Another plane crash - this time in Taiwan.
CLICK HERE for more.
Showing posts with label Tragedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tragedy. Show all posts
QZ8501 AirAsia's Surabaya-Singapore flight carrying 155 passengers and seven crew members on board went missing on Sunday.
The Airbus 320-200 took off from Surabaya in Java, Indonesia, at 5.20am local time (6.20am Malaysian time) and was due to arrive in Singapore two hours later, but it lost contact with air traffic control.
Search and rescue (SAR) efforts have since been launched by the Indonesian authorities.
The first reports state that the plane allegedly crashed near Belitung Island, off the coast of Sumatra.
Malaysiakini brings you the live updates of information as it comes in.
Latest developments
Debris sighted in search area
Missing plane yet to be fitted with tracking tech
US Navy sending ship to help
Search area has been expanded and revised
LIVE REPORTS
4.51pm: AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes says he is rushing to Surabaya, Indonesia after officials announced that debris of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 has been found.
"My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ 8501.
"On behalf of AirAsia, my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am," he says in a Twitter posting.
Meanwhile, Indonesian news portals report that family members have become hysterical on watching visuals of the SAR operations on television.
First bodies from QZ8501 crash retrieved
4.33pm: The Indonesian navy has retrieved the first bodies from the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 debris site.
Indonesia's ship KRI Bung Tomo has retrieved three of six bodies in the vicinity, reports detik.com.
"More than one body have been found... the recovery is ongoing," Indonesia's search and rescue agency chief Bambang Soelistyo is quoted as saying.
The site is approximately 190km south west of Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, Indonesian officials say 21 divers have been deployed to the site.
Indonesia does not have any submersible vessels, but officials note that it will seek to loan them from neighbouring countries if necessary, reports detik.com.
Debris and bodies found
4.10pm: An Indonesian Air Force co-pilot says he spotted dozens of floating bodies after Jakarta announced it found the debris of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, reports Kompas.
"We thought the passengers were still alive and waved at us for help. But when we approached closer (we saw) that they were already dead," says Tri Wibowo who is on board a Hercules C130.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said earlier he was fairly certain the debris is from the missing plane, according to Reuters.
"I am 95 percent sure that the location pictured is debris suspected to be from the aircraft," he says.
Debris 'confirmed'
3.29pm: Several Indonesian media reports say that Jakarta has confirmed the debris of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 has been found.
Indonesian Transport Ministry acting director-general of air transportation Djoko Murjatmodjo said the recovery process will now commence in the region of where the debris have been found.
“It has been confirmed that it is debris from an aircraft bearing red and white colours,” he says, according to the Jakarta Post.
3.14pm: Search and rescue teams are finding more and more objects in the search zone.
According to Reuters, the Indonesian air force has spotted what appears to be life vests, luggages, debris and suspected bodies in the Java Sea, off the west coast of Kalimantan.
However, CNN reports that officials are concerned about currents which may cause the objects to spread before the ships arrive for closer confirmation.
2.43pm: The red and white debris sighted off Kalimantan in the Java Sea is "likely" from the AirAsia Flight QZ8501, Reuters quotes an Indonesian official as saying.
“We are checking if it’s debris from the aircraft. It’s probably from the body of the aircraft,” says Djoko Murjatmodjo, who is Indonesian Transport Ministry acting director-general of air transportation.
Djoko added that based on the size and colour of the debris, it is likely to be part of the missing jet.
Object 'like that of human body' sighted
2.37pm: The SAR team reports that an object "indicated to be like that of a human body" has been sighted in the Karimata Straits near West Kalimantan.
The sighting was made from a Hercules A319 aircraft, reports detik.com.
2pm: One of the SAR operations commanders, Dwi Putranto, says that there are 10 big objects and other smaller items in the sighted debris.
“It is said that there is one long yellow object, which looks like a tank. There is one obvious, white shiny object. If it has been in the waters for long, the colours would have faded, but this (object) was very obvious,” says Dwi, according to detik.com.
