Disasters – Headline Smart

Missing Hikers Found Dead Holding Each Other After Volcano Erupts

Two Singaporeans and an Indonesian woman died near the crater after entering a restricted zone. MAMUYA, Indonesia — Rescue teams recovered the bodies of two Singaporean hikers and an Indonesian woman after Mount Dukono erupted Friday on Halmahera island, ending a three-day search in steep terrain, heavy rain and continuing volcanic activity. The deaths have focused attention on why 20 hikers were on one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes despite restrictions around the crater. Seventeen …

Mom and Teen Killed at Soccer Game

Police said the shooting happened outside Southwest Elementary School as children played soccer. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An 18-year-old man has been charged after police said he fatally shot a teenage boy and a mother of eight during a dispute over a soccer game outside Southwest Elementary School. Rafael Martinez-Lopez faces two counts of open murder, two felony firearm charges and three additional weapons charges in the deaths of 15-year-old Jeremiah Griffin-Cuevas and 39-year-old Savanah …

Huge Explosion at Factory Kills At Least 25

Investigators are examining whether the licensed unit was operating in violation of safety rules and holiday restrictions when the blast tore through the site. VIRUDHUNAGAR, India — A powerful explosion at a fireworks factory in southern India killed at least 25 people and injured several others on Sunday, ripping through a licensed unit in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district and triggering a second blast during rescue work later that evening. The disaster has become one of …

21 People Missing After Boat Capsizes

Rescuers in eastern Congo were still searching Wednesday after a passenger boat sank on a trip to Makengere, with 23 people reported alive and the cause still under investigation. BUKAVU, Congo — At least 21 people were missing Wednesday after a boat carrying passengers across Lake Kivu capsized a day earlier in eastern Congo, authorities said, setting off an ongoing search that rescued 23 people while leaving the total number on board unclear. The accident …

Flight Attendant Thrown From Air Plane Survives in ‘Total Miracle’

The Air Canada Express jet struck a fire truck after landing on Runway 4, killing both pilots and injuring 39 passengers and crew members. NEW YORK, N.Y. — A catastrophic runway collision at LaGuardia Airport late Sunday resulted in the miraculous survival of a flight attendant who was ejected from an Air Canada Express plane. The accident, which is currently under investigation, also claimed the lives of Capt. Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther, …

2 Dead, Dozens Missing After Avalanche

An avalanche swept across a high mountain slope in northern Italy on Saturday, killing two ski tourers and injuring five others near the Austrian border as helicopters and rescue teams rushed to a crowded backcountry area above Val Ridanna. The slide quickly became one of the deadliest mountain accidents in Italy this month and added to a winter season that has already brought an unusually high number of avalanche deaths across the Alps. Officials in …

At Least 125 Dead, Dozens Missing After Heavy Rains

The death toll from landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in southern Ethiopia rose to 125 on Monday, as officials said more than 11,000 people had been displaced and recovery crews kept searching unstable ground in Gamo Zone. The disaster has widened from a local rescue effort into a major humanitarian emergency in one of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable highland regions. Federal and regional authorities declared a three-day mourning period, lowered flags and promised relief, …

Man Arrested for Selling Beans

A federal judge has ordered the government to explain why it is still holding Lorenzo Chavez Rascon, a 22-year-old man arrested in a suspected Utah drug sale after the material in the case was later identified as dried pinto beans. The dispute now reaches far beyond the failed narcotics suspicion that first put Chavez Rascon in jail. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby blocked immigration officials from removing him from the country, found that his …

10 Skiers Missing After Tour Disaster

Rescuers on skis, snowmobiles and snowcats battled blizzard conditions Tuesday after an avalanche swept through the Castle Peak backcountry near Lake Tahoe, leaving multiple skiers missing and six others found alive, officials said. The slide hit during a powerful winter storm that dumped heavy snow across the Sierra Nevada, ramped up avalanche danger and made travel in steep terrain highly risky. Authorities said the skiers were part of a guided backcountry tour, and rescue leaders …

At Least 21 Dead After Brutal High-Speed Train Crash

At least 21 people were killed and dozens were injured Sunday evening when a high-speed train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed near this town in Córdoba province and collided with an oncoming passenger train, authorities said. The impact sent carriages off the rails and down an embankment as emergency crews raced to the scene and rail service across the corridor was suspended. Spain’s transport minister said the crash occurred on a recently renovated, straight …