death toll
More bodies found in Tibet avalanche, death toll rises to 20
More bodies were found Friday following an avalanche that buried vehicles outside a highway tunnel in Tibet, raising the death toll to 20 with eight people still missing.
Images from the scene at the exit of the tunnel connecting the city of Nyingchi in Tibet’s southwest with an outlying county showed about half a dozen backhoes digging through deep snow. Reports said around 1,000 rescuers had joined the effort.
Tons of snow and ice collapsed onto the mouth of the tunnel on Tuesday evening, trapping drivers in their vehicles.
Read more: Search ends in Chinese hotel collapse that killed 17 people
Many of the people were headed home for China’s Lunar New Year holiday that starts Sunday.
Nyingchi lies at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet, about five hours drive from the regional capital Lhasa along a highway that opened in 2018.
Dhamrai gas cylinder blast death toll rises to four
The death toll from the gas cylinder explosion that caused a fire at a house in Dhaka's Dhamrai rose to four as another injured person died at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Wednesday morning, police said.
The deceased was identified as Monjurul Islam, 32.
Monjurul, who sustained burn injuries to 33 percent of his body, died at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery around 8am, said its resident surgeon Dr SM Ayub Hossain.
Earlier, Manjurul's wife Josna Begum, 25, their one-and-half-year-old daughter Mariam and niece Sadiya Akter, 18, succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.
Also Read: Dhamrai fire: Child victim dies at DMCH
Josna's elder sister Hosna Begum, 30, is now undergoing treatment at the hospital with 25 percent burn injuries, Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) Police Outpost, said.
On January 7, a fire broke out following a gas cylinder blast on the second floor of Monjurul's rented house at Kumral village in Dhamrai at around 5.30am when Josna Begum tried to light a gas stove.
Narail boat capsize: Death toll climbs to 5
The death toll from the boat capsize in the Nabaganga River in Narail rose to five with the recovery of one body on Monday.
Sheikh Tasmim Alam, officer-in-charge of Kalia Police Station, said the divers from local fire service fished out the body of Royel Par, son of Imamul Mandal of Bahirdanga village around 3:30 pm.
Another victim identified as Mahmud Sheikh, 41, son of Khalek Sheikh of Kalia village and son-in-law of Enamul Mandal, still remained missing since the boat capsized.
Efforts are on to find Mahmud, he added.
Also Read: Narail boat capsize: Death toll rises to 4
Two people drowned and five others went missing after a boat capsized in the river off the coast of Kalia upazila on Friday night.
The bodies of Labu, 32, son of Tuku Chowkidar of Babupur village, and Khanze Sheikh, 55, son of Matiar Sheikh of Jokar Char village, were recovered on Sunday.
The boat with 17 people on board capsized around 8:30 pm while heading towards Bahirdanga from Baghbari of Kalia municipality. Ten of them managed to swim to ashore.
Bangladesh logs 21 more Covid cases
Bangladesh reported 21 more Covid cases in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning.With the new numbers, the country's total caseload rose to 2,037,067, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).However, the official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,439 as no new fatalities were reported.The daily case test positivity increased to 0.79 percent from Tuesday’s 0.49 percent as 2,666 samples were tested during the period.
Read more: Bangladesh sees another Covid death, 438 cases in 24hrsThe mortality and recovery rates remained unchanged at 1.45 percent and 97.57 percent respectively.In November, the country reported 10 Covid-linked deaths and 1,345 cases.Bangladesh registered its highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year and daily fatalities of 264 on August 10 the same year.
Dengue death toll now 260 with two deaths
With two more deaths from dengue recorded in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, the official death toll from the mosquito-borne disease rose to 260 this year.During this period, 253 more patients, including 130 in Dhaka city, were hospitalised, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read more: Dengue menace to continue till mid-November: ExpertsA total of 1,171 dengue patients, including 683 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.The DGHS has recorded 59, 449 dengue cases and 58,018 recoveries so far this year.
Dengue death toll reaches 217
One more death from Dengue in 24 hours till Thursday morning raised this year’s fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease to 217.
During the period, 685 patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
With the new patients, this year’s dengue caseload rose to 51,444, it said.
Read more: No respite from Dengue: Death toll rises to 213
The latest death was reported from Dhaka.
The new figure raised the death toll in Dhaka division to 131.
