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China bus fire: Driver started blaze that killed 11 children

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  • As Contaminated Measles Vaccine Kills 15 Kids in South Sudan

A fire on a bus in China that killed five South Korean and six Chinese children was started deliberately by the driver, Chinese state media say.

The children, aged between three and seven, were being driven to their kindergarten in the city of Weihai when the bus burst into flames in a tunnel.

The driver was angry that his overtime and night shift pay had been cut, police told Xinhua news agency.

The children’s teacher and the driver were also killed.

The fire was started on the bus floor near the driver’s seat. Part of a lighter was discovered nearby and petrol traces were found on the bus, Xinhua said.

Electrical faults and traffic accidents had been ruled out as possible causes, police said.

In the meantime, fifteen young children have died in a botched measles vaccination campaign that saw people as young as 12 years old administering the vaccines, South Sudan’s government announced Friday.

The United Nations said the children died of “severe sepsis/toxicity” from the contaminated vaccine, and the health ministry blamed the deaths on human error. One syringe was used for all the children during the four-day campaign, and the vaccine was stored without refrigeration the entire time.

Measles is yet another challenge facing the desperately poor East African country that already has been devastated by more than three years of civil war and a recently declared famine, as well as a cholera outbreak.

The government said all of the children who died were under the age of 5. It is setting up a commission to determine who is responsible and whether victims’ families will be compensated.

The measles vaccination campaign is targeting more than 2 million children across the country. About 300 children were targeted in the area where the children’s deaths occurred.

The children died in the rural town of Kapoeta in early May. Another 32 children suffered fever, vomiting and diarrhea but recovered, a joint statement by the World Health Organization and the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said.

Abdulmumini Usman, the South Sudan country director for the World Health Organization, told The Associated Press earlier this week that even after the organization became aware of the deaths, the measles campaign continued across the country except in Kapoeta.

“This campaign is lifesaving,” Usman said.

BBC with additional report from NBC

Accidents

FRSC Confirms 6 Dead, 5 Injured In Ibadan Road Accident

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FRSC Confirms 6 Dead, 5 Injured In Ibadan Road Accident

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Command, has confirmed the death of six persons in an accident involving multiple vehicles on Monday at Oke Eleshin, Amuloko area of the State.

The FRSC Public Education Officer in the State, Mayowa Odewo, told newsmen in Ibadan on Monday in a message that five persons were injured in the accident.

Odewo said eleven persons were involved in the accident, while the five vehicles involved were two tricycles, two trucks and a Sienna vehicle.

He said the five injured persons had been taken to Amuloko City Hospital by good Samaritans, while the corpses were taken to University College Hospital, Ibadan, before the arrival of FRSC personnel.

Odewo urged drivers to adhere strictly to road safety rules and regulations to reduce avoidable crashes.

An eyewitness revealed that among the dead were pupils and a mother to one of the pupils.

The witness said that a trailer appeared to have lost control and rammed into the vehicles.”

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Ember Months: 2 Children Die, 7 Injured In Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Accident

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Ember Months: 2 Children Die, 7 Injured In Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Accident

…As Osun accident claims 4 lives – FRSC

Two children were confirmed dead in a lone accident involving a Toyota Camry at Kere, Itori on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

Mrs Florence Okpe, the Spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Okpe noted that the accident occurred at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

She explained that the accident was caused by speeding, saying that the car marked AGL 36 JA was overloaded with passengers.

“A total of seven men, one male child and a female child were involved in the crash.

“One male child and one female child were killed in the accident while others sustained different forms of injury in the crash,” she said.

The FRSC spokesperson added that the injured victims were taken to the General Hospital, Ifo, while the corpses were deposited at the morgue.

She advised motorists to always adhere to traffic rules and regulations. 

In another development, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osun Command, says four persons lost their lives in Sunday’s accident that occurred on the Osun-Ondo expressway.

Mr Taofeeq Sokumbi, Osun Sector Commander, disclosed this in an interview in Osogbo.

Sokumbi said the accident occurred opposite Joseph Ayo Babalola University due to excessive speeding on the part of the vehicles involved, leading to the death of four passengers.

He warned motorists against dangerous driving which could lead to loss of lives and property.

According to him, the accident was due to the carelessness of the driver, who knew the danger that lay ahead due to excessive speeding.

He said the injured persons had been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment with corpses of the dead victims deposited at a morgue.

Sokumbi, however, warned that the command would not hesitate to deal with any road offender violating the state’s safety laws.

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Tanker Tyre Explosion Sparks Chaos In Surulere

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Tanker Tyre Explosion Sparks Chaos In Surulere

 Pandemonium engulfed Ekololu, a community in the Surulere area of Lagos, on Monday night when the back tyres of a tanker transporting fuel to a Conoil filling station burst into flames near the station.

The News Correspondent who resides in the area reports that the explosion of the tyres and the ensuing billows of smoke made residents living near the filling station flee for safety.

Observations by the newsmen revealed that staff from the filling station hurried out with fire extinguishers to combat the fire, which erupted around 9:00 p.m., just a few meters from the station’s entrance.

Emergency responders, including Federal and State Fire Services, as well as the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), swiftly arrived at the scene following distress calls from the community.

The ill-fated tanker that caused the pandemonium

Upon arrival, the emergency teams assessed the unregistered truck carrying the petrol and raised concerns about safety measures while questioning the driver and filling station management.

They provided guidance and oversaw the safe discharge of the fuel using a long hose to transfer the petroleum product from the stranded tanker into the filling station’s reservoirs.

The Station Manager of the Conoil filling station, Mr Kunle Oniya, informed the emergency responders that the station possessed 20 fire extinguishers, which were promptly utilised to contain the fire and prevent its spread.

The incident led to a traffic gridlock, with vehicles unable to move in the area for nearly an hour.

Some residents shared their experiences of the ordeal with the newsmen.

A resident, Malam Shehu, recounted abandoning his dinner upon witnessing the fiery explosion.

He expressed gratitude that the fire was contained before causing further damage.

Another resident, known as Iya Abigail, described hearing people shouting while she was playing games, prompting her to flee in confusion wearing her nightclothes.

She prayed for continued safety in the community.

An elderly resident, who preferred anonymity, urged filling stations in the area to prioritise safety and the welfare of residents.

She noted that filling stations typically had insurance against fire and other disasters and suggested extending such coverage to vulnerable buildings in their host communities.

Recalling the chaotic events, she said that she heard the sound of an emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood before hastily evacuating her home.

“I was watching TV and when the incident occurred, I had to blow the emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood but I quickly dressed up before running out of the house,” she said. 

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