Benoni family dies in waterfall plunge

Johannesburg -

A family of three died when they fell 30 metres down the Rietfontein waterfall in Mpumulanga, Beeld reported on Monday.

The mother and father, who were childhood sweethearts, as well as their only daughter, aged 13, were on holiday when they tried to cross the river at the top of the waterfall, on a farm 5km outside Sabie, on Friday.

The family, from Benoni, were apparently walking hand-in-hand when one person slipped, causing them all to fall down the edge of the 30 metre waterfall.

A farmworker spotted the mother's body in the late afternoon. Police divers found the daughter's body around midnight. The father was found on Saturday. They had all sustained serious head injuries.

Karen Steyn, the father's niece, said they died together “because one would not live without the other”.

Beeld named the family as Pieter and Adele Prinsloo and their daughter Shante.

- Sapa/IOL

Two killed in 100-vehicle pile-up in US

Two people have died and dozens were injured after a pile-up involving some 100 vehicles on a foggy motorway in the US state of Texas.

More than 50 people were taken to hospital and at least eight were critically hurt, local media report.

It happened at Interstate 10 near Beaumont, about 80 miles (130km) east of Houston, on Thanksgiving morning.

Rescuers scrambled to pull survivors from miles of wreckage, which left mangled lorries on top of each other.
'Catastrophic'

A man and woman died after their sports utility vehicle was crushed by a tractor trailer, reports KFDM-TV.

Emergency services did not initially realise the scale of the carnage because of the dense fog.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Deputy Rod Carroll said: "It is catastrophic. I've got cars on top of cars."

The motorway's eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed for most of Thursday.

- BBC

Man killed by bees near Joburg school

Johannesburg - A man died after a swarm of bees stung him in Mayfair on Monday, Johannesburg emergency services said.

"When we arrived, we tried to resuscitate the 38-year-old male but he later died," said spokesperson Nana Radebe.

The incident happened next to the Mayfair Primary School.

No one else was stung, she said.

- SAPA/News24

Twee kinders in VS dood nadat hul vermoedelik gif inasem

Parys - Twee kinders in Tumahole naby Parys in die Vrystaat is Vrydag dood nadat hulle vermoedelik 'n giftige stof ingeasem het. Polisie woordvoerder Khehla Sitole sê 'n 3-jarige seuntjie en sy 1-jarige suster het na bewering in hul huis gespeel terwyl hul ma buite die huis was. Die twee het glo 'n bottel wat vermoedelik gif ingehad het in die hande gekry, die walms ingeasem en flou geword. Die ma het haar kinders na 'n plaaslike kliniek gehaas, maar hulle is albei met hul aankoms dood verklaar. 'n Verpleegster van die kliniek wat na die huis is om die giftige vloeistof te ondersoek het ook daarvan ingeasem en is na 'n hospitaal in Vereeniging gehaas. Sitole sê die bottel gif sal forensiese toetse ondergaan om die inhoud daarvan te bepaal.

- OFM

Twee kinders versmoor in motor in Noordwes

Twee kinders onderskeidelik twee en drie jaar oud is dood aangetref in 'n ou ongebruikte motor in die Henryville informele nedersetting in Zeerust in Noordwes. Volgens polisiewoordvoerder Emelda Setlhako het die twee dogtertjies in die motor gespeel wat buite in die son geparkeer was. Hul ma was by die werk en hulle is in dei sorg van hul ouma gelaat. Na bewering het die twee in die motor aan die slaap geraak met die vensters toe en deur gesluit en versmoor as gevolg van die geweldige hitte. Die saak word deur polisie ondersoek.

- OFM

Worker in critical condition after fall

A worker believed to be in his mid twenties is in a critical condition after falling two storeys at his work place in Cato Ridge and was rushed to a nearby Doctors rooms for medical attention this afternoon.

