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820 missing people from ferry capsized in a typhoon
Article historyAnxious relatives crowded the offices of a shipping line today as fears grew for the fate of up to 820 passengers and crew aboard a ferry that capsized in a typhoon that lashed the central Philippines.
As darkness fell, hope was fading that any of the missing would be found alive after a coastguard ship, battling huge seas and fierce winds, finally reached the MV Princess of Stars to find only its bow jutting from the water several miles off shore.
Villagers on Sibuyan island discovered three survivors, but another six bodies, including a man and woman who had lashed themselves together, were found washed up on the shore.
Radio contact with the 23,824-tonne ferry was lost on Saturday after its engines failed and it ran aground on sandbank as Typhoon Fengshen, packing winds gusting up to 121mph, battered the Philippines and whipped up enormous seas.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo berated the civil defence and coastguard authorities, demanding to know why the Cebu-bound ferry was allowed to leave port in Manila on Friday when it was clear that the typhoon, the sixth this year, would hit the country.
Last night the Philippines Red Cross said at least 155 people across the sprawling archipelago had been killed by the high winds and torrential rains that ripped off roofs and triggered deadly mudslides and flash flooding. Thousands more were made homeless by the storm.
Officials from Sulpicio Lines, the ferry's owners, said the ship's manifest showed there were 626 passengers and 121 crew aboard when it set sail, but local reports said the number could have been as high as 820.
Coastguards lost contact with the ship about 12.30pm (0530BST) yesterday after the captain reported engine failure and said his vessel was drifting helplessly in the stormy seas. Fuel and other cargo was dumped overboard in an effort to lighten the load.
A rescue effort by a coastguard ship was beaten back by the ferocious weather and it was not until today that the first of four coastguard ships reached the area. Sibuyan islanders could see the stricken ferry's remains, but could not put to sea in the storm.
Several dozen relatives of the passengers waited for word at the Manila offices of Sulpicio Lines, some weeping quietly as time passed and they began to fear the worst.
"I'm very worried. I need to know what happened to my family," said Felino Farionin, his voice cracking. His wife, son and four in-laws were on the ferry.
Another relative, Lina Salinas, said she had seen off her sister on the 22-hour voyage, aware there was a typhoon alert, but discounted it as it was only the lowest level: number one.
"We knew it was signal 'number one' at the time, but we were not really worried because it was not raining here at all," she said.
"But the ship should not have been allowed to leave."
In a conference call with officials played live on national radio, President Arroyo was angry and equally puzzled that the ship had been given the go-ahead to venture out in such at such a perilous time.
"Why did you allow it to sail and why was there no ample warning?" she asked civil defence and coastguard chiefs during the briefing on the disaster. "I want answers."
The mounting death toll across the country included 59 in the province of Iloilo, where another 40 people were also missing, with most towns in the area covered in flood waters left by the relentless downpour.
"Iloilo is like an ocean," said the province's governor, Neil Tupaz. "This is the worst disaster we have had in our history." Article historyAnxious relatives crowded the offices of a shipping line today as fears grew for the fate of up to 820 passengers and c... more -
U.S. admiral: Myanmar junta unconcerned by cyclone - CNN.com
Myanmar's government seems unaware of the scope of the death and destruction Cyclone Nargis wrought on the country more than a week ago, a U.S. military commander said Tuesday.
Adm. Timothy Keating, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, was on the first of three U.S. aid flights allowed into Myanmar this week.
He described meeting with a Myanmar three-star general who opened up a map of the country and pointed to the areas worst-hit by the cyclone.
"[He] characterized activity there as returning back to normal -- his words," Keating told CNN. "[He said] people are coming back to their villages, they're planting their crops for the summer season, the monsoon will come and wash all the saltwater out of the ponds.
"His manner, his demeanor, his attitude indicated something less than very serious concern."
The United Nations estimates that between 63,000 and 100,000 people died as a result of Cyclone Nargis.
