Italy Cruise Tragedy

Italy Cruise Tragedy

The captain of the ill-fated cruise ship may have made "significant" errors that led to the vessel's grounding and deaths of at least five people, the cruise line says

The company operating a cruise ship that capsized after hitting rocks off western Italy on Friday says the captain may have "committed errors".

He appears to have sailed too close to land and not to have followed the company's emergency procedures, Costa Crociere said in a statement.

Capt Francesco Schettino is suspected of manslaughter, but denies wrongdoing.

At least five people have died but about 15 remain unaccounted for. Divers are trying to find more survivors.

"It seems that the commander made errors of judgement that had serious consequences," Costa Crociere said.

"The route followed by the ship turned out to be too close to the coast, and it seems that his decision in handling the emergency didn't follow Costa Crociere's procedures which are in line, and in some cases, go beyond, international standards," the statement added.

The Costa Concordia is lying on its side just metres off the Tuscan island of Giglio.

Capt Schettino has been detained on suspicion of manslaughter. The chief prosecutor said the vessel had "very ineptly got close to Giglio".

But Capt Schettino denied any wrongdoing, saying the rocks it hit were not marked on his nautical chart.

"We should have had deep water beneath us," he told Italian TV. "We were about 300 metres (1,000ft) from the rocks more or less. We shouldn't have hit anything."

He also also denied claims by prosecutors that he left the Costa Concordia before evacuation was complete. "We were the last to leave the ship," Capt Schettino said.

The 52-year-old captain has worked for Costa Crociere for 11 years. The company said he joined the company in 2002 as an official in charge of security.

He was made captain in 2006, having been the ship's second-in-command.

Like all captains in the fleet he took part in a continuous programme of training and passed all the required checks, Costa Crociere said.

First officer Ciro Ambrosio has also been detained.

Rising toll

On Sunday, emergency teams recovered the bodies of two elderly men trapped in a flooded section of the partially submerged Costa Concordia.

The bodies are being taken to the mainland for identification. The discovery brings to five the number of those known to have died.

The ship, carrying more than 4,200 people, was on the first night of a Mediterranean cruise when it ran aground in calm conditions.

Rescue teams are continuing to search some of the hundreds of submerged cabins and other rooms.

"We are going to all the ship's cabins looking for any signs of life, or people shouting or any noises," said Italian interior ministry spokesman, Francesco Paulo Tronca.

"It's a very difficult operation. We are talking about hundreds and hundreds of cabins on many different decks."

Three survivors were found on Sunday. Teams working above the waterline rescued an Italian man - a senior member of the ship's crew - who had suffered a severe leg injury.

He was placed on a stretcher and winched up to a rescue helicopter.

Earlier, a Korean couple who were on their honeymoon were discovered trapped in a cabin. They were brought ashore, dazed but unhurt.

Swimming to safety

On Saturday, officials said two French passengers and a Peruvian crew member had died and another 30 people had been injured.

Italian, German, French and British nationals were among the 3,200 passengers on board. There were also 1,000 crew.

On Sunday morning, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News all the Britons - 23 passengers and 12 crew - were now safe and accounted for.

The president of Costa Crociere, Gianni Onorato, said the company would "be working in full transparency with Italian authorities" to understand the causes of the disaster.

Mr Onorato said normal lifeboat evacuation had become "almost impossible" because the ship had listed so quickly. Some passengers had to swim to Giglio.

The survivors have been taken by ferry from Giglio to Porta San Stefano, about 25km (15 miles) away on the mainland.

Some described scenes of chaos, and said the crew had not carried out an evacuation drill by the time disaster struck.

SKorea Fish Boat Caught Fire in Antartica

South Korean Fish boat fire in Antartica 

Three crew members are thought to have died on a South Korean fishing boat that caught fire in Antarctica.
"Three crew members are still missing and are believed to have died in the fire in the vessel's accommodation block,'' the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre said.
Another 37 fishermen were rescued - seven sustained burn injuries, two of which were serious.
The 51-metre (167ft) Jeong Woo 2 issued a distress call early on Wednesday.
It got into trouble in the Ross Sea, about 600km (375 miles) north of the US McMurdo Antarctic base.
Two other South Korean fishing vessels rushed to evacuate the crew members.
They were being medically assessed and would be transferred to the US research ship Nathaniel B. Palmer, which was ''steaming north to meet them'', said the New Zealand rescue authorities.
The two rescue boats remain stuck due to ice and fog conditions, it added.
The Nathaniel B. Palmer has medical facilities on board and will sail to the McMurdo base, where flights to New Zealand are available.
The incident happened about 3,700km (2,000 miles) south-east of New Zealand.
The weather in the area is calm and relatively mild, according to a Reuters report. Ships in the area would usually be fishing for toothfish, a valuable species known as the ''white gold'' of the Southern Ocean.
The Jeong Woo 2 was built in Japan and is registered in Busan, South Korea, according to the Associated Press News Agency.
Last month, a Russian fishing boat hit an iceberg in ice-filled waters off Antarctica, leaving its 32-member crew stranded for 12 days.
The Sparta was eventually repaired and managed to sail into a New Zealand port.

