Jumat, 02 Februari 2024

Why are farmers protesting in France and across Europe? - The Times

WORLD NEWS

Why are farmers protesting in France and across Europe?

Workers across the continent are frustrated by cheap imports, the EU’s green laws and higher taxes

Standing behind tractors blocking the A10 motorway outside Paris this week, Victor Rabier listed some of the grievances driving protests by farmers throughout Europe.

Foremost among them were the inspectors from the French Biodiversity Agency who arrive, armed with pistols, on his farm to check that he is following rules which he views as absurd.

“I can’t even prune my trees when I want,” he said. “Not even if they are hanging over a path and hitting the tractor when I drive along it. We just don’t feel that we can run our own farms anymore.”

Rabier, 33, grows wheat, potatoes and onions on a farm purchased by his father 40 years ago in the Essonne département south of Paris. He was speaking as long-standing

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2024-02-02 13:32:17Z
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Nairobi fire: Gas blast in Kenyan capital kills three and injures nearly 300 - BBC

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By Anne Soy, Dorcas Wangira & Ian Wafula in Nairobi

BBC News

A huge gas blast in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has killed at least three people and injured nearly 300.

A lorry carrying gas exploded in Embakasi district at about 23:30 (20:30 GMT), "igniting a huge ball of fire", a government spokesperson said.

Housing, businesses and cars were damaged, with video showing a huge blaze raging close to blocks of flats.

The area has been cordoned off and an investigation is under way into the cause of the explosion.

The BBC understands that at least one person, a guard at the site, has been arrested over the incident.

A child was among those who died, according Embakasi police chief Wesley Kimeto, who added that the death toll could rise.

Some 271 people were taken to hospital, according to the authorities, including at least 25 children.

Nairobi's Mayor Sakaja Johnson said many of these people had been treated and sent home, but at least 39 have been sent to other facilities - some with critical injuries.

A further 27 people were treated on site for non-life-threatening injuries.

The government initially said the blast happened at a gas plant where workers were refilling gas cylinders, but the authorities later clarified that a truck had exploded in a parking yard.

According to government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, a fireball from the blast "spread widely". A flying gas cylinder hit a clothing and textiles warehouse, burning it down.

"The inferno further damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium sized businesses," he said in a statement.

"Sadly, residential houses in the neighbourhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside, as it was late at night."

The fire has been contained and a search and rescue operation has been launched to find out if people are missing or have simply taken shelter elsewhere.

"There is still a search going on of whether there are bodies which have been burnt in various houses," said Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) said in a statement that the gas plant was illegal and that it had rejected three applications for construction permits to build a storage and filling facility at the site.

Epra said the designs did not meet its safety standards and there was a high population around the proposed site.

It is not clear how the facility was still able to operate.

Mr Mwaura, who visited the site, said the owners of the company involved must "compensate the victims" and take "full responsibility" for the explosion.

"It is immoral to risk the lives of fellow Kenyans for profit," he added.

"Sometimes we have weak enforcement institutions and of course the element of corruption, which has now led to the death of three of us Kenyans."

About 10 trucks were completely burned inside the compound where the explosion occurred.

One vehicle landed on top of a block of flats dozens of metres away, partially destroying the building's front.

Witnesses told the BBC that the explosion sent objects including gas cylinders and a shipping container, flying into the air.

Jackline Karimi said she ran out of the house and lay flat on the tarmac. She suffered burns on her right hand and arm up to the shoulder and to her right leg.

"I saw a woman on fire, but we couldn't help her. Everyone was running," Ms Karimi said.

Another woman who was in a flat near the scene of the blast told the BBC she was trying to trace her friend. "She was pregnant and had a child in the house, which is now completely burned."

Boniface Sifuna told the Reuters news agency he was burnt by an exploding gas canister.

"It exploded right in front of me and the impact knocked me down and the flames engulfed me. I am lucky that I was strong enough to get away."

James Ngoge, who lives across the street from where the blast happened, told the AFP news agency that he was in his house at the time and "heard a huge explosion".

"It felt like it was going to collapse. At first, we didn't even know what was happening, it was like an earthquake.

"I have a business on the road that was completely destroyed."

Government spokesman Mr Mwaura said a command centre had been set up to help co-ordinate rescue operations.

"Kenyans are hereby advised to keep off the cordoned area in order to allow the rescue mission to be carried out [with] minimal disruptions," he added.

With additional reporting by Kathryn Armstrong and Thomas Mackintosh in London

Map showing location of the blast site in Nairobi and a wider locator of Kenya

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By Anne Soy, Dorcas Wangira & Ian Wafula in Nairobi

BBC News

A huge gas blast in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has killed at least three people and injured nearly 300.

A lorry carrying gas exploded in Embakasi district at about 23:30 (20:30 GMT), "igniting a huge ball of fire", a government spokesperson said.

Housing, businesses and cars were damaged, with video showing a huge blaze raging close to blocks of flats.

The area has been cordoned off and an investigation is under way into the cause of the explosion.

The BBC understands that at least one person has been arrested over the incident.

The government initially said the blast happened at a gas plant where workers were refilling gas cylinders, but later clarified that a truck had exploded in its parking yard.

The fire that broke out as a result is reported to have been contained.

Embakasi police chief Wesley Kimeto said a child was among those who died, adding that the death toll could rise.

LIVE: Survivors being treated after Kenya gas explosion

Some 271 people were taken to hospital, according to the authorities - including at least 25 children.

Nairobi's Mayor Sakaja Johnson said many of these people had been treated and sent home, but at least 39 have been sent to other facilities with serious or critical injuries.

A further 27 people were treated on site for non-life-threatening injuries.

Its head of disaster operations, Vanant Ndhingila, told the BBC's Newsday programme that a search and rescue operation was under way. They are trying to find out if people are missing or have simply taken shelter elsewhere.

"There is still a search going on of whether there are bodies which have been burnt in various houses," said Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) said in a statement that the gas plant was illegal and that it had rejected three applications for construction permits to build a storage and filling facility at the site.

A firefighter gathers at the scene of an explosion at a makeshift gas cylinder refilling depot in Mradi estate, Embakasi district of Nairobi

The fireball from the blast had "spread widely", according to government spokesman Isaac Mwaura Mwaura, and a flying gas cylinder had hit a clothing and textiles warehouse, burning it down.

"The inferno further damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium sized businesses," he said in a statement.

"Sadly, residential houses in the neighbourhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside, as it was late at night."

About 10 trucks were completely burned inside the compound where the explosion occurred.

One burned vehicle landed on top of a block of flats dozens of metres away, partially destroying the building's front.