The United States has pledged $16.25 million in aid to the country.
The two U.S. aid flights that arrived Tuesday carried water, blankets, plastic sheets, mosquito nets and other relief supplies, the U.S. military said. Together with a third flight that arrived in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, on Monday, the planes carried 70,000 pounds of supplies.
Government forces took possession of the aid shipment on the tarmac, transferring it from a C-130 U.S. transport plane onto helicopters, said Ky Luu, the director of foreign disaster assistance for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Myanmar's government seems unaware of the scope of the death and destruction Cyclone Nargis wrought on the country more than a we... more -
Local officials attacked by cyclone victims in Rangoon division
A local official in Rangoon Township received serious head injuries when three desperate cyclone victims attacked him for failing to distribute aid supplies on Friday, a local resident said.
Three victims, whose homes and properties were destroyed by Cyclone Nargis on Friday, attacked the chairman of the Ward Peace and Development Council of Kwungyan in Thwante town, southwest of Rangoon, for failing to distribute relief material provided by Medicines San Frontiers (MSN), also known as doctors without Border.
"The chairman sustained injuries on his head but was not hospitalised," the local said.
The MSF last week donated several bags of rice to the ward's Buddhist monastery to be distributed to cyclone victims. But the abbot of the monastery handed over the rice to the local authorities saying he was not capable of calculating and therefore requested the authorities to take charge of the distribution.
The local resident said the authorities failed to distribute the supplies and held on to it for two days. When the villagers asked about it, the authorities could not give a proper answer.
"So, the three men were outraged and started attacking the Chairman," the local, who wished not to be named, said.
He added that several people in the ward, affected by the cyclone, were looking forward to the relief and after waiting for two days, people started thinking that the authorities must have distributed the rice among themselves without giving it to the victims.
The MSF's aid is the first relief that the villagers saw and were desperately waiting to get a share to alleviate their sufferings. A local official in Rangoon Township received serious head injuries when three desperate cyclone victims attacked him for failing to d... more -
How to help Cyclone Nargis victims
International and domestic aid agencies accepting contributions for assistance for those affected by the cyclone in Burma.
ADRA International
Myanmar Cyclone Fund
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(800) 424-ADRA ext. 2372
http://www.adra.org
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"Nargis Victims of Myanmar Trust"
Bank:
Washington Mutual
address:
Yorba Linda Financial Center 1358
20385 Yorba Linda Blvd,
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Phone:
1-800-788-7000
Name of account: "The Nargis Victims of Myanmar Trust"
Account # 34033 45916
ABA# 321180748
Swift Code# WMSBUS66
Routing # 322271627
If you are going to sent the check, please use this address and payable to "The Nargis Victims of Myanmar Trust"
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Action Against Hunger
247 W. 37th St., 10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
(877) 777-1420
http://support.actionagainsthunger.org/donate
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American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
JDC: Myanmar Cyclone Relief
P.O. Box 530
132 East 43rd St.
New York, NY 10017
(212) 687-6200
http://www.jdc.org
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American Jewish World Service
45 W. 36th St., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(800) 889-7146
http://www.ajws.org
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American Red Cross
International Response Fund
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013
(800) HELP-NOW
http://www.redcross.org
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American Refugee Committee
430 Oak Grove St., Suite 204
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 872-7602
http://www.arcrelief.org
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AmeriCares
88 Hamilton Ave.
Stamford, CT 06902
(800) 486-4357
http://www.americares.org
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Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team
6810 Tilden Lane
Rockville, MD 20852
(301) 984-0217
http://www.amurt.net
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Baptist World Aid
Myanmar (or Burma) Relief
405 North Washington St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 790-8980
http://www.bwanet.org
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CARE
151 Ellis Street N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30303
(800) 521-2273
http://www.care.org
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CHF International
8601 Georgia Ave., #800
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(866) 779-2CHF
http://www.chfinternational.org
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Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)
2850 Kalamazoo Ave., S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49560-0600
(800) 55-CRWRC
http://www.crwrc.org
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Church World Service
28606 Phillips St., P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
(800) 297-1516
http://www.churchworldservice.org
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Concern Worldwide U.S.