ER24 paramedics were called to the rooms because of the condition of the patient. Paramedics assessed the patient and found he had a suspected head injury and suspected back injures with minor cuts to his body. Advanced Life Support intervention was performed on the patient to help stabilise him further before transporting him to Edendale Hospital in a critical condition.

The circumstances around the incident are unclear but it was indicated that the man had fallen from a height. Colleagues were worried about him and rushed him to the doctor to get medical attention.

- ER24

‘I saw the scaffolding collapse’

Sebastian Kerbstadt is still in Somerset Hospital after the Linkin Park concert tragedy. Photo: Cindy Waxa

Cape Town - Sebastian Kerbstadt, 24, felt a gust of wind before temporary scaffolding crashed down on his leg.

He jumped back and pushed himself against a parked car. He managed to push his left foot under the car before the advertising scaffolding landed on his right leg.

Kerbstadt on Monday described the last minutes before the incident outside the Cape Town Stadium before the Linkin Park concert last Wednesday. He is one of 19 people who were injured when two temporary scaffolding towers collapsed as a result of strong winds.

Concertgoer Florentina Heaven-Popa, 33 of Hout Bay, later died at the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.

She was buried after a funeral service at the St Anthony’s Church in Hout Bay on Monday.

Speaking from a hospital bed at the New Somerset Hospital, Kerbstadt said he would be pursuing legal action against the City of Cape Town as soon as he was well.

Kerbstadt’s right leg and foot were broken in several places. He is due to undergo surgery on Friday.

A German citizen, Kerbstadt is in the country finishing his food technology studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He will miss some of his exams due to his injuries.

Upon arriving at the stadium, Kerbstadt’s ticket was declared invalid.

A security guard accompanied him to the Computicket truck about 50m away. On the way, they passed the scaffolding.

“I felt the strong wind when I walked past, but I didn’t imagine that it could fall,” Kerbstadt said.

After his ticket was declared valid, the security guard and another concertgoer started walking towards the entrance gates.

“I looked to the left and saw the whole thing coming down. The security guard pushed the woman out of the way. People were screaming and running. It was very hectic for a few seconds… then everything went quiet,” he said.

Kerbstadt didn’t feel the pain at first: “I was more in shock.”

He was declared a “code yellow” by the paramedics, who went around labelling those affected according to the seriousness of their injuries. “There were some people who were bleeding heavily,” he said.

About 10 000 people were in the stadium precinct when the incident happened.

The City of Cape Town announced on Thursday that it would conduct its own investigation of the events that led up to the tragedy.

Kerbstadt said the incident would not deter him from visiting the country and the city in the future.

“It’s sad I didn’t get to see Linkin Park, but I have had a nice and beautiful experience and have made some new friends in the country,” he said.


- Cape Argus

Lady falls down embankment next to Vaal river

A 42 year old lady sustained some injuries this evening when she allegedly slipped from a ledge while walking and fell onto a river bank.

ER24 paramedics from Potchefstroom received a call out to a stretch along the side of the Vaal River approximately 30 kilometers outside of Potchefstroom. Upon arriving at the scene the paramedics located the patient at the bottom of a steep rocky slope.

The paramedics were able to get down to where the patient was lying. The lady was in some pain. Paramedics treated the patient for suspected back and neck injures as well as a shoulder injury.

Paramedics later immobilised the patient to spinal equipment before using specialised rope rescue techniques to extricate the patient from the bottom of the slope. The patient was then transported to a medial facility for further care.

- ER24

Ses stabiel ná Linkin Park-fratsongeluk

Kaapstad – Ses mense is in 'n bestendige toestand in die hospitaal nadat hulle in 'n fratsongeluk by die Kaapstad-stadion beseer is, het die departement van gesondheid in die Wes-Kaap Vrydag gesê.

'n Vrou is Woensdagaand dood en 19 ander mense beseer nadat steierwerk kort voor Linkin Park se konsert omgewaai is.