Debris sighted in search area
1.30pm: Debris of about two metres wide with some in red and yellow, red and black colours have been sighted in the waters off Belinyu, Bangka, near the search site and helicopters are now heading towards the location, detik.com and kompas.com report.
Bangka Belitung governor Rustam Effendi confirms the sighting.
Rustam also says that a fisherman had reported it but the high waves were making it difficult to get to the place, reports detik.com.
kompas.com states that a SAR operations team has received recorded pictures of the debris sighted.
12.49pm: The search and rescue operation receives reports of a fire at an island located in the search zone for AirAsia Flight QZ8501.
According to CNN and CBS, two aircraft have been dispatched to investigate if the fire is linked to the missing aircraft.
This comes after the search effort is expanded to cover coastal land this morning, after two days of futile search.
Missing plane yet to be fitted with tracking tech
11.30am: AirAsia was upgrading its fleet of short-haul jets to make them easier to track, but hadn't modified the aircraft that disappeared on Sunday, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The report further states that the budget airline is an early adopter of a dedicated tracking service, ahead of an industry push to comprehensively follow planes in flight.
US sends its best search vessel to help
9.54am: The USS Sampson, a US destroyer, is expected to arrive later today to help search for the missing AirAsia aircraft.
In a statement issued from Yokosuka, Japan, the US military said that the US Pacific Command had ordered the Sampson to the "general search area" in response to a request from the government of Indonesia.
"The US Navy is working closely with the government of Indonesia to identify additional surface or airborne capabilities that can best assist their search efforts," the US military said.
The Indonesian government had on Monday sent a diplomatic note to the US Embassy in Jakarta with the request for help, the US State Department said.
The Sampson is part of the US Seventh Fleet, under the US Pacific Command, and is part of an independent deployment to the Western Pacific.
Search area expanded
9.15am: The search and rescue efforts (SAR) have now been detailed into 13 zones. Indonesian authorities say that all areas are being combed, including on land, detik.com reports.
9am: RMN chief Abdul Aziz says the navy's search vessel KD Lekir has entered the search site zone.
7.45am: Royal Malaysian Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar tweets that the search area has been expanded and revised.
#StayStrong #AirAsia
1. 5 important facts: CLICK HERE
2. Life Updates: CLICK HERE
3. Air Asia Statement: CLICK HERE
I follow this site regularly and would like to share this link re a researcher's findings of what may befall us.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE. Please watch it. Thanks!
Please click here to read the latest from New York Times.
CLICK HERE for the latest from Sydney Morning Herald
More about Monis from here.
May the victims rest in peace and may their loved ones be comforted during this painful period,
This is certainly a must read for every single person on earth!
CLICK HERE to read and to watch the video.
Thanks to Mr Tio for sharing.
Hong Kong| - 49-year old Dingxiang Loeng, a well-known and very flamboyant Chinese businessman, died this morning in his suite of the Island Shangri-La hotel during a reception he was holding for his birthday.
According to some of the 217 witnesses of the tragedy, it is while opening a champagne bottle that the billionaire was hit violently in the temple by the cork, an accident that caused a fatal brain hemorrhage.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this bizarre tragedy.
Thanks to Angela who shared this post via email.
I was deeply saddened to learn about the demise of this young and dedicated doctor.
CLICK HERE to read all about him.
Thanks to Angela who shared this article via email. Very thought provoking and so true.
Confucianism Fails to Explain Sewol Ferry Tragedy
By Byunghun Yoo
June 19, 2014
The ‘culturalist’ response to national tragedies fails to explain why South Korean students were unable to abandon ship.
The perception that Confucianism, or a supposed “culture of obedience,” is to blame for the recent tragic sinking of the South Korean ferry Sewol stems from an approach that is common to Western media and particular scholars known as “culturalists.”
