India bridge collapse: Hundreds plunged into river and dozens killed in Gujarat - BBC

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By Merlyn Thomas

BBC News

At least 78 people have died after a pedestrian bridge collapsed in India's western state of Gujarat.

Hundreds of people were plunged into River Macchu in Morbi town. Local footage shows survivors hanging off the partly-submerged suspension bridge.

Reports say as many as 400 people were on the structure at the time. More than 80 people have been rescued, said Brijesh Merja, a state minister.

The incident comes just days after the bridge was reopened following repairs.

The 230-metre (754 feet) colonial-era crossing was built during British rule of India in the 19th Century. Known locally as a Julto Pool, it is a popular tourist attraction in the area.

Sunday's accident occurred at around 18:40 (13:10 GMT).

One witness told Reuters news agency that there were many children on the pedestrian bridge when it collapsed.

Prateek Vasava was one of those on the bridge at the time. He told 24 Hours Gujarati-language news channel how he swam to the river bank after falling into the water.

Several children fell into the river, he said, adding: "I wanted to pull some of them along with me but they had drowned or got swept away."

Videos show scenes of chaos as onlookers on the river banks attempt to rescue those trapped in the water as darkness fell.

Another video shows people climbing up netted wire remains of the bridge to escape the water.

Emergency responders from neighbouring districts have been sent to help with rescue efforts, which are continuing through the night.

It is not clear what caused the bridge to collapse, but local authorities have suggested there was overcrowding because of holidays for the Diwali festival.

Videos circulating on social media show the footbridge swaying in the daytime crowded with pedestrians.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in his home state of Gujarat on a three-day visit, said he was "deeply saddened by the tragedy".

Mr Modi has announced compensation for the injured, as well as the next of kin of those who have died.

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2022-10-30 19:58:15Z
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At least 100 killed and 300 injured as Somalia's capital hit by two explosions - Sky News

At least 100 people have been killed and 300 injured after two explosions rocked the capital of Somalia in what appears to be an ongoing attack on the country's education ministry.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud confirmed the death toll in a statement on Sunday as he visited the site of the blasts outside the education ministry in Mogadishu.

"Our people who were massacred... included mothers with their children in their arms, fathers who had medical conditions, students who were sent to study, businessmen who were struggling with the lives of their families," he said.

The attack occurred in a busy area that houses several key government offices, and on a day when the nation's president, prime minister and other senior officials were meeting to discuss violent extremism.

The leaders were expected to pay particular attention to a known extremist group affiliated with al Qaeda called al Shabaab.

Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions at Zobe junction, which are understood to have been caused by car bombs.

The first of the explosions struck the education ministry near a busy junction in Mogadishu, while the second occurred as ambulances attended the scene and people gathered to help the victims.

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The blast wave smashed windows in the vicinity - as blood covered the tarmac just outside the building.

State news agency, SONNA, said the blasts had caused "scores of civilian casualties, including independent journalist Mohamed Isse Kona".

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Reuters reported that witnesses had seen windows blown out of nearby buildings, and burnt out ambulances that were destroyed in the second blast.

"Two car bombs targeted the education ministry building along K5 street," local resident, Ahmed Nur told the news agency.

"The second blast burnt our ambulance as we came to transport the casualty from the first blast," Abdikadir Abdirahman, founder of the Aamin Ambulance Service, added.

Image: Pic: Abdihalim Bashir/via REUTERS

Who are al Shabaab?

Al Shabaab often targets the capital with attacks on high-profile locations that begin with explosions and continue with gunmen entering and battling security teams.

The group stormed the education ministry in 2015, and the latest attack occurred at the scene of a massive al Shabaab blast in 2017, which killed more than 500 people.

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The group emerged as the radical wing of Somalia's Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which no longer exists, and declared allegiance to al Qaeda in 2012.

Al Shabaab is viewed by the UK as a terrorist organisation.

Somalia's government is engaged in a new offensive against the extremist group, which has been described by the US as of one of al Qaeda's deadliest affiliates.

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2022-10-30 04:41:15Z
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Itaewon crowd crush: Horror as more than 150 die in Seoul district - BBC

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By Jean Mackenzie, Hosu Lee and Merlyn Thomas

BBC News, Seoul and London

At least 151 people have died in a crush as huge Halloween crowds surged into a narrow street in South Korea's capital, Seoul, officials say.

At least 82 were injured in the incident in the Itaewon nightlife area which was holding its first unmasked Halloween celebrations since Covid.

Reports describe a desperate scene of people caught up in the crush piling on top of each other.

Most of the dead were teenagers or in their 20s. Nineteen were foreigners.

The cause of the disaster is still being established.

