Bodies retrieved from Indonesian volcano after eruption kills 3 hikers

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By Niniek Karmini And Edna Tarigan, The Associated Press Rescuers on Indonesia ’s remote island of Halmahera found the bodies of two Singaporean hikers on Sunday, two days after they were caught in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono, officials said. The bodies of the men, aged 30 and 27, were located a few meters (yards) from where the first victim, an  Indonesian female hiker , was found dead on Saturday, Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesperson, said. All three had been about 50 meters (165 feet) from the rim of the main crater. The men’s bodies were covered by thick layers of volcanic material, Muhari said, adding that the densely packed material had complicated evacuation efforts and significantly slowed progress. “The bodies were buried under deep, densely packed volcanic material that is difficult to dig through,” Muhari said, “Rescue teams must proceed cautiously to ensure safety.” The trio were among 20 hikers who set ...
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Car bomb attack and ambush in northwest Pakistan kill at least 21 police

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By Saud Mehsud and Mushtaq Ali Reuters

A car bombing at a police post in northwestern Pakistan followed ‌by an ambush on police personnel rushing to the scene has ‌killed at least 21 officers, police said on Sunday.

Images from after the attack on Saturday showed ​the structure had been reduced to rubble, with bricks, charred wreckage and mangled vehicles scattered around the area.

Police official Sajjad Khan said in a statement that the bodies of 14 officers had been recovered from the collapsed outpost and three other personnel ‌were found alive and ⁠rushed to hospital.

A police official who asked not to be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media ⁠said militants first rammed into the post with an explosive-filled car and then entered the premises and began firing on any remaining officers.

“Other law enforcement personnel were sent ​to help ​the police, but the terrorists ambushed them ​and caused some casualties,” he ‌said.

Police sources said the militants also used drones in the attack.

Ambulances from rescue agencies and civil hospitals rushed to the scene, with officials saying a state of emergency had been declared in government hospitals in Bannu.

A militant alliance known as the Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.

Militant attacks have the potential to reignite ‌fighting along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. The worst ​fighting in years erupted between the allies-turned-foes in ​February, with Pakistani airstrikes inside ​Afghanistan that Islamabad said targeted militant strongholds.

Fighting has since eased, ‌with occasional skirmishes breaking out along the ​border, but no ​official ceasefire has been brokered.

Islamabad blames Kabul for harbouring militants who use Afghan soil to plot attacks in Pakistan.

The Taliban has denied the allegations ​and said militancy in Pakistan ‌is an internal problem.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/nQDd931

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