"'n Vroulike pasiënt is vanaf die Somerset-hospitaal na die Groote Schuur-hospitaal oorgeplaas omdat sy verdere behandeling benodig vir haar rugwerwelbesering. Nóg 'n pasiënt sal later vandag [Vrydag] 'n operasie ondergaan," het Mark van der Heever, woordvoerder van die departement, gesê.

Intussen het Lucozade hom as amptelike borg van die Linkin Park-toer onttrek.

Die Amerikaanse rockgroep sal Saterdagaand in Johannesburg optree.

- Nuus24

25 Killed in Myanmar Tanker Train Explosion

Twenty-five people were killed in northern Myanmar when a derailed tanker train burst into flames as they were trying to skim fuel from its overturned carriages, state television reported Friday

The report said 62 other people were injured Friday morning after the train hauling seven carriages of gasoline and two of diesel derailed near Kantbalu about 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Yangon. It was travelling from Yangon to the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina.

The cause of the accident was not given.

The report said the injured were being treated at two nearby hospitals.

A witness, Myint Kyi, told the U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Asia that the dead included 16 men, seven women and two bodies so badly burned their gender was not immediately apparent. He gave the number of injured as 74.

- AP

Witnesses tell of Cape concert tragedy

Cape Town - Linkin Park concert-goers have recounted the moments before and after tragedy struck at Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.

A woman attending the concert died of her injuries after temporary scaffolding collapsed in high winds outside the venue. At least 20 people were injured.

The 33-year-old woman worked at a city hotel. She died in Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in the city.

She has not been formally identified as her parents have not yet been informed of her death.

The woman’s husband, who was with her on Wednesday night, said he was considering legal action.

The concert-goers were hurt when two Lucozade-branded towers fell during strong south-easterly winds.

Sources said all stadium events had exhaustive safety plans and the emergency was immediately co-ordinated by the Venue Operations Centre.

Ambulances from the province’s emergency medical services and private ambulance companies ferried the injured to hospital.

On the scene on Wednesday night Nicole Barlow told the Cape Argus she had been standing between the two sponsored towers that fell on the south side of the stadium.

She and Ashley Barlow had been handing out samples of the energy drink earlier in the day. The women said gazebos had been erected too, but they had been packed away because of the wind.

This morning Barlow wrote on Facebook: “Still can’t believe what happened. Knowing that you were 5cm away from possibly being killed is crazy. Hope everyone and especially the Lucozade girls and the fans who got injured so badly and are currently in critical condition have the strength to fight it through, and to the family of the fan who passed away you have my deepest condolences, R.I.P.”

Meanwhile, concertgoer and nurse, Justine Butler told EWN how she tried to help comfort the woman who eventually died.

“She was probably the first person that I came up to. She was right in front of me in the ground and she had serious injuries.”

According to EWN, Western Cape Health Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said several people are still being treated in hospital.

“They sustained fractures to their hands, legs and spine. The doctors will later today decide how long they will be kept in hospital.”

Event organiser Big Concerts said as the incident was outside the stadium, it fell under the jurisdiction of the City of Cape Town.

The city said in a statement on Thursday night that the structure had been pre-approved and certified safe by structural engineers prior to the event.

After their performance on Wednesday night Linkin Park posted a message of condolence on their blog, saying: “We wish to express our deep sadness and concern for those injured and our heartfelt condolences to the family of the fan who died as a result of her injuries.”

The concert went ahead despite the incident.

Cape Argus, IOL

Ad tower was deemed safe, City says

Cape Town - The City of Cape Town said on Wednesday that a branding tower that collapsed outside the Cape Town Stadium ahead of the Linkin Park concert had been certified as safe.

Outside the stadium, the tower was blown over by a strong gust of wind just before 19:00, falling on people below, injuring 20.

The City said that the tower had been "pre-approved and certified safe, by structural engineers prior to the event".

But according to a spokesperson at the Cape Town International Airport weather office, near-gale wind speeds topping 50km/h were registered in the City Bowl.

The City said that emergency personnel - including doctors, paramedics and disaster risk management - responded to the incident immediately, and he injured were treated on scene and taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention.