After holding an emergency meeting, South Korea's President, Yoon Suk-yeol, ordered a task force to be set up to help treat the injured. He also launched an investigation into the cause of the crush.

With the death toll as it stands, this is the deadliest disaster in South Korea since 2014, when the Sewol ferry sank killing more than 300 people.

Live updates

Itaewon is one of the most popular neighbourhoods in Seoul for a night out. Locals and foreigners flock there every weekend, but Halloween is one of the busiest nights of the year.

An estimated 100,000 people came to celebrate there on Saturday to mark the first Halloween since the start of the pandemic where gathering sizes were not limited and people did not need to wear masks outside.

The crush appears to have started in a narrow, sloped alleyway that was overcrowded with people. Pictures and videos on social media show the alley was so densely packed, people were unable to move. One video shows people struggling to breathe. In another, emergency responders try to pull out people from what appears to be a pile of bodies. Cries of distress can be heard.

Bodies were lined up along the street covered in blue blankets. Others were carried, lifeless, into ambulances. Members of the public desperately administered CPR to those who were lying unconscious, along with hundreds of emergency workers who were sent in from around the country to help.

Relatives and friends of missing people have been turning up at the scene this morning looking for clues to reveal whether their loved ones were there.

But the bodies have been moved from the street into a gymnasium, for family members to come and identify them. With so many victims, this is expected to take time and is the authorities' immediate priority.

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Jeon Ga-eul, 30, was having a drink at a bar at the moment the crush began.

"My friend said: something terrible is happening outside," she told AFP news agency. "I said: what are you talking about? And then I went outside to see and there were people doing CPR in the street."

A doctor who administered first aid at the scene said that when he had first started performing CPR there were two victims but "the number exploded soon after, outnumbering the first responders".

Social media messages posted earlier in the evening showed some people remarking that the Itaewon area was so crowded that it felt unsafe.

One witness, Park Jung-Hoon, told Reuters news agency that big crowds were normal for Christmas and fireworks celebration but "this was several ten-folds bigger than any of that".

A local journalist said that an emergency broadcast had been sent to every mobile phone in the Yongsan District urging citizens to return home as soon as possible due to "an emergency accident near Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon".

The attention will likely shift to the safety standards and crowd control measures in place at these occasions. President Yoon has already called for a review of the safety of festivity sites.

Several world leaders have expressed their condolences. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron said their thoughts were with the people of South Korea.

The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said he was deeply saddened and the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, pledged American support.

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2022-10-30 02:07:42Z
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Itaewon crowd crush: Horror as nearly 150 die in Seoul district - BBC

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By Hosu Lee and Merlyn Thomas

BBC News, Seoul and London

At least 149 people have died in a crush as huge Halloween crowds surged into a narrow street in South Korea's capital, Seoul, officials say.

At least 76 were injured in the incident in the Itaewon nightlife area which was holding its first unmasked Halloween celebrations since Covid.

Reports describe a desperate scene of people caught up in the crush piling on top of each other.

The cause of the disaster is still being investigated.

Live updates

After holding an emergency meeting, South Korea's President, Yoon Suk-yeol, ordered a task force to be set up to help treat the injured.

He also launched an investigation into the cause of the crush.

Several world leaders have expressed their condolences. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron said their thoughts were with the people of South Korea.

The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said he was deeply saddened and the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, pledged American support.

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While Halloween is not a big celebration in South Korea overall, Itaewon, a district with an international cultural feel, would have been a peak party location for the festival on Saturday.

Many young people were there, some of them dressed in Halloween costumes, out to party and go clubbing.

Instead, the area descended into chaos and people were left distraught and grieving as victims lay under blue sheets and emergency services did their work.

Videos from Itaewon show body bags placed on the streets, emergency workers performing CPR, and rescuers trying to pull out people trapped beneath others.

Jeon Ga-eul, 30, was having a drink at a bar at the moment the crush began.

"My friend said: something terrible is happening outside," she told AFP news agency. "I said: what are you talking about? And then I went outside to see and there were people doing CPR in the street."

Most of the dead were in their teens or 20s, said Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul's Yongsan fire department. Of the injured, 19 were seriously hurt and 57 lightly.

Two foreign nationals are among the dead and 15 foreigners were injured, he added.

The high number of casualties was a result of "many being trampled", the fire chief said.

One video appears to show hundreds of people packed tightly together in a narrow, sloping road in the district. In another, emergency responders try to pull out people from what appears to be a pile of bodies. Cries of distress can be heard.

Bodies were being sent to nearby gyms and hospitals to be identified by family members.

All available emergency responders in Seoul have been mobilised, according to the National Fire agency.

A doctor who administered first aid at the scene said that when he had first started performing CPR there were two victims but "the number exploded soon after, outnumbering the first responders".

