crashes in Italy
AFP, Rome
A coach carrying Hungarian teenagers home from a school trip crashed and burst into flames on a motorway in northern Italy, killing 16 people, firefighters said Saturday. Some 39 injured were taken to hospital following the accident near Verona on Friday night, which occurred when the vehicle smashed into a bridge pillar, according to emergency workers.
UN launches $550m Afghan aid appeal
AFP, Kabul
The United Nations on Saturday launched a $550 million humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan, where about a third of the population is in need of assistance. Around 9.3 million people will be in need of help this year, a 13 per cent jump from last year, according to the UN.
The increase is due to the number of people in Afghanistan fleeing their homes in 2016 because of fighting between government forces and Taliban insurgents, and the unanticipated influx of Afghans returning suddenly from Pakistan, the UN said.
Romanian nightclub fire sends 38 to
hospitals
AP, Bucharest
Fire engulfed a popular nightclub in the Romanian capital Saturday, sending 38 people to hospitals for treatment including one who was seriously injured. No deaths were reported.
The fire erupted in the early hours at the upmarket Bamboo nightclub, which was burned to the ground.
Some people suffered from smoke intoxication while others were injured as they reportedly leapt from the upper level of the lakeside club to escape the flames.
2 more bodies pulled out from Iran bldg rubble
AP, Tehran
Rescuers found the bodies of two firefighters in the rubble of a commercial building that collapsed in Tehran after a blaze, leaving up to 30 dead, Iran’s state TV reported Saturday.
Footage showed rescuers carrying the body of one of the victims. The two were the first to be found in the large pile of debris. Also on Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani visited the site and urged a quzick restoration of the area, part of Tehran’s commercial and business neighborhood.