Two people had sustained serious injuries, ER24 paramedics said in a statement.

Reports said the majority of the injured were women doing promotional work.

The site where the incident occurred was declared safe not long after the remainder of the structure was dismantled, according to the City.

The concert went ahead as scheduled, however, and no announcements of the incident were made inside the stadium.

- NEWS24

Fan dies in Linkin Park concert crash

Cape Town - A fan attending the Cape Town leg of a worldwide tour by the US rock band Linkin Park has died.

The woman, whom authorities have yet to identify, was caught under a banner advert for Lucozade, when gale force winds caused the structure to collapse.

Twenty people in total where injured, some sustaining bone fractures, according to officials who were at the scene.

After the concert, Linkin Park released a statement expressing their condolences to the family of the deceased and the fans who had been hurt.

Spokeswoman Kymm Britton said in a statement: “Though we have had no relationship with the sponsor or the entity responsible for erecting the structure, we take the safety of our fans very seriously and our thoughts are with all of those who were affected by this tragedy.”

Big Concerts, one of the organisers who brought Linkin Park to South Africa for the group's Living Things world tour, also released a statement expressing their sympathies for the victims.

Dionne Domyan, spokeswoman for the promoter said: “We would like to thank the City of Cape Town, the South African Police Services, and all the medics, doctors, and disaster risk personnel for their swift and professional response to this accident.”

Meanwhile, on Big Concerts' official Facebook page where the statement regarding the structure collapse also appeared, fans reacted emotionally, some calling for legal action by the family of the fan who died against the company responsible for erecting the advertising structure despite warnings of gale force winds.

A comment by Jason Ross NaIdoo read: “They should [have] looked at a weather report and reassessed if the structure was really necessary and most of all safe to have around! I think the family of the deceased should board this run away train class action law suit straight into who ever is responsible for passing that advertising tower… “

Another fan commenting on the same post criticised Linkin Park for allegedly not making reference to the incident during their performance. Larry Shane September wrote: “I think its pretty pathetic that no one had the decency to at least make an announcement during the show. I'm not impressed big concerts. This is such a tragedy on a really great concert and band. Please do right by the family of the deceased.”

Big Concerts did not immediately respond to an e-mail from IOL asking if an investigation into the incident that would clarify if safety rules had been flouted during the installation of the advertising structure, would be conducted.

Linkin Park's sold-out Johannesburg concert would continue on Saturday, the band confirmed.

-IOL

Second Update on scaffolding collapse at Linkin Park concert at Cape Town Stadium

Family and Friends of the 20 concert goers who were injured earlier this evening should please contact Metro EMS on 021 931 9027.

The City of Cape Town and Big Concerts confirm that twenty concert attendees were injured at the Cape Town Stadium this evening when a temporary scaffolding structure in the Stadium precinct collapsed due to high winds.

The City’s Emergency Services, including doctors, paramedics and Disaster Risk Management staff assisted immediately. The injured were treated on scene and have been taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention.

The incident occurred at approximately 18h55 when high wind speeds caused the collapse of a temporary scaffolding structure. The temporary structure was a branding activation, located adjacent to the Stadium forecourt on the Cape Town CBD side of the venue.

The structure had been pre-approved and certified safe, by structural engineers prior to the event.

The remainder of the structure was dismantled and the commanding officer at the Venue Operations Centre declared the event site safe shortly afterwards.

The Stadium gates were re-opened to concert attendees. The concert is going ahead as planned.

All necessary support is being provided to those injured.


End

Source:

Wilfred Schrevian Evan Solomons-Johannes
Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects
Acting Head: Disaster Operations Centre

Photo showing the collapsed scaffolding - LinkinPark Concert, Cape Town

Rob Byrne ‏@TrafficSA report: Cape Town - #LinkinPark advertising scaffolding collapse, latest pic via @ER24EMS (20 injured, 5 serious)

Update on scaffolding collapse at Linkin Park concert at Cape Town Stadium

The City of Cape Town and Big Concerts confirm that twenty concert attendees were injured at the Cape Town Stadium this evening when a temporary scaffolding structure in the Stadium precinct collapsed due to high winds.

