Hospital fire kills COVID-19 patients in northeastern Romania
Ten COVID-19 patients in serious condition were killed in a fire erupted late Saturday in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Piatra Neamt County Hospital in northeastern Romania, confirmed Health Minister Nelu Tataru.
“Eight patients died as a result of the fire, and the other two later in the Emergency Department, due to respiratory failure,” explained the minister, who visited the hospital in Piatra Neamt, about 350 km from the capital Bucharest, soon after the incident.
Irina Popa, spokesperson of the local Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, told local media after the fire was extinguished that 16 patients were in the two COVID-19 emergency wards when the fire broke out.
“Seven people are in critical condition, including the doctor on duty,” said the spokesperson.
The rescued patients are being sent to two hospitals in neighboring Iasi County for treatment, according to the local authorities.
This is the hospital fire that has caused the most casualties in the country in recent years. The last major hospital fire occurred in August 2010 when six babies were killed and several others severely injured at the Giulesti maternity hospital in Bucharest.
It is not yet known where the fire started, but no doubt the flames were amplified by the existing oxygen facilities in the ICU, Lucian Micu, the hospital director, was quoted by local media as saying.
This accident is undoubtedly a blow to Romanian medical institutions, which have been overwhelmed by the spread of the pandemic.
Romania has imposed a 30-day curfew from Monday. The latest statistics on Saturday showed that COVID-19 caseload in the country reached 353,185 and the death toll surged to 8,813.
Read alsoRomania’s COVID-19 caseload doubles to 300,000 in less than a month
Raging wildfires injure 2 firefighters in California, force massive evacuations
Fast-moving wildfires have left two U.S. firefighters critically injured and forced tens of thousands of residents in Orange County in Southern California to evacuate amid high winds on Monday.
One blaze dubbed “the Silverado Fire,” which started Friday morning in the area of Santiago Canyon Road and Silverado Canyon Road, has exploded to more than 7,200 acres (29 square km) in hours, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
A total of 500 firefighters are battling on the scene amid erratic winds that can reach up to 96 km to 112 km per hour. Officials said that air support has been grounded due to high winds.
According to the Orange County Fire Authority, two firefighters, aged 26 and 31, were critically injured fighting the blaze at noon. Both have second and third degree burns and are currently intubated in the ICU.
At least 60,000 people have been evacuated, said Christina Shea, mayor of Irvine City, in a release.
“We are asking everyone to comply with the evacuation orders for their safety and the safety of our first-responders. The City of Irvine continues to open care and reception facilities for our displaced residents,” she noted.
Some roads and school campuses in the area were shut down due to the wildfire. Both Irvine Unified and Tustin Unified School District schools will be closed on Tuesday, according to the city’s mandatory evacuations.
Video from the scene showed the area blanketed by heavy smoke and fires raging along roads.
A second blaze dubbed “the Blue Ridge Fire” started at noon and spread to 1,120 acres at zero containment as of Monday evening.
A total of 1,651 homes in the nearby cities of Yorba Linda, Hidden Hills and Chino Hills have been affected by the fire, including 1,170 homes under evacuation orders and 481 homes under voluntary evacuation, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
At least 200 are battling the fire. Officials said that one home had been reportedly damaged by the blaze and were still waiting on further details.
Yorba Linda, the birthplace of former U.S. President Richard Nixon and home to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, was among the buildings hit by the second wildfire.
“With nearby #BlueRidgeFire we are taking steps to make sure Yorba Linda’s most famous building, the Birthplace of President Nixon, is protected,”
the Richard Nixon Foundation tweeted Monday afternoon, adding that “We will continue to monitor throughout the evening.”
Video posted by the foundation showed staff spraying water at Nixon’s former residence as precautions.
A total of 15,331 people at 4,688 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders in Chino Hills, according to Chino Valley Fire District, adding that an additional 2,850 people were under an evacuation warning.
