Virus-hit Diamond Princess passengers start disembarking in Yokohama
Passengers on the coronavirus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess started disembarking Wednesday in Yokohama after a two-week quarantine period that raised questions about the Japanese government's response to the outbreak.
Passengers on the coronavirus-hit cruise ship Diamond Princess started disembarking Wednesday in Yokohama after a two-week quarantine period that raised questions about the Japanese government's response to the outbreak.
The disembarkation of nearly 3,000 people is expected to take three days at least, according to the government. In the first group, some 500 mainly elderly passengers who have tested negative for the virus will leave the ship after final checkups with doctors, Kyodo reports.
The cruise ship was initially carrying around 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries and regions. The number of cases confirmed onboard increased day by day, reaching 542 on Tuesday. Those found to be infected with the pneumonia-causing virus have been transported to medical facilities.
Test samples have now been collected from all passengers, the health ministry said.
Disembarking passengers will be transported to Yokohama and other train stations in the area.
Those who have had close contact with infected people on the ship will be kept on board for the time being for further monitoring even though they have tested negative. The ship's operator will decide when crew who have not been infected will leave the ship, according to the ministry.
U.S. and other media have raised questions about Japan's response to the spread of the virus on the ship. The United States has evacuated many of its citizens from the vessel using chartered jets and several other countries have announced they will follow suit.
The Japanese government says it was appropriate to quarantine the vessel, a position endorsed by the World Health Organization.
Aside from those on the vessel, the number of infections confirmed in Japan has risen to 61.
The quarantine at Yokohama Port, south of Tokyo, began Feb. 5 after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong on Jan. 25 was found to be infected with the new coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
After departing Yokohama on Jan. 20, the Diamond Princess stopped at Kagoshima, southwestern Japan before arriving in Hong Kong. It then traveled to Vietnam and Taiwan before calling at Okinawa in Japan and then returning to Yokohama on Feb. 3, according to its operator.
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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