Some 100,000 revellers are said to have been in the area on Saturday evening.

Social media messages posted earlier in the evening showed some people remarking that the Itaewon area was so crowded that it felt unsafe.

One witness, Park Jung-Hoon, told Reuters news agency that big crowds were normal for Christmas and fireworks celebration but "this was several ten-folds bigger than any of that".

A local journalist said that an emergency broadcast had been sent to every mobile phone in the Yongsan District urging citizens to return home as soon as possible due to "an emergency accident near Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon".

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2022-10-29 22:51:57Z
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Russia pulls plug on UN deal to allow exports of Ukrainian grain - Financial Times

Moscow has suspended its participation in a UN-backed deal with Kyiv that unblocked the movement of Ukrainian grain out of its southern ports, threatening to deepen the global food crisis.

Russia linked its decision to pull out of the deal to an attack on Saturday on ships in the port of Sevastopol in the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

It blamed the attack on Ukrainian armed forces, claiming air defences shot down Ukrainian drones but autonomous explosive boats had caused damage to navy vessels and energy facilities.

“In connection with the actions of the Ukrainian armed forces . . . the Russian side cannot guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo ships participating in the Black Sea Initiative, and suspends its implementation from today for an indefinite period,” the foreign ministry said.

It also claimed without evidence that British specialists were involved in the attack and said it had instructed its representatives at the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, which manages the deal, to suspend activities.

Russia has been hinting at its desire to pull out of the deal for some time. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the deal in recent weeks, claiming it was not sending grain to “the poorest countries”.

UN data shows that rich countries received more than half of the shipment volumes led by Spain. Middle-income countries including Turkey and China accounted for about a quarter of the total, while lower and lower-middle income countries such as Egypt and Ethiopia received just over a fifth. 

The UN has not billed the agreement as intended to send grain directly to poorer countries, saying instead that it was supposed to make grain purchases more accessible for poor countries. The deal was supposed to lower market prices that were sent soaring by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine said Russia was using a false pretext for pulling out of the deal.

“We have warned of Russia’s plans to ruin the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

“Now Moscow uses a false pretext to block the grain corridor which ensures food security for millions of people. I call on all states to demand Russia to stop its hunger games and recommit to its obligations.”

In a statement the ministry said that Russia’s actions call into question “the feasibility of [the corridor’s] further functioning”. Saturday’s announcement was “the embodiment of Moscow’s course to destabilise global food security under the pretext of recent events in Sevastopol”, it said.

Kyiv called on the UN and Turkey as guarantors of the grain deal to “send Russia a clear signal about the unacceptable hold [on] hundreds of millions of people around the world, including Africa, Asia and Latin America”.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tweeted that Russia was guilty of “nuclear blackmail, energy terror, grain blockade”.

“Putin turned food, cold and prices to weapons against the world. Putin’s Russia is waging a hybrid war against Europe, taking Africa and Middle East hostage,” he said.

Earlier this month the Financial Times reported that the UN-backed deal, which had enabled Ukraine to export millions of tonnes of wheat, was under strain as a surge in the number of cargo ships aiming to cross the Black Sea had caused a backlog.

The UN said it was in touch with Russian authorities on the matter.

“It is vital that all parties refrain from any action that would imperil the Black Sea Grain Initiative which is a critical humanitarian effort that is clearly having a positive impact on access to food for millions of people around the world,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general.

“Russia in entering this agreement recognised its responsibility to ensure that the ongoing conflict does not jeopardise global food security,” said John WH Denton, head of the International Chamber of Commerce, which was involved in the development of the deal.

“There will no doubt be claims and counterclaims about today’s incident in the Black Sea. But both governments must recognise that there is a greater — and global — humanitarian imperative to restore the agricultural shipping corridor without delay,” Denton said.

“Letting this deal fail is not an option for the millions counting on it for their daily existence across the developing world,” he said.

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2022-10-29 19:49:14Z
CAIiEFFKgfW5l78uTD1BArcMeV4qGAgEKg8IACoHCAow-4fWBzD4z0gw_fCpBg

Joe Biden condemns 'despicable' attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband - as police say assault was 'not random' - Sky News

Joe Biden has described the violent assault on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband as "despicable" – as San Francisco's police chief has said it was "not a random attack".

Paul Pelosi, 82, is recovering from a skull fracture after he was attacked by an intruder with a hammer on Friday.

The intruder - David DePape - broke into the couple's home in San Francisco at around 2.30am, reportedly looking for the US House Speaker.

Police said officers were called to the house for a "wellbeing check" and arrived to find both men holding the hammer.

The suspect then pulled the hammer away from Mr Pelosi and used it to "violently assault" him, before being tackled by police officers.