The assumption is simple: There is a certain predominant “culture” or set of “norms” peculiar to a society, and that is the most influential (if not the only) independent variable by which a wide range of social phenomena can be explained. The range spans from individual behaviors to even national socioeconomic status. Hence, the French value populist culture, which is why they always shut down Charles de Gaulle Airport during labor protests; the Japanese treasure their culture of shame, which explains why their government would never recognize the Rape of Nanking or the use of comfort women; Thailand is the world’s top tourist spot because its people are kind and hospitable toward their international guests, thanks to their age-old Buddhist background; and Sub-Saharan Africa remains poor and underdeveloped, unlike Western Europe, which reaps the accomplishments of a Protestant work ethic and industrious traditions. The list can continue this way as long as analysts believe in interpreting the complicated mechanisms of world affairs in this way. Eventually, they will present something akin to “The Clash of Civilizations” before their congressmen, cabinet members, and military commanders. And before you know it…
CLICK HERE for more.
HONG KONG: More than 50 people were injured when a Hong Kong ferry crashed into a seawall off the coast of the gambling enclave of Macau Friday, officials said, the latest accident to hit the cities' busy waterways.
The crash happened when the Macau-bound ferry -- reported to be a jetfoil boat -- was approaching the port at around 9.30 am (0130 GMT) and hit a concrete breakwater, a spokesman for Macau's marine department said.
The authorities earlier said around 20 people were injured but later put the figure at 57.
"The vessel was carrying a total of 220 passengers and 13 crew members. Fifty-seven passengers have suffered minor injuries, including two Koreans and one Japanese," a spokeswoman for Shun Tak, which operates the ferry services, said in a statement.
Passenger ferries regularly cover the hour-long distance between Hong Kong and Macau.
Local broadcaster RTHK said the ferry involved was a jetfoil and the cause of accident was yet to be determined.
It is the third accident on the Hong Kong to Macau ferry route in the past eight months.
In November, a high-speed ferry travelling from Hong Kong to Macau hit an "unidentified object" near one of Hong Kong's small outlying islands, injuring 87 people.
And last month a Hong Kong-bound Macau ferry collided with a mainland Chinese vessel, leaving 33 injured.
Fears over maritime safety in Hong Kong were sparked after a fatal collision between a passenger ferry and a pleasure boat carrying around 120 people claimed 39 lives in October 2012.
The accident was the city's worst boating disaster in decades and shocked the Asian financial hub, which prides itself on its good safety record.
An inquiry into the crash found a "litany of errors" and "systematic failings" in the marine department's safety standards.
Fatal boat accidents are rare in Hong Kong despite its crowded waters, which often see high-speed hydrofoils vying for space with tourist junks, luxury yachts and a century-old public ferry system. – AFP
Vicious Attack: Thirty-three dead, One Hundred and Thirty Injured!
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US Today reported that more than 10 knife-wielding attackers slashed people at a train station in a southwestern city in what authorities called a terrorist attack by ethnic separatists in western China, and police fatally shot four of the assailants, leaving 33 people dead and 130 others wounded, state media said.
At least 33 people are dead and 130 injured after a group of knife-wielding men hacked their way through innocent people at one of China's busiest railway stations.
MORE HERE
Daily Mail has posted many photos and videos in its detailed report. Excerpt:
Distressing photos circulating online showed bodies, pools of blood and abandoned luggage scattered across the terminal floor at Kunming Railway Station in Yunnan province.
Authorities described the incident at about 9.20pm local time (1.20pm GMT) as an 'organised, premeditated, violent terrorist attack' in which at least 10 people stabbed commuters outside the station terminal before moving inside.
The death toll stands at 29 bystanders and four attackers who were shot dead by police.
Nothing is yet known of the motivation behind the attack, but the Chinese government has blamed militants from the remote far western region of Xinjiang, which is home to tensions between the government and Muslim separatists.
CLICK HERE for more. (Warning: Do not view if you are fainthearted!!)
While I was trying to recover from another round of vomiting, my older boy messaged me to tell me the shocking news that one of his friends, Angelin Teh, was one of the 49 victims of the Lao Airlines crash. There were 44 passengers and 5 crew members. No survivors. My deepest condolences to Angelin's family and loved ones, and families of all victims.
Read about it in The Star or BBC or CBC or The Australian.
A very moving account...of one woman versus the establishment.
Read it HERE.
View photos HERE.
