Accident News

Death toll of off-piste skiiers in Swiss Alps rises to 11

Geneva - Eleven people have died in off-piste skiing accidents in the Swiss Alps despite repeated avalanche warnings over the past four days, police said Sunday.Nine skiers were hit by an avalanche on Saturday on the Piz Vilan mountain, of whom five died.

Indonesia resumes search for AirAsia crash victims

Jakarta - Indonesian rescuers on Sunday resumed their search for 86 victims still missing from the AirAsia plane that crashed on December 28 with 162 people on board, an official said.

Aircraft set for minute-by-minute tracking

Montreal - All commercial flights worldwide could soon send out an automated signal every minute in times of distress to help rescuers find downed aircraft more easily.

French general describes 'horror' of Spain jet crash

Paris - A French general on Thursday described the scene of horror that unravelled in Spain when an F-16 Greek fighter jet experienced a technical failure on take-off and crashed into pilots and mechanics on the ground.

Malaysia declares all on board MH370 dead, angering relatives

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia on Thursday formally declared the passengers and crew of missing flight MH370 to be presumed dead, a step that it said opens the door for compensation payments but which was angrily rejected by distraught relatives.

AirAsia co-pilot at controls when plane crashed

Jakarta - The French co-pilot was at the controls of an AirAsia plane before it crashed into the sea last month after flying through an area of towering clouds, killing all 162 people on board, investigators said Thursday.

New Jersey apartment fire ruled accidental, tenants plan lawsuit

Officials have said that the fire that destroyed a major part of a luxury New Jersey apartment complex was caused when ongoing plumbing repairs sparked a fire that quickly spread through the building.

Hopes fade of finding more AirAsia crash victims

Jakarta - Hopes faded Wednesday of finding 92 victims still missing from an AirAsia plane crash as Indonesian search and rescue authorities said the remaining bodies could have been swept away or lost on the seabed.

Probe after 11 die in NATO training jet crash in Spain

Madrid - Investigators were probing Tuesday how a fighter jet crashed during elite NATO training exercises at an air force base in Spain, killing 11 military personnel and leaving others with serious burns.

Ten dead, 13 injured in Greek fighter jet crash in Spain

Madrid - A Greek fighter jet crashed Monday on takeoff at a military airbase in Spain housing a NATO training centre for elite pilots, killing at least 10 people and injuring 13, the defence ministry said.

Shelling briefly traps 500 miners in east Ukraine

Donetsk - Nearly 500 coal miners in Ukraine's war-torn east were briefly trapped underground on Monday after their pit lost power when a shell hit an electricity substation.

Indonesia struggles to retrieve AirAsia fuselage

Jakarta - Indonesian salvage teams failed again Sunday to retrieve the fuselage of AirAsia Flight 8501 from the seabed after a sling snapped during a sudden change in the weather, officials said.

Six skiers killed in avalanche in French Alps

Grenoble - Rescue workers on Sunday found the bodies of six skiers who went missing a day earlier after being carried away by an avalanche during a trek in the Queyras mountain range in the French Alps, police said.

Indonesia search team fails to float AirAsia fuselage

Jakarta - Indonesian salvage teams failed to raise the fuselage of AirAsia Flight 8501 from the sea bed Saturday, but recovered four more bodies from the wreckage of the crashed jet.

Divers find more bodies, reach AirAsia fuselage

Pangkalanbuun - Indonesian divers on Friday finally reached the fuselage of an AirAsia plane that crashed last month, an official said, as four more bodies were recovered from the Java Sea.

Divers find bodies belted in seats near AirAsia fuselage

Pangkalanbuun - Indonesian divers Thursday recovered six bodies, some still belted into their seats, near the main section of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month, but failed again to reach the fuselage.

AirAsia jet's alarms 'screaming' before crash: investigator

Jakarta - Warning alarms in AirAsia flight QZ8501 were "screaming" as the pilots desperately tried to stabilise the plane just before it plunged into the Java Sea last month, a crash investigator said Wednesday.

China sacks four officials over Shanghai stampede

Shanghai - Four local officials in Shanghai have been sacked over a New Year's Eve crush on the waterfront Bund that killed 36 people, the city government announced Wednesday, saying the carnage could have been avoided.

AirAsia jet 'climbed fast then stalled'

Jakarta - An AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month with 162 people on board climbed at a faster than normal speed and then stalled, the Indonesian transport minister said Tuesday.

Six Taiwan firemen killed in bowling alley fire

Taipei - Six young firemen were killed on Tuesday as they battled a blaze engulfing a bowling alley in northern Taiwan, officials said.

Argentines among four killed in Japan ski avalanches

Toukyo - Avalanches in and around Japanese ski resorts killed four people including two Argentine men over the weekend, police and media reported on Monday.

35 Syrian soldiers killed in plane crash: monitor

Birut - At least 35 Syrian soldiers were killed overnight when an army cargo plane crashed in bad weather in the northwest of the country, a monitor said on Sunday.

AirAsia crash highlights perils of region's crowded skies

Jakarta - Caught in stormy weather, the pilot of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 requested to climb to a higher altitude but was not immediately granted permission due to heavy traffic. Soon afterwards, the jet disappeared off the radar.

Tugboat sinks in China killing 22 including eight foreigners

Bejing - Twenty-two people including eight foreigners have been confirmed dead after a tugboat sank on a trial voyage on the Yangtze, China's longest river, state media reported Saturday.

Foreigners among 22 missing after boat sinks in China

Shanghai - More than 20 people, including four Singaporeans, were missing Friday after a tugboat sank on a trial voyage on the Yangtze, China's longest river, state media and authorities said.

Norman Atlantic likely death toll rises to at least 27

Rome - The Italian prosecutor investigating a deadly fire on the Norman Atlantic ferry on Thursday indicated that at least 27 people had likely perished in the disaster.

Divers battle against nature in hunt for AirAsia debris

Pangkalanbuun - Clinging desperately to underwater ropes, an Indonesian search leader said his divers appeared to be "flying like Superman" as they scoured the seabed in the gruelling quest to recover bodies and wreckage from crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501.

100 feared missing after boat sinks in C. Africa

Bangui - Nearly 100 people are feared missing in the Central African Republic after a boat caught fire and sank on a river in the strife-torn country this week, officials said Thursday.

Divers make fresh bid to reach AirAsia jet main body

Pangkalanbuun - Indonesian divers Friday made a fresh attempt to reach the main body of an AirAsia plane that crashed in the sea last month with 162 people on board, after their initial bid failed due to bad weather and rough seas.

Singapore navy finds main body of crashed AirAsia jet

Pangkalanbuun - A Singaporean navy ship on Wednesday located the main body of the AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea late last month, raising hopes that bodies of most of the 162 victims will now be found.