Iran and US hit tankers in biggest wave of attacks on shipping since war began

By Enas Alashray, Idrees Ali and Jana Choukeir Reuters Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest wave of attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war. The attacks sent the price of ‌oil surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing. The ‌incidents follow a month of relative calm, during which the U.S. has sought to pressure Iran through economic means. Iran said it had fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan. Jordan said it intercepted 18 missiles, with the remaining two ​falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas. A U.S. official said all American troops were accounted for. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would sharply escalate its response to any further attacks, and said I...

At least 100 feared dead in northwest Nigeria gold mine collapse

By Ahmed Kingimi

MAIDUGURI (Reuters) -At least 100 people are feared dead following the collapse of a gold mining pit in Nigeria’s Zamfara State, survivors and residents said on Friday.

The pit at the Kadauri mining site in the Maru local government area caved in on Thursday while scores of artisanal miners were working underground, witnesses told Reuters. Rescue operations continued into Friday.

Sanusi Auwal, a local resident involved in rescue efforts, said at least 13 bodies had been retrieved from the rubble, including that of his cousin. “Over 100 miners were involved during the collapse,” Auwal told Reuters by phone.

“We are lucky to be rescued alive. Out of more than 100 people, only 15 of us were rescued,” said Isa Sani, who is currently receiving treatment for injuries.

Muhammadu Isa of the Zamfara State miners association confirmed the incident, adding that some rescuers also suffocated while trying to dig out victims.

Zamfara police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar did not immediately respond to calls and text messages seeking comment.

Illegal mining is common in Zamfara, where armed gangs often control gold fields, fuelling violence and deadly accidents.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/Uq7bjBA

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Myanmar earthquake death toll rises as fresh tremors further complicate rescue efforts

Israel says situation on Lebanon border ‘not sustainable’