Contaminated groundwater accumulating under the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has risen 60cm above the protective barrier, and is now freely leaking into the Pacific Ocean, the plant’s operator TEPCO has admitted.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which is responsible for decommissioning the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, on Saturday said the protective barriers that were installed to prevent the flow of toxic water into the ocean are no longer coping with the groundwater levels, Itar-Tass reports.
CLICK HERE for more.
This morning, I posted a video about a talented five-year old. Life is indeed precious and there are times when either people or groups may not appreciate the sanctity of life. For me, I always believe in non-violence and non-confrontational approaches in resolving issues. However, when it comes to international affairs, it is not so easy to reach an amicable solution in a peaceful manner. Sometimes, war seems to be the only avenue to take but at whose expense? Take a look at the following article which reminds us too bitterly of the psychological effects of war.
"Too trapped in a war to be at peace, too damaged to be at war."
These are the words of post-traumatic stress disorder.
They are the words of Daniel Somers, an Iraq War veteran who took his life last month. He left behind a powerful suicide note that went viral on the Internet after his family shared it with media in Phoenix, where he was from.
His note gives readers a clear understanding of what it's like to suffer from crippling depression and war-related psychosis. It also slams the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which he characterized as careless.
"My body has become nothing but a cage, a source of pain and constant problems. The illness I have has caused me pain that not even the strongest medicines could dull, and there is no cure," Somers wrote in his note.
"All day, every day a screaming agony in every nerve ending in my body. It is nothing short of torture. My mind is a wasteland, filled with visions of incredible horror, unceasing depression, and crippling anxiety."
Somers was a sergeant in an intelligence unit, where he ran 400 combat missions as a machine gunner in the turret of a Humvee. According to his parents, Howard and Jean Somers, their son was diagnosed with PTSD, a brain injury, Gulf War syndrome, fibromyalgia and a host of other medical problems in 2008, one year after the end of his second deployment.
5 things to know about PTSD
The VA and nonprofit support groups, such as Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, known as TAPS, insist that there are mental health programs to help soldiers suffering as Somers did -- that suicide is not the solution.
But Somers' parents feel the military failed to help their son, who they say was more than just a sum of his wartime injuries.
He was a sharp mind, constantly dreaming up the next big thing. He had a strong memory and could pick up new skills quickly. He was great with computers, and for a while pursued a career as a car mechanic.
Somers played guitar. He wrote his first song when he was 12 years old, right around the time he first began dating Angel, the woman who would become his wife.
CLICK HERE for this very moving article. Read till the end to know the depth of pain experienced by his father.
Seriously, I long for the good old days - when making a phone call exposed me to less radiation than current levels. I yearn for the time when it was safe to cycle to the nearby shops or even to drink a glass of soya bean milk without worrying if it was derived from GMO soya beans...and of course to fly in a plane without worrying about the range of risks.
If you still have not heard, Reuters reported that an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 with 307 people on board crashed and burst into flames as it landed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday after a flight from Seoul, killing two people and injuring more than 180. See the following photo from Skynews.
You can read about this accident at Skynews, Reuters, BBC, New York Times and USA Today.
Ironically, I just posted something on chaotic turbulence during flights last Thursday and recalled the nightmarish experience I had during my last long haul flight from San Francisco to Singapore in 1993. Flying IS a very risky experience and even on short flights from Penang to KL, I say my prayers devotedly and pray for safety, pilots, engines etc.
Here's something on aviation disasters:
An aviation accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all such persons have disembarked, where a person is fatally or seriously injured, the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure or the aircraft is missing or is completely inaccessible.
The first fatal aviation accident occurred in a Wright Model A aircraft at Fort Myer, Virginia, USA, on 17 September 1908, resulting in injury to the pilot, Orville Wright and death of the passenger, Signal Corps Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge.
An aviation incident is defined as an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operations.
An accident in which the damage to the aircraft is such that it must be written off, or in which the plane is destroyed is a hull loss accident.
Here's a list of aviation accidents and disasters by death toll. CLICK HERE.
For more information on the history of aviation disasters, CLICK HERE.
