August 22, 2023

Three snowboarders sustained injuries when a chairlift became detached due to an unexpected “gust of wind” at Thredbo Ski Resort, the location of Australia’s longest ski lift. Two women and a man in their 20s suffered back and facial injuries after one of the chairs detached from the Kosciuszko ski lift on Saturday afternoon. The snowboarders plunged to the ground while approaching the top of the mountain after the chair plummeted several metres onto the snow near Eagles Nest. Thredbo Ski Resort said the incident was an isolated accident and was caused by a “freak gust of wind”. “No other guests or chairs were affected. Thredbo is committed to the safety of our guests and our people,” it said in a statement. pan and Australia plan joint navy drills in disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials say “The incident is currently being thoroughly investigated by SafeWork NSW and an independent engineer. Thredbo assures guests that their safety is paramount and that we will continue to apply our high standards of safety and risk management.” Images shared online showed injured people being assisted by the members of the ski patrol as the chair lay in the snow. Operations at the Kosciuszko chairlift — Australia’s longest at almost two kilometres — were temporarily halted for inspections. The chairlift was built 33 years ago to replace the old double chair in 1990. A wind gust reaching a speed of 65 km/h was registered just before the accident at the nearby weather station, situated close to the top station of the chairlift. The storm system dumped fresh snow across the ski fields. This marks the latest occurrence of a chairlift incident at Thredbo, which earned the title of Australia’s best ski resort for the fifth consecutive year in 2022. In 2019, a skier experienced minor bruising but remained otherwise unharmed when a chair detached from the Gunbarrel Chairlift, a four-seater similar to the Kosciuszko Chairlift. Source:https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/thredbo-chairlift-detach-kosciuszko-b2396162.html

A passenger bus in Pakistan’s Punjab province collided with a parked van carrying fuel drums, leading to a fire that claimed the lives of at least 18 people and left 13 others injured. The bus with more than 40 passengers was bound for Islamabad from Karachi when it met with the accident in the early hours of Sunday near Pindi Bhattian, Hafizabad district of eastern Punjab province. Senior police officer Fahad Ahmed said the bus rammed into the pick-up van that was carrying diesel drums, causing a massive blaze due to the impact of the collision and contact with fuel. Police said the van was parked on the shoulder of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway when the accident happened. Mr Ahmed said 18 bodies that have been retrieved from the bus were badly charred and a DNA testing would be conducted to confirm their identity. The drivers of both vehicles died, police said, adding that some of the rescued passengers suffered severe burn injuries and some are in critical condition. Inspector general motorway police Sultan Khawaja said those who managed to jump from the windows of the bus managed to survive the deadly crash. “On the Pindi Bhatian section of the motorway, the bus hit a static van which was carrying a fuel tank. The bus hit it from the rear and both vehicles caught fire immediately, killing at least 18 passengers,” he said. He said the investigation will reveal “whether the bus driver fell asleep at the time of the accident or the crash took place because of over-speeding”. Visuals on social media showed the ashy skeleton of the bus standing on the highway as the fire continued to blaze through parts of it. Punjab caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed grief over the accident and directed health authorities to ensure the best treatment for those injured. Deadly road accidents are a common occurrence on Pakistan’s highways, where safety norms are frequently overlooked and traffic rules are breached. Additionally, drivers often succumb to fatigue and doze off while driving on extended journeys. In July, a passenger bus carrying devotees met with an accident after the driver allegedly fell asleep in the Fazilpur area of Punjab’s Rajanpur district, killing five people and injuring 20 others. The tragic bus accident occurred on the same day as a militant attack in the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, resulting in the death of 11 labourers, caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said on Sunday. A truck carrying the workers to a construction project site in Waziristan, near the Afghan border, exploded after a suspected improvised explosive device detonated, security officials said. Source:https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/pakistan-bus-fire-death-pindi-bhattian-b2396134.html

SITAPUR, Uttar Pradesh: Another discriminatory and horrific incident occurred with the largest minority in India—Muslims wherein an elderly Muslim couple was killed in Uttar Pradesh over their son’s relationship with a Hindu woman. The incident occurred in Sitapur city of UP. The couple—Abbas and his wife Kamrul Nisha—died on the spot in the attack and all the accused fled from the crime scene. Indian media reported that Sitapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Chakresh Mishra said a few years back Abbas’s son had eloped with a girl from the neighboring household. A case was registered in this regard and Abbas’s son was sent to jail, but as soon he came out of jail, some members of family planned the attack on the couple. Chakresh Mishra said, “According to the villagers, the son of the deceased couple, Shaukat, and Rampal’s daughter Ruby had an affair.” “Shaukat had abducted Ruby in the year 2020. At that time, Ruby was a minor and after registering a case, the police sent Shaukat to jail. He again abducted and married Ruby in June,” the Police said. Source:https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/muslim-couple-killed-sitapur-uttar-pradesh-india-b2396193.html