Cal Fire Capt. Joe Fletcher said the two fires will likely merge.

Typhoon Soudelor Could Strike with Same Force as Hurricane Katrina

Forecasters are reporting the Typhoon Soudelor, which has weakened from earlier this week when it became the strongest storm of the year, could strike Taiwan head-on with the same level of force as 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

“It is barreling down on Taiwan and winds will strengthen to around 130 mph by the time it hits at some point [Friday] afternoon U.S. time,” Weather Channel forecaster Michael Palmer told NBC. “There will undoubtedly be some significant damage, there will be some massive waves and flash flooding.”

The storm is tracking over the center of the country and about 7 million people in capital city Taipei’s metropolitan area could be impacted by the storm.

The storm has already killed one person.  An 8-year-old girl was confirmed dead after being swept out to sea according to Taiwan’s National Fire Agency.  Another child is missing and feared dead in the incident that was survived by a 38-year-old woman and another child.

Taiwanese authorities forced the evacuations of over 600 residents along coastal areas.  Flights to the island have been cancelled and all schools and public offices and facilities will be closed.

The storm is drawing comparisons to 2009’s Typhoon Morakot that killed 700 people and caused over $3 billion in damage.

Chinese officials have started evacuations from the coastal province of Fujian where the storm is expected to hit after crossing over Taiwan.

Death Toll in New York Legionnaires’ Outbreak Rises

New York City officials reported Wednesday another death from the current Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak that has now sickened almost 100 people.

“This is the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that we are aware of in New York City,” Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said.

Although officials with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Health would not say where the victim had lived, they did say that like the other deaths it was an older person with other medical issues.

In addition to the news about the death and the 11 new cases of the disease, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced the city will be making a new law governing the cooling towers that have been confirmed to be the source of the latest outbreak.

“What we need and what the legislation will achieve is a complete registry of every single building that has (a cooling tower),” the mayor said. “That does not exist as a matter of law right now.”

Community residents were thankful the government was finally taking action but wondered why it took so long to happen.

“The health (commissioner) of the City of New York needs to step up her game,” said Alexander Freeman, 57, a cook at the East Side House Settlement, told the New York Daily News. “I’m still afraid that it might come down here.

“Everybody is nervous. How would you feel if this was your backyard?”

New York Legionnaires Death Toll Now Seven

New York health officials held a public meeting Monday on the current Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak and admitted the death toll has reached seven.

In addition to the seven deaths, more than 80 others have been confirmed to have the deadly bacteria.

Health officials made a point to say those who died were older and had other health problems.  They were also confident they found the source of the outbreak. Health officials are currently investigating five cooling towers in the South Bronx. All five towers tested positive for legionella bacteria, but health officials believe one of the towers is the source of the outbreak. Since the investigation, all five cooling towers have been cleaned and flushed to remove the bacteria.

 

“The five sites we have found, we’re confident based on scientific evidence we have identified only sites that are causing this outbreak,” New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio told reporters.

“This is the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that we are aware of in New York City,” Health Commissioner Mary Bassett told NBC. “Although we will continue to see cases, we expect the case rate to decline and the number of cases to fall over the coming weeks.”

One infectious disease expert said it’s surprising we don’t see more outbreaks.

“What surprises me more is that we don’t see it more often, it’s common in cooling towers or central air conditioning systems,” Dr. Stephen Morse, an infectious disease expert at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said to ABC News. “You’re going to find it in a lot of places where there are no reports of people being sick.”

California’s “Rocky Fire” Stretches to 60,000 Acres

The wildfire known as the “Rocky Fire” in northern California has grown to over 60,000 acres in three counties and resulted in the destruction of over 50 buildings.

More than 12,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes because of the advancing flames.  The fire was only 12% contained as of Monday morning.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire grew in an area with “little to no fire history” making it more difficult for the firefighters to predict the path of the flames.

The fire is threatening over 6,300 structures.

In all, over 134,000 acres are burning.

“There are pretty widespread evacuations,” Brad Alexander, chief spokesman for the governor’s emergency services office, told the LA Times. “The big issue is this is an area that hasn’t had burning in several decades.

“They’ve got chaparral that is over 6 feet tall,” Alexander said. “When you have vegetation that big and dense in an area like that it is going to cause flames to race up and down canyon walls and hillsides.  It can move as fast as the wind can carry it. …So when you have perfect conditions for an explosive fire, it is critical folks are listening.”

Officials confirmed the death of one firefighter in a fire in Modoc County south of the Oregon border.  He was scouting ways to fight the fire when erratic winds suddenly caused the blaze to expand exponentially.  David Ruhl was 38 and a married father of two.

Officials also said that a fire near Yosemite National Park that burned 200 acres was deliberately set and a woman is under arrest for starting the blaze.