May the victims of the Asiana plane crash rest in peace and may their bodies be found.
Around 3:30 the morning of March 13, 1964, one of the most infamous murders in American history occurred when Winston Moseley stabbed Catherine “Kitty” Genovese to death in Queens, New York. While the murder was awful enough, what shocked America were reports that 38 neighbors witnessed the assault and heard her screams—yet no one lifted a finger to help her or even bothered to call the police. Nearly 50 years later, there is still a great deal of confusion surrounding this murder case.
The basic facts are clear enough. Around 3:15 the morning of March 13, 1964, 28-year-old Genovese returned from her job managing a bar, parked her car about 100 feet from the door to her apartment building, and began walking home. Moseley (who later confessed to killing her and two other women) was a mentally unstable 29-year-old who was driving around that night looking for a victim because he had “an urge to kill.” He came upon Genovese at random and attacked her—three times, actually.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post.
The above case illustrates the bystander effect which is the idea that “the greater the number of bystanders who witness an emergency, the less likely any of them is to help the victim” (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2010, pg. 339).
Two major factors influencing why people don’t help victims in an emergency are pluralistic ignorance and the diffusion of responsibility. Pluralistic ignorance is when in an ambiguous situation, people look to others before deciding whether or not to act. Many times, people will assume nothing is wrong because no one else acts, when in fact, something really is wrong; they misinterpret the situation.
In the case of Kitty Genovese, for example, people may have figured everything was all right since no one seemed too concerned.
The diffusion of responsibility says that as the number of bystanders increases, each bystander’s sense of responsibility to help decreases (Aronson, Wilson & Akert, 2010, pg. 341).
Looking at the case of Kitty Genovese, since there were so many neighbors, people most likely had a decreased sense of individual responsibility, thinking that they didn’t need to help when there were so many others around that could help. (FROM HERE)
Here's an interesting article by Gaye Levy from HERE:
There are lots of lists floating around the web citing the top items that will disappear following a disaster or emergency. Heck, I even posted a list a couple of years ago titled 100 Items Likely to Disappear First when the SHTF.
A while, back, however, Tom Sciacca from Camping Survival came up with his own list of 50 things that would disappear from store shelves during an emergency. It is a great list especially since it is broken down into the categories of Food, Power and Light, Fun, First Aid and more. Today I would like to share that list with you.
CLICK HERE for more.
Years ago, I arranged for my older boy to car pool with his school-mate to school. Then, I would take the boys to school while Doris, the other boy's mom would bring them back. Through the five years, we forged a friendship that went beyond just car-pooling. When picking up the boys, Doris would come along and after dropping them at school, I would drive to a different market each day where after our marketing, we would have breakfast and enjoy the usual sembang-sembang session.
It was during that period that I got to know the man who died tragically in last Thursday's freak storm. He is believed to have been buried more than 5m in the ground after a 15m tall lightning arrestor came crashing down from atop the 21-storey Menara Umno along Jalan Macalister.
The Star reported today that when clearing the debris, contractors stumbled upon parts believed to be from a Honda City car. The search and rescue operations stalled after the excavator hit a concrete beam some five metres into the ground. The team then used a machine to break the beam to reach the car nestled below. The chassis number found on the wreckage matched those of her husband's car. While writing this post (10 a.m.), I have yet to come across any report confirming the discovery of his remains.
Rescuers searching for the victim believed to be buried together with the Honda City underneath the rubble in the crater in Jalan Macalister, Penang. NST pix by Ramdzan Masiam
Images from HERE
In another report HERE, only car parts such as tyres, engine and bumper have been recovered. Rescue efforts were being hampered by collapsing earth around the five-meter hole caused by the lightning arrestor pole as it was filled by water from a burst underground pipe.
Through the last eight years, I have frequented the victim's economy rice shop and I know he and the wife were such a loving couple. Both of them were always smiling whenever I patronised their stall and I used to tease the late Mr Lim that his wife was growing more beautiful each time I saw her. I know for a fact that they were such a hardworking couple as they woke up early to begin cooking the dishes for their stall.