Train Accident in Jharkhand

Train Accident in Jharkhand

One bogie of the Brahmaputra Mail got derailed on Wednesday leaving four dead and several injured. Accident took place at 5.50 AM at Karanpura in Eastern Railways division.
The accident happened when a stationary goods train with fault in the engine suddenly rolled back and hit the sleeper coach at Karanpura station.
Sahibganj SP Vijay Laxmi said, "Rescue operations are on. All the injured have been shifted to the hospital."
Both the trains were coming from Dibrugarh in Assam to New Delhi. The injured have been taken to a local hospital in Karanpura.
Relief train has reached the accident site and a special train from Howarah station has also left for the accident site.  The government has announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for dead and Rs 50,000 for grievously injured and Rs 10,000 for minor injuries.
Indian railways PRO Anil Saxena in a statement said, "This unfortunate accident took place at 5:50 AM this morning near Jharkhand. The actual place site of accident is Karanpura, which comes under Malda division. Bramhaputra Mail was passing through the station from neighboring loop line when a goods train started rolling back. The tenth coach from engine was hit in the accident. Four people have been killed and 5 have been injured. Stringent action will be taken if anyone is found guilty. Dinesh Trivedi has expressed his heartfelt condolence. Stranded passengers are being provided relief. People with minor injuries are being treated in the train itself. Helplines has been set up at Delhi, Rangia and Jharkhand station."

Base-jump goes wrong in Norway

Base-jump goes wrong in Norway

Base-jumper Hans Lange managed to avoid serious injury after jumping from the side of a mountain in Norway.  He escaped with just a broken leg after his parachute failed to release properly, and he landed in a tree.  Flying down a mountainside in a specially designed suit is now popular among base-jumpers.

Bungee cord snaps above crocodile-infested waters

Bungee cord snaps above crocodile-infested waters

Bungee cord snaps above crocodile-infested waters

A woman has plunged into crocodile-infested waters after her bungee rope snapped.  Erin Langworthy had jumped from the Victoria Falls bridge above the Zambezi River, when the cord snapped in two.
She told Australia's Channel 9 News "it went black straight away and I felt liked I had been slapped all over".
She said she had to swim with her feet tied together to the Zimbabwe side of the water, and had to free the cord when it got caught on rocks.
Footage courtesy of Australia's Channel 9

Qantas plane hits turbulence over India

Qantas plane hits turbulence over India, 7 injured

In another mid air incident, seven passengers of a Sydney-bound Qantas airlines, from London, reportedly suffered injuries after it was hit by severe turbulence.

Qantas flight (QF32) departed London on Friday night and was three hours out of Singapore on Saturday morning when it was hit by turbulence caused by bad storms in the Indian airspace, a Qantas spokeswoman was quoted as saying in media reports in Melbourne.

"The aircraft diverted around most of it (turbulence) but it was the initial part of the storm that had the impact," the spokeswoman said.

"The seat belt sign had come on but some passengers were still moving back to their seats.  Seven people suffered minor cuts and bruises during the incident. Four were treated in hospital while three were treated at a medical center in Singapore but all have since been discharged.  The aircraft was cleared to fly after being assessed by engineers and has taken off from Singapore.  Last year, passengers on a Qantas flight to Perth, which plunged 150 feet in two seconds in 2008, received damages from Airbus and aerospace technology giant Northrop Grumman. The payout was understood to be worth millions, with more than 140 people receiving payments of up to $400,000.  Lawyers for another 16 passengers planned to launch a multimillion dollar law suit in the US after failing to reach a settlement with the companies.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found the Airbus A330 dived twice unexpectedly after one of three airspeed sensors malfunctioned on October 7, 2008.

Footage of Top Gear crash

Footage of Richard Hammond's high speed crash has been aired on Top Gear as he returned to the show for the first time since the accident.

Hammond, 37, left hospital just five weeks after his jet-powered car came off a runway near York at 280mph.  He received a hero's welcome as he returned to the TV show on Sunday. He said experts who analysed footage of the crash said he had displayed the reactions of a fighter pilot. Hammond suffered serious brain injuries in the crash at Elvington airfield after a tyre burst on the Vampire jet car causing it to skid and flip over.

The father-of-two, who has no memory of the crash, watched alongside Top Gear co-presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May. Hammond surprised doctors with his 'remarkable' recovery Asked why he had attempted a final run in the car after having already reached speeds of 314mph, Hammond said: " I suppose it's like when you were playing outside as a kid and then your mum called you in for dinner. You'd always stay out for a bit longer..." "And that's when you'd fall out the tree," Clarkson remarked. "As it happens, yes," Hammond said.

Assuring viewers he had not suffered long-term brain damage, he joked: "The only difference between me now, and before the crash, is I like celery now.""I am fixed. I am completely fixed and normal," he said.

He went on to thank the staff in hospitals in Leeds and Bristol, who helped him "when I was being stuck back together", and the many members of the public who wrote to him while he was recovering. Investigators have yet to give their verdict on the safety precautions taken by the programme.