Read also11 killed, ten injured in house fire in Czech Republic
11 killed, ten injured in house fire in Czech Republic
Eleven people died and ten others were injured in a pre-fab house fire in Karvina region in the eastern part of the Czech Republic on Saturday afternoon, local media reported.
A fire broke out on the 11th floor of the house in Bohumin on Saturday afternoon, killing 11, including six in the burning house and five who jumped out from windows on the 12th floor. In addition, ten people were injured in the fire, including two firefighters and one police officer, said the report.
The firefighters have already extinguished the fire.
Read alsoRomanian police detain foreigner suspected of making firearms with 3D printers
An intensive investigation is underway into the circumstances and causes of the tragic event, Czech Police tweeted. But local media quoted Moravia-Silesia Region Governor Ivo Vondrak as saying that everything indicated that Saturday’s fire was an arson attack.
Regional police chief Tomas Kuzel said they have detained a man in connection with the fire.
Read alsoUkraine reports two ceasefire violations despite full truce in Donbas
The blaze claimed the highest fire death toll in the country since 1990.
Wildfire near Los Angeles in U.S. prompts freeway closure, evacuations
A wildfire spreading rapidly through the rural area of Santa Clarita, a U.S. city 53 km northeast of Los Angeles, prompted evacuations and the full closure of the 14 Freeway on Sunday.
The fire, dubbed Soledad Fire, was initially reported at around 4:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT) and estimated at roughly five acres (2.02 hectares), but it quickly spread in dry brush, with low humidity and breezes, to 1,100 acres (445.15 hectares) five hours later.
Approximately 300 personnel were on the scene battling the fire, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The crews were assisted by two dozen engines, five trucks, five water-dropping helicopters and two fixed-winged aircraft. Dori Einhorn, of Einhorn Insurance, says that the damage caused by the Soledad Fire could end up costing tens of millions of dollars.
Sky Cornell, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, was quoted by the Los Angeles Daily News as saying that
so far no structures had burned and no injuries had been reported, while as many as nine homes had been evacuated.
The evacuated residents were directed to a temporary shelter established by the Red Cross at a parking lot, the report said, adding the evacuees were told to remain in their vehicles and practice social distancing in order to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.
“This fire shows you where we’re at this fire season,”
Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia told NBC 4 news channel. “We just had 600 acres (242.81 hectares) burned in the Rowher fire just north of this location.”
Read alsoWildfire near Los Angeles in U.S. prompts freeway closure, evacuations
Hungarian first responders’ humorous way of celebrating children’s day – Videos
There have been celebrations of Children’s Day in Hungary as early as the first decade of the 20th century. Although there have been changes to it throughout the years, since 1954, Hungarians have celebrated Children’s Day on the last Sunday of May. Now let’s look at how the first responders in Hungary celebrated this joyful day.
The Hungarian National Ambulance Services
Pál Győrfi, the spokesman of the Hungarian National Ambulance Services, made a video with some of his colleagues where they thanked the responsible behaviour of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that thanks to them, Hungary was able to slow down the virus, and paramedics had fewer patients thanks to children.
Read alsoThe video of a Hungarian paramedic conquers TikTok
The Hungarian National Police Headquarters
The Hungarian Police created a video where one of the policemen’s daughter has a nightmare about how Children’s Day got stolen by somebody. In the video, the father searches for evidence and attempts to arrest the criminal who is responsible for the theft.
The editorial office of the daily newspaper, Kisalföld, received several answers to their question of what kids want for Children’s Day, and with the help of the police headquarters in Győr-Moson-Sopron County, they made the dream of five children come true, you can read on Police.hu.
The Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management
In their video, you can see some of the aspects of the routine of the firemen in Hungary and how a young boy’s dream came true when they helped him become a fireman for a short day.
But this is not all. Due to the current pandemic, the usual demonstration at the fire station in Sopron could not be held, so the firemen made a video of their drill which you can watch online.
And it still is not over. In another fire department in our country, firefighters reenacted some scenes from Disney animations.