At some point, the suspect searched for the Democratic leader shouting, "Where is Nancy? Where is Nancy?"

Image: Damage to the home of Nancy and Paul Pelosi. Pic: KGO TV via ABC

Posts about QAnon

The suspect appears to have made racist and often rambling posts online, including some that echoed QAnon conspiracy theories, according to initial investigations.

His posts also questioned the results of the 2020 election and defended former president Donald Trump.

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The 42 year old grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, before leaving about 20-years-ago to follow an older girlfriend to San Francisco. A street address listed for DePape in the Bay Area college town of Berkeley led to a post office box at a UPS Store.

He was arrested at the Pelosi home early on Friday.

A motorcade believed to be carrying Mrs Pelosi arrived at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Friday, where her husband Paul is being treated.

She was in Washington when the assault occurred and flew back to San Francisco International Airport.

'Despicable'

The US president sharply condemned the attack on Mr Pelosi and drew parallels between the attack on the House speaker's husband and the US Capitol riots.

Speaking at an event in Philadelphia on Friday evening, he said he had earlier spoken to Mrs Pelosi and she reported that her husband was in "good spirits".

He went on to address reports that the assailant had repeated the "same chant" heard during the 6 January 2021 riots.

"The chant was: 'Where's Nancy?'" Mr Biden said, calling it "despicable."

"There's too much violence, political violence," the president added, suggesting that election denialism and claims that COVID-19 was a "hoax" had eroded the political climate.

"Every person of good conscience needs to clearly and unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics, regardless of what your politics are," he said.

Image: A police officer rolls out more yellow tape on the closed street below the home of Nancy and Paul Pelosi

'Not a random act'

Meanwhile, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told a news conference that the attack on Mr Pelosi at their San Francisco home was "intentional".

He said: "This was not a random act. This was intentional. And it's wrong."

Mr Scott declined to comment further on a possible motive for the assault and said the investigation was ongoing.

Mr Pelosi was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery for a skull fracture and severe injuries to his right arm and hands, a spokesperson said.

He is expected to make a full recovery.

DePape has been charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and several other felony charges.

His motive has not yet been made clear.

Mrs Pelosi's spokesperson, Drew Hammill, said her husband had been attacked "by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker".

Image: The scene outside the Pelosi residence in San Francisco following the attack

Read more:
Attacker was looking for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when he broke into her house and hit husband with hammer
Analysis - Attack on Pelosi's husband comes amid increasing threats against US politicians

'Dastardly act'

Mrs Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the US House of Representatives, and second-in-line to the presidency, was in Washington DC at the time, having recently returned from a security summit in Europe.

Had she been at home, her security detail would have been present but Mr Pelosi is not eligible for this protection on his own.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement: "What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act.

"I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery."

Image: Nancy and Paul Pelosi pictured in 2018

After the attack, the White House released a statement saying "the president is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family", adding he was "very glad" a full recovery was expected.

The attack is being investigated by San Francisco police, Capitol Police, and the FBI.

It comes amid growing concern about the safety of America's politicians almost two years after the Capitol insurrection in January 2021, when Mrs Pelosi's office was ransacked.

Last year, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress from both parties - nearly a threefold increase since 2017.

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2022-10-29 08:22:32Z
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Philippines storm Nalgae kills dozens in floods and mudslides - BBC

Reuters

By Jonathan Head and Laurence Peter

BBC News, Bangkok and London

A severe tropical storm has killed at least 45 people in the Philippines, unleashing floods and landslides in southern provinces, officials say.

Storm Nalgae caused the most havoc in Maguindanao province, on Mindanao island. There is extensive flooding in and around the city of Cotabato.

Nalgae is sweeping north, where the capital Manila expects torrential rain.

Rescuers pulled many bodies from thick mud after landslides. The storm winds are gusting at up to 95km/h (59 mph).

The Coast Guard has suspended ferry services in much of the archipelago, where many people travel by boat daily. The Coast Guard is evacuating many people to shelters.

Heavy rain began on Thursday and the storm is expected to reach its peak this weekend. The storm has also forced some schools to close and buses to stop running.

Earlier on Saturday officials gave a death toll of 72, but that has been revised down.

The Philippines typically experiences 20 typhoons or tropical storms annually. They come from the Pacific Ocean, and Nalgae is not a particularly strong one - it is, however, very large, covering much of the country, and very wet.

Some areas have recorded their highest ever daily rainfall. Flash floods and landslides are always one of the greatest dangers in the Philippines, with its unstable geography and deforested mountains.

Warnings have been issued over possible mudslides on the slopes of the biggest volcanoes.

The emergency services are well practised in responding to big storms, but the huge volumes of water have made rescuing stranded people difficult.

Reuters

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2022-10-29 04:27:44Z
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