Meanwhile, death toll remained unchanged at eleven in Khulna, nine in Barishal, six in Rajshahi, and five in Mymensingh division.
Of the new patients, 353 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 332 outside it, according to the DGHS.
A total of 2,750 dengue patients, including 1,524 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
The Directorate has recorded 48,477 recoveries so far this year.
On November 8, this year’s fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease reached 182, exceeding all previous records in Bangladesh.
Earlier the country recorded the highest 179 deaths from Dengue in a year in 2019.
Gazipur filling station fire: Death toll climbs to 4
The death toll from the Gazipur filling station fire rose to four, with another victim succumbing to his burn injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Thursday morning.
The deceased was identified as filling station worker Sirajul Islam, 28.
Sirajul, who sustained 40% burns, breathed his last at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of DMCH at 7.30 am, said inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH police camp.
One more burn victim of the same fire -- Anwar, 30 -- is being treated at the same hospital, and his condition is also critical, said a doctor.
Earlier, on Tuesday, another worker, Al Amin, 30, succumbed to his injuries at the same hospital.
Besides, driver Parvez, 33, who sustained 86% burns succumbed to his injuries on Monday. On Friday, another injured, named Mithu Mia, 26, who suffered 100% burns, died at the same hospital.
On October 13 evening, the fire was triggered by an explosion that occurred in a cylinder-laden van while refuelling gas at Wahed Ali Filling Station in Gazipur’s Borobari area.
The seven people who sustained burn injuries in the fire were all standing nearby.
They were first taken to Tahirunnesa Memorial Medical College Hospital (TMMC) and five of them had to be later shifted to DMCH as their condition was critical.
Hurricane Ian: Florida’s death toll climbs to 27
A revived Hurricane Ian pounded coastal South Carolina on Friday, ripping apart piers and flooding streets after the ferocious storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida, trapping thousands in their homes and leaving at least 27 people dead.
The powerful storm, estimated to be one of the costliest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S., has terrorized people for much of the week — pummeling western Cuba and raking across Florida before gathering strength in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean to curve back and strike South Carolina.
While Ian’s center came ashore near Georgetown, South Carolina, on Friday with much weaker winds than when it crossed Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier in the week, the storm left many areas of Charleston’s downtown peninsula under water. It also washed away parts of four piers along the coast, including two at Myrtle Beach.
Online cameras showed seawater filling neighborhoods in Garden City to calf level. As Ian moved across South Carolina on its way to North Carolina Friday evening, it dropped from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone.
Ian left a broad swath of destruction in Florida, flooding areas on both of its coasts, tearing homes from their slabs, demolishing beachfront businesses and leaving more than 2 million people without power.
Many of the deaths were drownings, including that of a 68-year-old woman swept away into the ocean by a wave. A 67-year-old man who was waiting to be rescued died after falling into rising water inside his home, authorities said.
Other storm-related fatalities included a 22-year-old woman who died after an ATV rollover from a road washout and a 71-year-old man who fell off a roof while putting up rain shutters. An 80-year-old woman and a 94-year-old man who relied on oxygen machines also died after the equipment stopped working during power outages.
Another three people died in Cuba earlier in the week as the storm churned northward. The death toll was expected to increase substantially once emergency officials have an opportunity to search many of the hardest-hit areas.
Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through riverine streets in Florida after the storm to save thousands of people trapped amid flooded homes and shattered buildings .
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday that crews had gone door-to-door to over 3,000 homes in the hardest-hit areas.
“There’s really been a Herculean effort,” he said during a news conference in Tallahassee.
Also read: Ian floods southwest Florida, engulfing residents in houses
Hurricane Ian has likely caused “well over $100 billion” in damage, including $63 billion in privately insured losses, according to the disaster modeling firm Karen Clark & Company, which regularly issues flash catastrophe estimates. If those numbers are borne out, that would make Ian at least the fourth costliest hurricane in U.S. history.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said first responders have focused so far on “hasty” searches, aimed at emergency rescues and initial assessments, which will be followed by two additional waves of searches. Initial responders who come across possible remains are leaving them without confirming, he said Friday, describing as an example the case of a submerged home.
“The water was up over the rooftop, right, but we had a Coast Guard rescue swimmer swim down into it and he could identify that it appeared to be human remains. We do not know exactly how many,” Guthrie said.