Source: facebook.com/bmokf.hivatalos/ 
Source: facebook.com/bmokf.hivatalos/ 
Source: facebook.com/bmokf.hivatalos/
Read alsoWOW! Queen thanked even Hungarian healthcare workers for their service in their new clip – videos
Read alsoThis Hungarian beauty is in the WHO’s campaign introducing the job of nurses and midwives – photos
5 killed, 150 evacuated after fire hits St. Petersburg hospital
Five people were killed and 150 others evacuated on Tuesday after a fire broke out in a hospital in the Vyborgsky district of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second biggest city, according to local emergency services.
The dead included patients in the intensive care unit in the St. George City Hospital, and the flames engulfed an area of 10 square meters, Sputnik quoted the Russian Emergencies Ministry as saying.
The hospital has been renovated to receive patients infected with the novel coronavirus since mid-March, local media reported.
Preliminary inquiries show that electric equipment malfunction and short-circuit failure are among the factors behind the fire , according to the emergency services.
Russia reports over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours
Russia has confirmed 10,899 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising its total number of infections to 232,243, its coronavirus response center said in a statement Tuesday.
The single-day increase has been over 10,000 for 10 consecutive days, the center’s data showed.
The death toll grew by 107 to 2,116, while 43,512 people have recovered, including 3,711 over the last 24 hours, the statement said.
Moscow, the country’s worst-hit region, confirmed 5,392 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 121,301.
Russia’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog said in a statement Tuesday that 251,011 people had been under medical observation as of Monday.
More than 5.8 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country so far, it added.
The period of non-working days, which has lasted for six weeks, ended from Tuesday for the whole country and for all sectors of the economy, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
“But the fight against the pandemic is not over. Its danger persists, even in territories where the situation is relatively favorable,” he warned in a televised address to the nation.
Read also5 killed, 150 evacuated after fire hits St. Petersburg hospital
Wind speed reaches record 124 kph in Budapest!
Winds in Hungary hit record speeds on Tuesday, with 124kph measured on János Hill in Budapest, the Hungarian Meteorological Service said on its Facebook page.
Winds were above 100kph in Sopron, Balatonöszöd, Tes and the Kab hill, the weather service said.
The gale-force winds blowing across Hungary have brought down trees, broken tree branches and damaged power lines in numerous parts of the country, the national disaster management authority (OKF) said earlier in the day.
Storm uproots trees, damages power lines across Hungary
Gale-force winds blowing across Hungary have brought down trees, broken tree branches and damaged power lines in numerous parts of the country, the national disaster management authority (OKF) said on Tuesday.
Firefighters have responded to more than 100 calls for help concerning damage caused by the storm, such as uprooted trees and fallen branches,
OKF said, adding that no injuries have been reported. Traffic lights were also brought down or damaged in several places, it said.
Most storm-related incidents were recorded in the northern Transdanubian region and Budapest.
The Budapest mayor’s office has issued a second-degree alert for the capital and Pest County, forecasting storm-force winds for Tuesday.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony has ordered the Budapest Law Enforcement Directorate to be in constant contact with the OKF, the statement said.
As we wrote three days ago, temperatures in Hungary reached a record high for February 2, hitting 18.2 C. in the village of Drávaszabolcs on Sunday.
Weather forecast for Wednesday
Cloudy at first with rainy spells, turning brighter later on. Stormy winds.
The weather service has issued second-degree alerts due to strong winds for Wednesday across the country, with the exception of the northern counties of Heves and Nográd.
Lows: 0, 4 C.
Highs: 2, 8 C.
Hungarian nurse died with two elderly people in a house fire in Austria
On Tuesday morning, two elderly people (87 and 73 years old) and their Hungarian nurse (53) lost their lives in a house fire in the Austrian Voitsberg – reported by the local edition of ORF.
The fire department was alarmed at 3:15 am. The police station is just 200 meters away from the family house; however, by the time the firefighters reached the wooden house, the flames roared too high to stop the fire.