104 East 40th St., Suite 903
New York, NY 10016
(212) 557-8000
http://www.concernusa.org
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Direct Relief International
27 South La Patera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
(805) 964-4767
http://www.directrelief.org
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Episcopal Relief and Development
815 Second Ave., 7th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(800) 334-7626
http://www.er-d.org
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Food for the Hungry
1224 East Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(800) 248-6437
http://www.fh.org
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Habitat for Humanity International
Cyclone Nargis
121 Habitat St.
Americus, GA 31709-3498
(800) HABITAT
http://www.habitat.org
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International Medical Corps
1919 Santa Monica Blvd.
Suite 400
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(800) 481-4462
http://www.imcworldwide.org
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International Relief Teams
Attn: Myanmar Cyclone
4560 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 2G
San Diego, CA 92120
(619) 284-7979
http://www.irteams.org
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International Rescue Committee
(Note on checks: Myanmar)
P.O. Box 96651
Washington, DC 20090-6651
(877) REFUGEE
http://www.theIRC.org International and domestic aid agencies accepting contributions for assistance for those affected by the cyclone in Burma. ... more -
More aid reaches Rangoon, but still needs to reach delta
Though more aid, including an aircraft from the United States, made its way into Burma on Monday, UN agencies and NGOs doubted whether it will reach needy survivors in time.
At least 10 flights of the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) landed in Burma's former capital Rangoon today, carrying relief material. The first of such aircraft was from the United State's Army, which flew into Burma from Thailand.
The World Food Program said they have sent three flights with relief materials on Saturday.
Matt Cochrane, media spokesman for IFRC said, "We had 10 flights of aid arriving in Rangoon today, and have further flights planned this week, of which at least nine aircrafts will land on Friday."
"We have been able to send aid but the challenge is whether the relief material reaches the worst affected areas," Matt Cochrane said.
Some of the relief supplies airlifted include tarpaulin, jerry cans to carry water, mosquito nets, emergency shelter kits and hygiene kits Cochrane. He added that they have been able to send in at least nine expert aid workers to Burma.
"We got some experts who have gone into Burma. Their role is to try to make sure that needs can be accessed and identified and reach the right aid to the right people," he added.
Despite being affiliated to the Myanmar Red Cross Society and having been able to send in a few experts, the IFRC said reaching people in the heart of the Irrawaddy delta is still a problem.
Cochrane said one of the main reasons was because nearly all infrastructures have been destroyed. Roads have been damaged and bridges knocked down so communication is extremely difficult.
"So we are carrying relief material by boats," Cochrane said.
An IFRC boat carrying relief supplies on Sunday sank on the Irrawaddy River near Bogale town when it hit a submerged tree root.
"Yesterday [one of] our boats sank in the Irrawaddy area, [but] luckily no one was hurt," Cochrane said.
A US embassy spokesperson in Bangkok said while the Burmese government allowed a C–130 military plane today with relief supplies, their aid workers and experts have not yet been granted Visas.
"They have not got visas yet," said the US embassy spokesperson, who declined to be named, adding that barring experts going into the cyclone affected areas slowed down the process of reaching the most needy victims. Though more aid, including an aircraft from the United States, made its way into Burma on Monday, UN agencies and NGOs doubted whether... more -
Cholera outbreak in Laputta relief centre
In the aftermath of the Cyclone Nargis in Burma, there is apprehension of the health situation of people deteriorating severely. There are at least 10 cholera patients in each relief centre in Laputta, it is learnt.
Lack of potable water and crowded relief centres will exacerbate the current situation in all 32 relief centres in Laputta Town.
