Protests erupt in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity

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By Dave Sherwood and Ayose Naranjo Reuters Scattered protests broke out across Havana on Tuesday evening, with residents banging pots, honking horns and shouting “turn on the lights” as millions ‌of Cubans remained without power amid a six-month-long U.S. fuel blockade. Cuba experienced a nationwide outage on ‌Monday — its third this year — but while authorities said most of the country had been reconnected to the island’s grid by late ​Tuesday, many remained in the dark and without electricity as the island doesn’t have enough fuel. The country’s grid operator UNE said it had reconnected the grid from Pinar del Rio, in far western Cuba, to Holguin in the east. Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, remained disconnected and without power, authorities said. The U.S. in January ‌cut off Cuba’s fuel supply, then ⁠imposed fresh sanctions that have prompted an exodus of foreign businesses and a near-complete collapse o...
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Death toll from fuel tanker explosion in Nigeria rises to 147

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 By Camillus Eboh and Ahmed Kingimi Reuters

A fuel tanker overturned late on Tuesday in Nigeria’s northern state of Jigawa after the driver lost control of the vehicle, spilling petrol which exploded and killed at least 147 people, police and state emergency services said on Wednesday.

The accident is one of the worst in recent times in Africa’s most populous nation, which is battling with widespread security threats and a cost of living crisis.

Haruna Mairiga, head of Jigawa state emergency services, put the death toll from the accident at 147.

Local police spokesperson Lawan Shiisu Adam said the tanker was travelling from the ancient city of Kano to Yobe State in the north, when the driver lost control near Majia town in Taura local government area, about 530 kilometers (330 miles) north of the capital Abuja, causing it to overturn and spill fuel.

Item 1 of 4 A fuel tanker that overturned after the driver lost control of the vehicle and caused fatalities, according to police and state emergency services, is seen in the middle of the highway, in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria, October 16, 2024.REUTERS/Alamin Mohammed

[1/4]A fuel tanker that overturned after the driver lost control of the vehicle and caused fatalities, according to police and state emergency services, is seen in the middle of the highway, in Majia, Jigawa State, Nigeria, October 16, 2024.REUTERS/Alamin Mohammed Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Adam said that villagers attempted to scoop petrol from the spillage, resulting in a fire that engulfed the area, reportedly leading to many deaths.

Adam added that 50 others were wounded and have been taken to local hospitals, in Ringim and Hadejia towns where they were being treated.

A mass burial was held for the dead on Wednesday, Mairiga said.

Many roads in Nigeria are poorly maintained and riven with potholes, causing accidents that claim dozens of lives every year.

Last month, at least 48 people were killed in north-central Nigeria when a fuel tanker exploded after colliding with another truck carrying travellers and cattle, trapping other vehicles as well in the blaze.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/JkyjAXY

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