According to Karl Gössler – head of the local fire department – the whole house was intensively burning by that time; furthermore, the strong wind made the rescue work even more difficult. The firefighters tried to enter the building, but it was too late.
As the Hungarian news portal 24.hu reports, the house is located in a wooded area; the wind swept the ash into the forest, which was a special hazard.
96 firefighters tried to prevent the fire from spreading into the forest.
The flames were burning so intensively that the department reported only around noon that the fire was averted.
It took 63 firefighters to put out fire in Budapest – VIDEO
It took 63 firefighters to put out the fire that has spread to several houses in Óbuda, Hungary on Sunday night.
The first responders arrived at the scene with 17 vehicles after receiving a call around 7:15 PM that a colossal blast could be heard and fire followed, reported Index based on a Facebook post by the disaster management.
When firefighters arrived at the scene they saw that five buildings next to and nearby each other had caught fire, three of which were completely, while two only partially were on fire.
Because of the fire’s heat, the high-voltage cable above the houses broke. One person was injured, as they were walking beneath the cable, and suffered an electric shock. The fire did not spread further, to any industrial or other buildings. The firefighters managed to put it out entirely at 8:44 PM.
According to 444.hu, whether the fire caused the cable to break or the broken cable caused the fire is unclear as of now.
An investigation has been started to determine the cause of the fire. “In one of the houses multiple gas tanks exploded due to the fire, this is what locals could have heard,” they reported.
Many readers of Index sent in photos of the fire, and reported a power outage, likely caused by the incident.
Nine people live in the affected houses, five of which were home at the time of the incident, but were not hurt.
Australian bushfires destroy wildlife, huge tracts of land, but who takes responsibility?
The death toll from the unfolding bushfires in Australia, which began unusually early in September, has risen to 27 as the fires continue to burn.
As of Wednesday more than 10.7 million hectares of land had been burned across the country. On Thursday morning, the state government of New South Wales (NSW) announced that 1,870 homes have been destroyed in the state.
Both NSW and Victoria have declared a state of emergency and catastrophic bushfire conditions could persist.
Smoke from the fires has blanketed Australia’s major cities for days at a time and has spread as far east as to New Zealand and to South America.
According to data compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature,
1.25 billion animals have perished in the fires, many of whom were iconic Australian species including koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and cockatoos.
In response to the crisis, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack on Monday established the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and announced 2 billion Australian dollars (1.37 billion U.S. dollars) in funding for relief and recovery efforts.
The announcement was made amid one of Morrison’s difficult months since he became prime minister in August 2018.
In December, he apologized after he left the country for a family holiday to Hawaii while much of his home state of NSW was ablaze.
Read alsoAustralian firefighters prepare to face “megablaze”
Since he cut his holiday short, Morrison has faced significant pressure to pursue more ambitious climate change policies to mitigate future crises.
Australia has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 under the Paris climate accord, a target that Morrison has said will “protect the environment” while also guaranteeing the long-term viability of “people’s jobs and livelihoods.”
The mounting pressure on the prime minister to take action to prevent future fires came to a head earlier in January while he was touring the affected NSW town of Cobargo where two people died. Morrison was heckled by local residents.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) on Thursday released its Annual Climate Statement, revealing that 2019 was both Australia’s warmest and driest year since records began in 1900.
According to BOM data,
Australia’s mean temperature in 2019 was 1.52 degrees Celsius hotter than the long-term average.
The national rainfall total was 277.6 millimetres (mm), well below the previous record in 1902 (previous lowest was 314.5 mm).
Andrew Gissing, an emergency management expert from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, recently said that Australia spends “too much on disaster relief and recovery and not enough on mitigation.”
Read alsoMasks, air conditioners and closed shops: Australian capital shadowed by smoke
“More people are living in high-risk bushfire areas, emergency services are stretched and the climate is rapidly changing,” he said in a media release.