Desperate to locate and rescue their loved ones, social media users shared phone numbers, addresses and photos of their family members and friends online for anyone who can check on them.
Orlando residents returned to flooded homes Friday, rolling up their pants to wade through muddy, knee-high water in their streets. Friends of Ramon Rodriguez dropped off ice, bottled water and hot coffee at the entrance to his subdivision, where 10 of the 50 homes were flooded and the road looked like a lake. He had no power or food at his house, and his car was trapped by the water.
“There’s water everywhere,” Rodriguez said. “The situation here is pretty bad.”
The devastating storm surge destroyed many older homes on the barrier island of Sanibel, Florida, and gouged crevices into its sand dunes. Taller condominium buildings were intact but with the bottom floor blown out. Trees and utility poles were strewn everywhere.
Municipal rescuers, private teams and the Coast Guard used boats and helicopters Friday to evacuate residents who stayed for the storm and then were cut off from the mainland when a causeway collapsed. Volunteers who went to the island on personal watercraft helped escort an elderly couple to an area where Coast Guard rescuers took them aboard a helicopter.
Hours after weakening to a tropical storm while crossing the Florida peninsula, Ian regained strength Thursday evening over the Atlantic. Ian made landfall in South Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph). When it hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday, it was a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph (240 kph).
After the heaviest of the rainfall blew through Charleston, Will Shalosky examined a large elm tree in front of his house that had fallen across his downtown street. He noted the damage could have been much worse.
“If this tree has fallen a different way, it would be in our house,” Shalosky said. “It’s pretty scary, pretty jarring.”
Ian’s heavy rains and winds crossed into North Carolina on Friday evening. Gov. Roy Cooper warned residents to be vigilant, given that up to 8 inches (20.3 centimeters) of rain could fall in some areas.
“Hurricane Ian is at our door. Expect drenching rain and sustained heavy winds over most of our state,” Cooper said. “Our message today is simple: Be smart and be safe.”
In Washington, President Joe Biden said he was directing “every possible action be taken to save lives and get help to survivors.”
“It’s going to take months, years to rebuild,” Biden said.
“I just want the people of Florida to know, we see what you’re going through and we’re with you.”
Dengue claims 55 lives since June 21: DGHS
Another dengue patient died in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, raising this year’s death toll from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 55.
During this period, 524 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever as cases have continued to increase, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
On June 21, the DGHS reported the first death of the season from the viral disease.
The latest death was reported from Chattogram division raising the death toll in the division to 24.
Read: 40 new dengue patients hospitalized
The dengue death toll in Dhaka division remained unchanged at 27 and in Barishal division at four.
Of the new patients, 373 were admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka and 151 outside it.
A total of 1,820 dengue patients, including 1,388 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.
This year, the directorate has recorded 15,346 dengue cases and 13,471 recoveries so far.
Karatoya boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 64
The death toll from the boat capsize in the Karatoya river of Panchagarh rose to 64 on Tuesday, with the recovery of nine more bodies Tuesday morning.
Two of the bodies were fished out of the Atrai river in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur and two from Debiganj upazila in Panchagarh, while the remaining were recovered from the area of the tragedy, said Dipankar Roy, additional district magistrate.
Also read: Death toll from sinking of Karatoa boat rises to 55
Among the deceased, 28 were women, 18 children and 15 men while gender of three more bodies could not be known yet, said SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh Police.
Rescue operations resumed 7am and "efforts are on to trace 20 more missing passengers", he said.
Earlier, SM Sirajul Huda, superintendent of Panchagarh Police, said they had received a list of 40 missing people from their relatives.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan visited the spot and announced that each of the deceased family will get Tk 20,00 from the government and Tk 25,000 from the Ministry of Religious affairs for funeral.
Meanwhile, a five-member probe body, headed by additional DM Roy, was formed to investigate the incident and it was asked to submit its report today, said Md Zahurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Panchagarh.
On Sunday, the overloaded passenger boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of the river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya at 2.30pm.
Also read: 15 die as boat sinks in Karatoya River in Panchagarh; 25 go missing
Some 25 bodies were recovered from the river on that day only, while many others managed to swim ashore.
This is the worst waterways accident the country witnessed after the devastating fire incident in a Barguna-bound launch off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24 last year that left 50 people dead.