Headlines
Rescuers look for survivors after dozens killed in China quake
Rescuers scoured through the rubble of remote villages in mountainous southwestern China Tuesday in a race to find survivors of an earthquake that claimed at least 65 lives, with hundreds of people believed stranded or missing.
The magnitude 6.6 quake hit about 43 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the city of Kangding in Sichuan province at a depth of 10 kilometres on Monday, according to the US Geological Survey.
At least 65 people were killed, state media reported Tuesday morning, with more than 200 still cut off from rescuers in a remote scenic area and scores missing elsewhere.
Video from state broadcaster CCTV showed firefighters pulling a bruised and bloodied woman from the rubble and carrying a survivor on a stretcher across a river on a makeshift bridge as well as damaged buildings and streets strewn with fallen masonry.
The China Meteorological Administration warned that quake-stricken areas will experience “significant rainfall” until Thursday and that landslides could hamper rescue work.
Footage shared by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) on Monday showed boulders thundering down mountainsides in Luding county, kicking up clouds of dust as the tremors swayed roadside telephone wires.
At least one town suffered “severe damage” from landslides triggered by the quake, CCTV reported.
“Before 5 o’clock, I heard a rumbling sound. The house shook so badly that I woke up immediately,” one woman surnamed Zheng from Sichuan’s Lu county told Beijing News.
“My brother’s house collapsed. His house is an old one built more than 10 years ago. My house is newly built, so the situation is better.”
‘All-out to rescue people’
The quake also rocked buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu — where millions are confined to their homes under a strict Covid-19 lockdown — and in the nearby megacity of Chongqing, residents told AFP.
At least 10 aftershocks of magnitude 3.0 and above had been detected as of 7 am local time (2300 GMT), CCTV said.
More than 200 people are reportedly cut off from rescuers in the Hailuogou Scenic Resort, with CCTV airing footage of bulldozers clearing boulders and other debris blocking access to the area.
And over 100 people have been told to evacuate due to fears of a flash flood after a landslide cut off a tributary to the Dadu river, the Luding government said on its official Weibo account.
Rescuers in kayaks were seen transporting villagers downstream from a dammed lake formed by the landslide, CCTV said.
China’s cabinet last night said it has dispatched a special team to lead the efforts, with CCTV reporting more than 6,500 people had been sent as part of the emergency rescue response.
And President Xi Jinping called for local authorities to “make saving lives the first priority, go all-out to rescue people in disaster-stricken areas and minimise loss of life”, according to CCTV.
Local officials have launched a public appeal for donations to help with relief work.
Quake-prone region
Earthquakes are fairly common in China, especially in the country’s seismically active southwest.
A smaller magnitude 4.6 tremor hit eastern Tibet less than an hour after the initial quake, according to the USGS.
A magnitude 8.0 quake in 2008 in Sichuan’s Wenchuan county left tens of thousands dead and caused enormous damage.
In June, at least four people were killed and dozens more injured after two earthquakes in southwestern China.
That month, a shallow 6.1-magnitude shock hit a sparsely populated area about 100 kilometres west of Chengdu.
It was followed three minutes later by a second quake of magnitude 4.5 in a nearby county, where the deaths and injuries occurred.
Authorities in Chengdu extended the city’s lockdown on Sunday as they fight a Covid flare-up with hundreds of cases.
The region has also suffered a summer of extreme weather, with a record-breaking heatwave noticeably drying rivers in Chongqing.
Mr Joshua Ibitomi, the Area Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),
Ibeju-Lekki, Epe Division, Lagos State, has warned truck drivers against speeding and reckless driving.
He gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibeju-Lekki on Tuesday.
The FRSC official, who blamed speeding on the ghastly vehicle accident that occurred at Aiyetoro market in Epe
which claimed several lives and left some injured, said that with careful driving, such accident could be avoided.
He added that “the accident was as a result of speeding, reckless driving and loading of truck beyond its capacity.
“All these are factors responsible for accident when drivers are not conscious of the driving rules.
“Vehicle can develop technical fault at any time, therefore, speed limit and caution need to be applied while driving.”
He said FRSC had been sensitising drivers on the need to install speed limit device and be road conscious while driving, in line with the mandate to instill decent use of road.
Ibitomi also advised passers-by and the public to be safety conscious while walking on roadsides to avoid falling victim of accidents.
He attributed major road crashes on roads to speed limit violation, urging drivers to respect the sanctity of human life by obeying traffic rules.
He added that the FRSC had evolved measures to ensure accident-free yuletide and new year festivities in 2024
Jubilant supporters celebrated Donald Trump’s apparent victory in Florida early Wednesday as he claimed a return to the White House, despite most major news networks holding off on officially calling the race.
At an event in Palm Beach, Trump supporters reveled in the win projected by Fox News, cheering as the former president declared a “political victory that our country has never seen before.”
“I feel extraordinary,” said 68-year-old supporter Ted Sarvanis, dancing with arms in the air. “This is the greatest American political story in the history of the country.”
Joined by running mate J.D. Vance, Trump took the stage, celebrating his projected win. The atmosphere at the convention center was electric, with supporters sporting “Make America Great Again” caps and mingling in formal attire and Trump-themed clothing.
“I feel relieved. I was a little bit scared because you never know how things are going to turn out,” said Stacy Kurtz, 45.
In contrast, a far different scene unfolded for Vice President Kamala Harris’s supporters at Howard University in Washington, where they were hoping for a Democratic win.
As the night wore on and Trump gained electoral votes in key battleground states, disappointment swept through the crowd.
“I am scared, I am anxious now,” said Charlyn Anderson earlier in the evening.
Democratic watch parties in places like Atlanta and Pennsylvania grew somber as results rolled in, with Lynn Johnson, 65, expressing concern, “It’s going to be dangerous if he wins. I don’t feel safe.”
While Trump’s supporters celebrated a comeback, the mood among Democrats was marked by worry and disbelief.
“He’s a terrible candidate, so it just doesn’t make sense,” said Harris supporter Ken Brown.
The contrasting scenes highlighted the nation’s deep political divide on election night.
President Bola Tinubu has extended warm congratulations to President Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th President of the United States, expressing optimism for stronger ties between Nigeria and the U.S. in an era of global challenges.
The congratulatory message, issued by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, emphasises the Nigerian leader’s hopes for a renewed partnership between the two nations.
Following his victory on Wednesday, Trump pledged to “heal” the country, marking a stunning political comeback as he edged past Kamala Harris in a closely contested election.
Tinubu, in his message, affirmed, “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens.”
Tinubu highlighted that Trump’s return to the White House reflects the trust and confidence of the American people in his leadership, praising their commitment to democracy.
Given Trump’s experience from 2017 to 2021 as the 45th President, Tinubu foresees a new era of “earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.”
The Nigerian President also expressed confidence that Trump’s leadership will contribute to peace and prosperity worldwide, acknowledging America’s significant influence on global affairs.
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