The City’s Emergency Services, including doctors, paramedics and Disaster Risk Management staff assisted immediately. The injured were treated on scene and have been taken to nearby hospitals for further medical attention.

The incident occurred at approximately 18h55 when high wind speeds caused the collapse of a temporary scaffolding structure. The temporary structure was a branding activation, located adjacent to the Stadium forecourt on the Cape Town CBD side of the venue.

The structure had been pre-approved and certified safe, by structural engineers prior to the event.

The remainder of the structure was dismantled and the commanding officer at the Venue Operations Centre declared the event site safe shortly afterwards.

The Stadium gates were re-opened to concert attendees. The concert is going ahead as planned.

All necessary support is being provided to those injured.

End


Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes

Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects

Acting Head: Disaster Operations Centre

Advertising board collapses before Linkin Park concert

Image: Saar-ra Allie - #LinkinParkaccident! The rig that collapsed onto people!

Twitter reports say an advertizing board consisting of scaffolding collapsed outside the Cape Town Stadium prior to the Linkin Park concert being held there this evening.

According to initial report from ER24 20 people have been injured.

A witness said it appears an advertising structure collapsed outside the stadium after a strong gust of wind.

Emergency personnel are currently at the scene.

- SAWDOS

Five workers killed by gas

Five workers of the Sol Plaatje Municipality were killed at Kimberley's Homevale waste water treatment plant, a city official said on Tuesday.

“We confirm the death of five of our workers…at around 12.45pm today (Tuesday),” said city spokesman Sello Matsie.

He said one of the workers was cleaning the pump house, about six metres underground, when the accident happened.

Apparently sludge came out of one of the monitors in the room and filled the room to a height of about 1.5 metres.

It was suspected the worker was overcome by methane gas.

Matsie said it seemed the other workers tried to help in an attempt to rescue the first worker and they were also overcome by the gas.

He said the accident was now subject to various investigations by different state departments, the police and the municipality.

The recovery of the bodies was nearly completed by 6.30pm on Tuesday.

Matsie said questions about safety issues would be handled in the investigation.

- Sapa/IOL

23 women, children dead in a fire at Saudi wedding

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia Saudi media reports say a blaze that erupted inside a tent at a wedding in the country's east has killed at least 23 women and children.

The media cite civil defense officials as saying that celebratory gunfire, common at weddings, brought down a power line that touched off the fire late Tuesday in the Eastern Province.

Last month, Saudi Arabia banned the shooting of firearms at weddings, a popular tradition in tribal areas of the country, Al Jazeera reports. In 1999, 76 people died in a similar incident in the Eastern Province of the country.

The official Saudi Press Agency said Wednesday that a special government committee will conduct an investigation into the incident. The probe will be by the provincial governor.

Saudi Arabia's ultraconservative codes require genders to be separated at most public events, including weddings.

- CBS News

Meisie vermis ná sy in drein beland

Johannesburg – Daar is steeds geen teken van ‘n meisie wat in ‘n stormwaterdrein in Ivory Park, noord-oos van die stad, geval het nie.

Eyewitness News (EWN) berig die tienjarige kind het in die drein geval toe sy Dinsdagmiddag ná skool terug huis toe gestap het.

‘n Reddingspan wat sewe duikers en drie reddingshonde insluit, het Woensdagoggend hul soektog voortgesit.

'n Man wat gepoog het om die meisie te red het volgens die nuusdiens gesê hy het hulpeloos gevoel. 

"Ek het nie gedink nie, ek het net gegaan. Daar is 'n bruggie oor die drein – so ek het daarheen gegaan en die kind probeer gryp, maar ek kon net haar rugsak bykom," het hy volgens EWN gesê.

Lees meer hier

- NUUS24