“Future crises are inevitable. We must consider the prospect of a monstrous bushfire season, the likes of which we’ve never seen.”
More than a third of the Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia has been burned by fires and approximately 25,000 koalas, half the island’s population, are feared dead.
The koalas of Kangaroo Island are considered crucial to the long-term survival of the species because they have been found to be free of the chlamydia that affects almost half of those on the mainland, causing widespread blindness, infertility and death.
Chris Dickman, an ecologist from the University of Sydney, on Wednesday said that
800 million animals have died in NSW alone.
“We’re probably looking at what climate change may look like for other parts of the world in the first stages in Australia at the moment,” he said in a statement.
“It’s a very sad time.”
Australian firefighters prepare to face “megablaze”
Despite weather conditions offering temporary reprieve for Australian firefighters early this week, there remained significant challenges across the country’s south east, including the potential of several fires merging to create a “megablaze.”
Since September 2019, the Australian bushfires have claimed the lives of at least 25 people and burnt over 6.3 million hectares, killing an estimated 480 million animals.
Milder conditions at the start of this week brought scattered rainfall and the opportunity for fire crews to get ahead of blazes by conducting back burning and fuel clearing operations.
Victorian State Control Centre spokesman Luke Heagarty told Xinhua on Tuesday that emergency services were working with communities to prepare ahead of predicted hot and windy conditions on Friday.
“It’s going to take us a very long time to contain the fires fully, but what we can focus on is prioritising our efforts so that there’s a reduction in the likelihood of impact to communities,” Heagarty said.
The international response to Australia’s disaster ramped up this week with many of the country’s Pacific neighbours offering support.
Read alsoMasks, air conditioners and closed shops: Australian capital shadowed by smoke
Members of the New Zealand defence force will join 157 Kiwi firefighters already in Australia, while Papua New Guinea said that 1,000 troops and firefighters were standing by if required and Vanuatu pledged 20 million Vatu (173 thousand U.S. dollars) to assist the Rural Fire Service.
From further afield, an additional 21 specialist firefighters from North American touched down in Australia this week, joining roughly 100 U.S. and 80 Canadian personnel already in the country, with more expected to arrive on Wednesday.
“The current situation is extreme, there’s a lot of people that have been at it since September…so people are tired. We’re here to relieve and try to lend a hand and give those folks a rest they direly need,” Strategic Fire Planner from the U.S. Forest Service, Tony Demasters told reporters.
Meanwhile several fires on the NSW and Victoria border edged closer to merging into a “megablaze” over half a million hectares in size.
As of Tuesday afternoon, an online crisis map showed barely one kilometre between the fires.
Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said that the phenomenon was not unusual.
Read alsoConcerns grow for 28 people missing in Australian bushfires
“We saw that with the Gippsland fires, we started with four fires that were separated which have now joined,” Crisp said.
He added that this season crews have witnessed fires travelling as far as 30 kilometres overnight, making it vital that people in the vicinity of the blazes pay close attention to official instructions.
Local defence personnel helped move supplies by air to remote communities which in many cases had lost conventional means of communication.
“Whilst there’s a number of isolated communities, we are in contact with the majority of those and providing them with what they need,” Heagarty said.
Serious concerns were raised for the effect on Australia’s fragile wildlife, with one University of Sydney academic, Professor Chris Dickman estimating that 480 million animals have perished in this fire season in NSW alone.
In the State of South Australia, a wilderness protection area known as Kangaroo Island experienced significant animal losses, including unique species, on top of the deaths of two people.
Fires tore through over 155 thousand hectares of pristine habitat known to be home to koalas, kangaroos, goannas and a range of other wildlife.
Co-owner of the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, Sam Mitchell told Guardian Australia that many of the injured wildlife had to be euthanized due to their injuries.
“We are seeing many burns to hands and feet — fingernails melted off. For some the burns are just too extreme,” he said.