"There is an outbreak of cholera. It is taking an epidemic form as over 2,000 victims have to share limited toilets in the relief centres. This situation will worsen," a doctor from Laputta providing medical attention to storm victims said.
There are over 80,000 survivors in Laputta which is close to the sea and almost half the area was devastated in the storm. The survivors had to take shelter in 32 relief centers opened in pagodas, monasteries, schools, and mosques with 2000 to 3,000 survivors taking shelter in each relief camp.
"We have to eat gruel everyday, sleep on uncovered cold concrete floors with open roofs which were ripped apart and swept away in the storm. When it rains, we have to sit on the floor and cannot sleep," the doctor added.
The doctors in Laputta pooled in their resources and formed the 'Voluntary Doctors Association' to provide medical care to the storm victims in the town. They distributed re-hydration packets, and in a free medical clinic are conducting prevention of cholera outbreak.
Though a NLD party worker said that four had died of cholera, Mizzima could not verify this news from independent sources.
Local residents are complaining that about 80,000 survivors haven't yet received any relief supplies from the local authority except receiving cash, drinking water, medicine, rice and cooking oil donated by Burmese in Singapore.
The local authority kept all the relief supplies at the relief operation warehouse, without distributing it to the survivors. They also they seized all the supplies donated by well-wishers. The material included rice, cooking oil, salt, instant noodles and drinking water. So over 10 trucks carrying these supplies stopped in the outskirts of the town to wait and see the attitude of the authorities, a doctor from Laputta said.
The Burmese Medical Professionals Association formed by Burmese doctors in exile in a statement appealed to the junta to let in international aid workers and use their expertise along with the relief supplies since the SPDC is not in a position to provide efficient and speedy relief operation to storm victims. In the aftermath of the Cyclone Nargis in Burma, there is apprehension of the health situation of people deteriorating severely. There... more -
Burma cyclone death toll rises to 31,938?
·3,480 more people killed in Burma's cyclone disaster, bringing the death toll to 31,938?
·Altogether 29,770 people remained missing, down from 33,416?
·International humanitarian aid has been pouring in Burma since last week.
The death toll of Myanmar's cyclone disaster kept rising with 3,480 more people killed, bringing the total to 31,938, according to a news report of the state radio Monday evening.
Altogether 29,770 people remained missing, down from 33,416, the report said adding that the number of injured went to 1,403. A deadly tropical cyclone Nargis, which occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states -- Yangon, Bago, Ayeyawaddy, Kayin and Mon on May 2 and 3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon sustained the heaviest casualties and infrastructural damage.
Affected coastal towns in the southwestern Ayeyawaddy division include Haing Gyi Island, Pathein, Myaungmya, Laputta, Mawlamyinegyun, Kyaiklat, Phyarpon and Bogalay.
International humanitarian aid has been pouring in Myanmar since last week with aircrafts carrying various relief materials from different countries and organizations landing at the airport one after another for Myanmar's homeless cyclone survivors.
These international aid goods, along with those donated by different walks of life domestically, have been or are being successively transported by the Myanmar side to the disaster-hit Ayeyawaddy delta and Yangon regions as officially reported.
Source: Xinhua:ENGLISH ·3,480 more people killed in Burma's cyclone disaster, bringing the death toll to 31,938? ... more -
Is it me or Death tolls due to Natural Disasters are grown very high?
Is it really true, the concept of Doomsday? Everyday, media reports at least 100 - 1000 deaths due to some conflict in Nature or between humans alike.
Can we do anything for this?
BBC: Natural disasters 'on the rise'
LINK http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3666474.stm
LIVE SCIENCE: Scientists: Natural Disasters Becoming More Common
LINK: http://www.livescience.com/environment/051017_natural_d... Is it really true, the concept of Doomsday? Everyday, media reports at least 100 - 1000 deaths due to some conflict in Nature or betwe... more
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