BEIJING – Tropical storm Bilis left at least 42 people dead and injured hundreds more as it churned across southeast China, the government’s main news agency reported today. At least nine people were missing after Bilis swept over the densely populated coast early Friday and moved inland, the Xinhua News Agency said. Hardest hit was the inland province of Hunan, where at least 36 people were confirmed dead and 100 missing by Saturday afternoon, Xinhua said. It did not say how they died. The report said 349 people were injured in Hunan and 40,000 were stranded by high water.
Indonesia: 42nd bird flu death
A 44-year-old man died of bird flu in Indonesia, a senior health official said today, putting the country on the cusp of being the world’s hardest hit by the disease. If the diagnosis by a local lab is confirmed by a World Health Organization-sanctioned test, the number of people who have died of bird flu in Indonesia would rise to at least 42, tying the country with Vietnam. The man reportedly died July 12 after being hospitalized for two days with a high fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.
Ecuador: Villagers flee volcano
Thousands of Ecuadorian villagers have fled their homes on the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano since it began erupting lava and toxic gases, authorities said Saturday. No injuries have been reported, but some 3,700 people have abandoned their homes in half a dozen hamlets since Friday, the Civil Defense agency reported. “There have been no victims, but all the vegetation has died and we have lost cattle,” the mayor of Penipe County said.
Honduras: U.S. to help build base
The United States is helping Honduras establish a new military base to combat international drug trafficking, a senior Honduran military official said Saturday. The base, planned for the province of Gracias a Dios near the Nicaraguan border, will allow Honduras to house aircraft and a fuel supply system, the La Prensa newspaper reported. Honduran army and navy forces are already in the area, but “it’s a zone where there is conflict and problems, therefore we need to have greater presence,” the head of the armed forces’ joint chiefs of staff said.
Sweden: Roller coaster cars collide
Two roller coaster trains collided at Sweden’s largest amusement park Saturday, injuring about 20 people, police said. It was unclear what caused the accident at the Liseberg amusement park in Goteborg, Sweden’s second-largest city, which is located on the country’s southwestern coast. “For some reason, two trains collided,” a police spokesman said. The park was closed after the accident.
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