Hospice fire kills 4, injures 22 in Poland
At least four people were killed and nearly two dozen others injured in a fire at a hospice in Poland on Monday, officials said.
“Four people — a woman and three men — were killed. Another 22 people are in various hospitals,” Poland‘s State Fire Service said.
The fire broke out at a hospice in the northern Polish city of Chojnice around 3 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), a spokesman for the fire brigade said.
When the fire started, staff members and 23 patients were in the building. All the victims were patients.
The fire has been put out and rescuers are still working at the scene.
Initial findings showed that the fire was likely caused by a careless smoker, a police official told local TV broadcaster TVN24.
Read alsoWizzair aircraft evacuated at Debrecen Airport due to the possibility of fire – VIDEO
Wizzair aircraft evacuated at Debrecen Airport due to the possibility of fire – VIDEO
One of Wizz Air’s aircraft caught fire on Saturday at the Debrecen airport – Utazómajom (Travelingmonkey’s Hungarian page) reports. According to the article, the flight between Debrecen and Paris was affected.
Airlines Travel has posted a video on its Facebook page that shows passengers leaving the damaged Airbus A320 on emergency slides. It is at present unknown what might have caused the fire. According to Utazómajom, no one was injured.
Debrecen Airport told AIRportal.hu that the airport fire brigade and the police arrived within seconds and immediately began to help disembark the passengers and extinguish the fire. There were 180 passengers onboard, all of whom managed to escape unharmed.
https://www.facebook.com/AirlinesTravel/videos/513190569300744/
Wizz Air has submitted a notice to 24’s editorial office, which reads:
“Wizz Air confirms that its W6 7867 flight from Debrecen to Paris-Beauvais on 4th January had to be evacuated during the pre-flight de-icing at Debrecen Airport, after ground staff and the airport fire station reported a possible fire at the rear portion of the aircraft.The staff evacuated the passengers at the front door slides following the proper protocols. All passengers left the deck safely.
The airport fire department and maintenance personnel thoroughly inspected the aeroplane and confirmed that no actual fire had occurred. It is possible that the dispersed de-icing agent illuminated by the lights shining on the vertical stabiliser might have created the impression of smoke.
The evacuated passengers are provided with accommodation and meals by Wizz Air. The flight was rescheduled to the morning of 5th January, as was the return flight from Paris-Beauvais to Debrecen. The staff followed the proper protocols and evacuated the aircraft in a professional manner. Wizz Air sincerely apologises for the inconvenience, but the safety of our passengers, our staff, and our aircraft remains our highest concern.”
Last year, one of Wizzair’s planes had to perform an unscheduled landing in Budapest, and there is news that Wizzair is planning a direct flight between Budapest and Minsk.
Concerns grow for 28 people missing in Australian bushfires
Australian authorities have serious concerns for 28 people missing in the bushfire-affected East Gippsland in Victoria state on Friday.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that there were “grave fears for the safety and wellbeing” of those unaccounted for, with conditions expected to worsen over the weekend.
He added that the total number of missing would likely change as the crisis unfolded, and that some of those who were missing on Thursday had been located.
Andrews also confirmed on Friday that two people had lost their lives as a result of the Victorian fires this week, taking the national death toll for the season to 19.
An unprecedented State of Disaster was declared for six local government areas across Victoria, while in the state of New South Wales a State of Emergency was initiated for the third time this fire season.
The measures give extensive powers to emergency service officials to coordinate the disaster response, as well as dictate mandatory evacuations.
Australia’s navy was called in to evacuate roughly 4,000 people who became trapped near the coastal town of Mallacoota, where they took shelter from deadly infernos which flared earlier in the week.
Concerns were also raised on Friday for the fire’s impact on Australia’s animal species, with roughly 5.9 million hectares of habitat burned across Australia since the start of the season.
- Heatwave reignites Australian bushfire crisis, over 30,000 asked to evacuate
- Aussie towns decimated after weekend of catastrophic bushfires
“The fires will have killed millions of animals … mammals, birds, reptiles,” Wildlife Victoria boss Megan Davidson told the media.
