Death toll from northern California wildfire increases to 42
The death toll from the raging Camp Fire in the U.S. state of California has increased to 42, making it the deadliest in the state's history.
The death toll from the raging Camp Fire in the U.S. state of California has increased to 42, making it the deadliest in the state's history, local authorities said Monday, Xinhua reported.
An additional 13 bodies were discovered Monday in Northern California, said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. The dead were so badly burned that authorities brought in a mobile DNA lab and asked forensic anthropologists to help identify them.
Honea said more than 200 people remain missing in and around the town of Paradise.
Xinhua reporters found their way to Paradise was blocked 56 km away from the town. The air was full of dust. Fire trucks were driving through the roads to contain the fire.
A firefighter from Oregon told Xinhua his team was deployed to Paradise to assist firefight from last Friday, working around the clock.
On a small slop in Butt County, four firefighters were observing the development of fire on the mountain. They took shifts every 24 fours. A firefighter told Xinhua they would assist other colleagues on fire control if they got notice.
He said winds would be dying down Monday while humidity began to rise, which would help the firefighters.
The fire, which decimated the town, has burned 117,000 acres (47,348 hectares) and is now about 30 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The increased death toll of Camp Fire brought the statewide toll to 44.
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles warned Chinese citizens to follow the latest development of the wildfire, and avoid heading for restricted areas, and enhance security awareness to ensure safety.
The Consulate General has launched an emergency response mechanism, and helped Chinese students in Pepperdine University, which is located in the fire-damaged town of Malibu, to evacuate to a safe place.
The Woolsey Fire and Hill Fire in Southern California also continued to destroy homes.
In Agoura Hills, a town in Los Angeles County, firefighters were checking from door to door any sign of flames, to make sure the fire won't reignite.
Tod Kaufman, a firefighter of Los Angeles County Fire Department, told Xinhua all of the residents were evacuated. They were sweeping houses and cars to figure out damage.
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) crews are making assessments in areas determined safe by first responders, to search for gas leaks caused by the fire.
The Woolsey Fire, which has claimed two lives and burned more than 90,000 acres (36,421 hectares), was 30 percent contained by Monday evening.
The Hill Fire, which ignited around the same time on Thursday afternoon not far from the Woolsey Fire, was 85 percent contained by Monday, having already scorched 4,531 acres (1,834 hectares) and destroyed two structures.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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Number of dead seals along Caspian coast rises to 850
Images | Depositphotos
Another 115 carcasses of dead seals have been gathered on the Caspian Sea coast and delivered from the Aktau recreation area to the Kuryk Port, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Thus, the number of dead seals has already reached 850.
According to Andrey Rutskoy, acting chief of Mangistau region’s fishery inspection department, a working group consisting of inspectors, ecologists, local officials and representatives of public associations, is examining the beach. "Rocky beaches are hard to reach. The working group will go there on foot," he said.
He added that collecting samples from the last seals found is impossible, as the carcasses decomposed at the 3rd and 4th stages. The results of the samples taken at the end of October are not ready yet.
Recall that from October 24 to 28, 289 carcasses of dead seals were discovered by the employees of the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate together with the representatives of the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology. Over half of the dead female seals were pregnant, Assel Baimukanova, an operator at the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, said.
In 2020, the Caspian seal was included in Kazakhstan’s Red Book of Endangered Species.
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Large boulder kills three people in Uzbekistan
Images | the road safety service of the Republic of Uzbekistan
A massive boulder fell from a mountain in southern Uzbekistan and smashed a passing Chevrolet Cobalt vehicle, killing three people inside, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the road safety service, the incident took place at the Takhtakaracha pass in Kashkadarya region on November 6.
Due to the incident that occurred at the 1138th km of the M-39 Tashkent-Termez highway at Takhtakaracha pass in the Kitob district of the Kashkadarya province and links Samarkand and Kashkadarya regions, traffic was temporarily halted," the road safety service stated.
Recall that a total 19,302 road accidents, affecting more than 26,703 individuals have been recorded in Kazakhstan over the course of nine months in 2024.
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Earthquake hits Almaty
The citizens of Almaty felt an earthquake today, at around 10:00 am, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the national seismological center, the quake’s preliminary magnitude was 4.5, local emergencies authorities said.
The epicenter of the quake was 33 kilometers east of Almaty, in the territory of Kazakhstan. The coordinates of the epicenter are 43.261 north latitude, and 77.310 east longitude.
The earthquake was felt in the following settlements: Almaty - 3 points, Talgar - 4 points, Yessik - 4 points, Turgen village - 3 points, Otegen Batyr village - 3 points, Boralday village - 2 points, Malovodnoye village - 2 points, Kaiypov village - 2 points, Alatau (Zhetigen) - 2 points, and Karassai (Kaskelen) - 2 points.
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Wildfires in Pavlodar region extinguished, localized in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished, Kazinform News Agency learned from the ministry of emergencies.
The wildfire in Pavlodar region has been extinguished. The area of the fire is being determined," a statement from the ministry reads.
As reported, on October 6, a steppe fire broke out in Karaganda region, which then spread to the territory of Pavlodar region. The fire covered an area of 3,000 hectares. At 02:20 the fire, which had already spread to an area of 10,000 hectares in the Bayanaul district of Pavlodar region, was localized.
18 residents of Zheltau village in Pavlodar region, including eight children, were evacuated to a safe area.
The wildfire in Karaganda region was localized. The area of the fire is being determined.
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, Khali Khairat, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized.
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One firefighter died, four injured in steppe fire in Karaganda region
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
33-year-old firefighter from Saran town, Karaganda region, died during the steppe fire in Karkaraly district on Sunday, October 6. Another four firefighters got injuries and were hospitalized, Kazinform News Agency learned from the local emergencies department.
Khali Khairat has served in the civil protection authorities since May 12, 2014. Governor of the region Yermaganbet Bulekpayev and Mayor of Saran Yerkin Baulikov visited his family and expressed their condolences. Local officials provided necessary assistance in the organization of the funeral.
The regional healthcare department revealed the condition of the four injured firefighters. All of them were taken to the Karkaraly Central Hospital, after which they were transported to the Makazhanov Multifunctional Clinic. Their condition is stable, health authorities said.
On October 6, a steppe fire broke out in the Karkaraly district of Karaganda region. To extinguish the fire, all services of the Ministry of Emergencies were involved, including 111 emergency response officers, law enforcement agencies, 27 units of various vehicles and equipment, and a fire extinguishing operations center was deployed. The governor of the region held a meeting with the operational headquarters at the scene of the incident.
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Passenger bus falls off bridge on a minivan in Almaty region
Images | gov.kz
A passenger bus crashed through the guardrails on a bridge and fell on a minibus in Kaskelen, Almaty region, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The video capturing the crash was shared on social media. A criminal case was initiated.
The Yutong Bus driver reportedly lost control turning on the bride, crashed through the guardrails, and plunged on the Mercedes Benz Sprinter minivan. No casualties were reported. The critically injured bus driver was rushed to the intensive care unit, the police department said in a statement.
The bus driver tested negative for alcohol.
For the past four years, nearly 1,000 road accidents involving public transport occurred in Almaty.
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