Each time I went there, both would greet me warmly with a smile regardless of the fact that I only go there once in a few months as their stall is some distance from my home. Even when they are very busy with many customers asking questions, that infectious smile would remain on their faces. In all my contact time with them, I have never seen them angry, annoyed or irritated with each other or any customer. It was the same with their helpers, presumably family members. Hence, my heart broke when I read the news of his demise this morning and saw the photograph of his wife crying and being consoled by their son.
I have always made it a point to get to know the owners of any stall/restaurant/shop that I patronise. Throughout my life, I have become good friends with hawkers, security guards, parking attendants or even waiters/waitresses and learnt many precious lessons about life from these people. I never cease to be amazed at how these people are filled with so much kindness and actually have pride in their work. Mr. Lim is definitely one of them. His dishes would be arranged neatly, garnished appetisingly and most importantly, taste fantastic. Even when unloading the dishes from his boot, I remember how he used to arrange the trays neatly with hardly any spillage. The whole boot had been covered neatly with newspapers. I will certainly try to see his wife in the days ahead to express my condolences.
I have always made it a point to get to know the owners of any stall/restaurant/shop that I patronise. Throughout my life, I have become good friends with hawkers, security guards, parking attendants or even waiters/waitresses and learnt many precious lessons about life from these people. I never cease to be amazed at how these people are filled with so much kindness and actually have pride in their work. Mr. Lim is definitely one of them. His dishes would be arranged neatly, garnished appetisingly and most importantly, taste fantastic. Even when unloading the dishes from his boot, I remember how he used to arrange the trays neatly with hardly any spillage. The whole boot had been covered neatly with newspapers. I will certainly try to see his wife in the days ahead to express my condolences.
It will be difficult for her and the family to come to terms with the loss as he died in such tragic circumstances. I know how deeply they loved each other. The bond was so obvious in the way they looked at each other, or the manner they called each other for assistance at their stall. I am quite sure they had a loving family and worked hard to give their children the best they could give them. The victim was on his way to pick up his daughter from school when the tragedy occurred.
Two others also died in the freak storm - Wong Tze Chow, 33, a Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd worker, who was crushed by a falling tree in Rifle Range. He left behind his loving wife and two young children who had made plans to celebrate Fathers' Day together. An Indian national, Jahir Hussain Sulaiman aged 46, also perished in the freak storm. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. May they have the strength and fortitude to come to terms with the loss. May the victims rest in peace...wherever they may be.
It was back in 1983 when I began reading about Agent Orange in my first job. The movie "Killing Fields" also burnt its mark in my memory bank. Shell-shocked, I have never forgotten its horrible effects till today. This morning before I start studying again, I would like to share three posts written by Ed Mattson.
According to this site, "Following his service in the Marine Corps Ed Mattson built a diverse career in business in both sales and marketing and management. He is a published author and medical research specialist. He is currently Development Director of the National Guard Bureau of International Affairs-State Partnership Program, Fundraising Coordinator for the Warrior2Citizen Project, and Managing Partner of Center-Point Consultants in North Carolina. Mr. Mattson is a noted speaker and has addressed more than 3000 audiences in 42 states and 5 foreign countries. He has been awarded the Order of the Sword by American Cancer Society, is a Rotarian Paul Harris Fellow and appeared on more than 15 radio and television talk-shows."
Enjoy reading the following articles...
Looking for Ways to Battle Agent Orange Illnesses-Pt.1
Learning to fight cellular abnormalities caused by AO and Gulf War Syndrome
Part 3: How agent orange and depleted uranium affect the body
Incidentally, many may be unaware that on May 25th, tens of thousands of people marched against Monsanto. They did so in dozens of countries worldwide. They had good reason.
They want consumer protections enacted. They want safe food to eat. They want governments assuring it. They want GMO foods and ingredients labeled. More HERE.
If you want to know why they marched and how we are also affected, please check out THIS ARTICLE.
Finally, if you do not know what is Agent Orange, check out THIS ARTICLE.
You may want to read more HERE.
Have a nice day! Next post will be between 11-12.