According to Davidson, large numbers of both wildlife and livestock are needing to be euthanized as a result of injuries sustained by the fires.
“They are so severely burned that there is nothing better you can do than end their suffering,” she said.
Many more animals are expected to perish in coming days as temperatures rise and they are unable to find water and shelter in decimated habitats.
Over 40 people die in major Delhi fire
The death toll in a fire incident in Delhi on Sunday morning has reached 43, reported news agency Asian News International (ANI) quoting local police sources.
The fire broke out inside a four storey building in north Delhi’s “Filmistan” area. Most of those died were migrant labourers from the country’s eastern state of Bihar, and were asleep when the fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday.
The labourers were engaged in making school-bags and packing boxes using plastic material and paper. They worked inside the building during the day and slept there at night, eyewitnesses told the media.
The fire broke out due to a short-circuit, an eyewitness told a TV channel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. He tweeted “The fire in Delhi is extremely horrific. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones. Wishing the injured a quick recovery. Authorities are providing all possible assistance at the site of the tragedy.”
A senior official of the Delhi Fire Service was quoted as saying that when the fire-tenders reached the spot the main gate of the ill-fated four-storey building was locked and people were shouting for help from inside.
“We had to break the main gate to gain access to the building and bring out the people. There was only one staircase to climb up the building. There was smoke and toxic gases all around and fire personnel faced much difficulty in fighting out the blaze,” the official told media persons present on the spot.
According to him, most of the victims rescued from inside the building were “unconscious” as they suffocated due to smoke.
The victims rescued from the building were admitted in four different hospitals. A team of National Disaster Response Force has reached the spot to assess the situation.
Hungarian firefighters to help put out Amazon wildfires?
The record number of wildfires that are currently destroying the Amazon rainforests have been all over the media worldwide. This is a global issue which affects the whole planet. Everybody tries to help out in any way possible. Hungarian firefighters also unite to offer help.
Hungarian firefighters are encouraging each other to unite and help to put out the Amazon wildfires, Blikk.hu reports. One firefighter named Péter Váli started recruiting volunteers on Facebook. He wrote in a post:
“Attention, colleagues! I am writing to every retired firefighter or the ones still on duty. The lungs of the Earth, the Amazon rainforest is on fire. We could contribute to saving our Earth, our home by fighting the flames if we would have the opportunity to go to Brazil. Is there anyone who would volunteer?”
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2877991185551217&set=a.929637527053269&type=3&theater
Retired firefighter Rudolf Jambrik, who took on the responsibility to organise and coordinate the Hungarian firefighting team, told Blikk that there are a lot of great firefighters available in Hungary. However, this mission requires thorough preparation.
Hungarian man wins International Firefighter Championship
He also said:
“It is no question whether I would help or not. However, this offer is only just a gesture so far. At this point, the fire is being extinguished from the air. Further action on the ground will be needed after the flames have been tamed, to put out the smoulders.”
Express writes that wildfires are frequent in the dry season in Brazil, but they can also be started deliberately in efforts to deforest land for cattle ranching illegally. Over 73,000 fires have been detected so far this year. It is almost impossible to predict when exactly the current blaze started. However, on August 15, there was a sharp increase in the number of fires.
Ready for this year’s spectacular fireworks show?! – Handy Guide for 20th August ceremony
20th August – within the framework of this year’s spectacular celebration more than 26,000 visual effects and 3,600 firework bombs will entertain the audience.
The festive program starts at Kossuth Square, where the national flag will be hoisted, along with military honours. The inauguration of army cadets will follow this; celebratory speech will be given by Tibor Benkő, Minister of Defense, and Áder János, President of the Republic. The Hungarian Defense’s airshow can be seen over the Danube between the Chain Bridge and Parliament; during the 50-minutes long program fourteen aircrafts (including Gripen), helicopters and boats will appear.