Hot air balloon crash in New Zealand kills 11

Aerial footage shows the scene of a hot air balloon after it burst into flames and crashed in New Zealand

Early Saturday a hot air balloon crash in New Zealand killed the pilot and 10 passengers (11 people)  -- officials said.  
Police and witnesses say the balloon struck power lines and burst into flames, before plunging to the ground.

No one survived the crash, which happened on the outskirts of Carterton, a town northeast of Wellington. A fire likely started on board the balloon, sending it plummeting to the ground, said Superintendent Mike Rusbatch, Wellington District commander for New Zealand Police.  It was not immediately clear what started the fire, though eyewitnesses said the balloon had hit a power line, according to police.  "This is an absolutely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the families of the deceased. We are in the process of notifying next of kin. However, we will not be releasing any names until all next of kin have been advised," Rusbatch said. A police spokeswoman said all the victims were from the wider Wellington area. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way. A witness to the crash told Radio New Zealand that the balloon wason fire as it fell. He was in his garden when he heard a hissing sound and looked up to see flames climbing the sides of the basket. When the balloon hit the ground, a large cloud of smoke ascended, Radio New Zealand reported.  The weather was likely not a factor in the crash, according to Jill Stringer, a spokeswoman for the Wairarapa District Health Board.  "It was a perfect morning for ballooning," she said.

Case Studies and Reports on Accidents

Case studies and Reports on Accidents

Over 3000 Kenyans are killed on our roads every year, most of them between the ages of 15 and 44 years. The cost to our economy from these accidents is in excess of US$ 50 million exclusive of the actual loss of life. The Kenyan government appreciates that road traffic injuries are a major public health problem amenable to prevention.

In 2003, the newly formed Government of the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition, took up the road safety challenge.  It is focusing on specific measures to curtail the prevalent disregard of traffic regulations and mandating speed limiters in public service vehicles. Along with the above measures the Government has also launched a six-month Road Safety Campaign and declared war on corruption, which contributes directly and indirectly to the country’s unacceptably high levels of road traffic accidents. I urge all nations to implement the recommendations of the World report on road traffic injury prevention as a guide to promoting road safety in their countries.  With this tool in hand, I look forward to working with my colleagues in health, transport, education and other sectors to more fully address this major public health problem.

Click the links for Case Studies and Reports by various Institutes and Organizations

World report on road traffic injury prevention : Report issued by World Health Organization

Identification of Accident Hot Spots : A GIS Based Implementation for Kannur District, Kerala, India

Road crashes and deaths in India : By National Institute of mental Health and Neuro sciences, India

Accident Study on National Highway - 5 : Case Study on Accidents on NH - 5, India

Road Accident Analysis : A Case Study of Patna City, India

Driving Tips in USA

Driving Tips

Each state has different driving laws
In USA, remember that each of the 50 states has its own set of traffic laws and regulations. Fortunately, most of the laws are the same, but some states have slightly different rules. When you rent a car, you need to ask the agent if there are any special driving rules in that state. Check a tour book for any special driving rules in each state when driving in multiple states.
All states has Maximum speed limits
The speed limit in most states is now 65 miles per hour (about 110 km/hr) except where signs indicate slower or faster speeds. Many drivers travel about 5 mph above the legal limit and the police do not seem to mind. Speed limits are strictly enforced by radar in many states (especially the eastern highly populated areas). Speeding in any road construction area is strictly enforced with very heavy penalties in most states.
Minimum driving age
The minimum age for driving is 16 in most states but some states will not allow unrestricted driving until 18. Some car rental agencies refuse to rent a car to any person under 25 years of age. Other agencies will rent to young drivers but require an added surcharge. Some rental agencies in the US will not rent to drivers over 71 years of age.
Seat belts are required
Nearly all states have laws requiring the driver and front passengers to wear seat belts. Many states require children to wear seat belts even in the back seats. Nearly every state requires special child restraint seats for all young children. Most states require motorcyclists to wear helmets.
In some states Radar Detectors illegal
Some states permit you to use radar detectors, while other states prohibit them. Many people seem to ignore this prohibition. Some states require you to use daytime running lights during rain.
Strict enforcement of certain driving laws
The speed limit in front of every school is greatly reduced when classes are in session.  The reduced limits in these school zones is posted on a sign.  When these reduced limits are in effect, lights with the limit signg will flash. You are required to stop in both directions for any school bus with flashing lights. These rules are strictly enforced in every state and have severe penalties for disobedience. Drinking alcohol and driving is also forbidden and strictly enforced in all states.
American Automobile Association Benefits
The American Automobile Association (AAA), commonly called the "triple A", provides some wonderful services to drivers. They have offices in every city and most of the larger towns in the US. If you are a member of a national motor club in your home country, you can receive many of their benefits free of charge by simply showing your membership card. The AAA provides free maps and tourist guides for any city or state in the US. Many hotels offer discounted rates to AAA members.
The US highway system
The USA has an extensive system of interstate highways and state maintained roads. Some of the major highways are toll roads often called turnpikes, but most are free. All major interstate highways running north to south have odd numbers and are ordered from I-5 on the Pacific coast to I-95 along the Atlantic coast. All interstates running east to west are evenly numbered beginning with I-8 and I-10 near the Mexican border to I-94 near Canada.