As the Hungarian news portal blikk.hu describes this year’s fireworks show has been implemented by less financial resources than last year – numerically about EUR 680,000.
Pyro-technicians have designed more than 26,000 visual effects, for which 6,500 pyrotechnic elements are installed. At least 3,600 firework bombs can be expected; the most advanced specialised software has realised the design, synchronised for the pace of musical accompaniment – reported by Zoltán Kovács, State Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office.
The spectacular show starts at 9 o’clock in the evening. The fireworks will be shot up at 9 locations – at two sections of the Danube from seven barges and pontoons; from the Chain Bridge and the Elizabeth Bridge – and a surprise can be expected this year as well.
55 firemen and 16 vehicles will provide local security. Firefighting ships will be on the alert at the affected Danube sections – said by Dániel Mukics, spokesman for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management.
“If someone sees fire, or any firework, pyrotechnic product which does not work properly, should call 112 emergency number immediately, or contact the fire department on site.”
In case of bad weather, the operational department might decide to cancel the event. In case of emergency, instructions will be given through loudspeakers, or personally at the scene provided by the authorities. The spokesman also highlighted that taking care of each other is important as the crowd will not be smaller by jostling!
Presumably, Tuesday’s ceremony will not be disturbed by the weather.
Budapest Police Headquarters asks onlookers to pay attention to their values, as pickpockets might hide in the crowd, so valuable objects should be stored in internal pockets. If the whole family participates in the event, they should take care of each other, especially children, giving them identifying documents or fixed arm strap with the parents’ phone number on it.
The Hungarian National Ambulance Service provides 36 rescue teams at the scene, including mass accident service as well where commonly bruises, fractures, sunburns are recuperated.
The Ambulance Service asks people to pay attention to warnings, take care of children and do not climb up to dangerous places for a better view. In case of trouble, help can be requested from rescuers at the scene, or by calling emergency if necessary – reported by Pár Győrfi, spokesman of the National Ambulance Service.
Delicacies and music at Buda Castle
Hungarian Festival of Crafts in Buda Castle started on 17th August, while Street of Hungarian Flavours opened its doors on 18th August at the Castle Bazaar – where Hungary’s cake, “Lady’s Lace” (Boldogasszony csipkéje) can be tasted for the first time, along with the country’s sugar-free cake, the “Small chestnut” (Kicsi gesztenye). There will be concerts and children entertaining shows, including Hooligans, Gyula Deák Bill, Beatrice and Csík band.
Light parade at Lake Balaton
Spectacular shows can be seen at the Hungarian sea as well – most of the towns organise fireworks parade for locals’ and tourists’ entertainment. Tuesday’s light show can be enjoyed at Alsóörs, Almádi, Balatonberény, Földvár, Füred, Fűzfő, Kenese, Lelle, Máriafürdő, Szárszó, Szemes, Világos, Csopak, Fonyód, Gyenesdiás, Hévíz, Keszthely, Révfülöp, Siófok, Szigliget, Tihany, Zamárdi and Zánka.
LMP demands higher wages in public sector
The opposition LMP has called for a wage hike in the public sector, warning that national, municipal and security systems could “collapse” due to a huge labour shortage.
Márta Demeter, deputy group leader of the party, said that both the base salary of 44,000 forints a month (EUR 136) for defence employees and that of 38,000 forints for public sector employees should be raised to 60,000 forints.
Demeter warned that unless wages are increased more and more people will leave the public sector.
“People will find no clerks in public offices, not enough policemen in the streets, there will be no firemen and day-to-day operations in prisons could become impossible,” she said.
As we wrote a few weeks ago, labour shortage in the private sector can be observed most dominantly in engineering activities; within the industrial sector, this phenomenon can be experienced significantly in the case of blue-collar workers while the public sector is characterised by a huge scarcity of doctors, nurses, and public health experts. Read more HERE.
Almost 10 thousand nurses disappeared from Hungarian hospitals!