2012-05-07 10:27:25 – Vehicle Accident – Taiwan

A collision between two buses in the 12.9-kilometer Hsuehshan Tunnel in northeastern Taiwan on Monday caused two deaths and injured more than 20 others, two of whom seriously.The accident occurred at 1:27 p.m. when a passenger bus caught fire after being hit from behind by another bus at the 26 kilometer mark on the south-bound No. 5 National Highway in the Hsuehshan Tunnel, which links New Taipei and Yilan counties, police said.The Directorate General of Highways confirmed that the collision happened right after a car’s tire suddenly blew out, which forced the first bus, run by Kamalan Bus Inc., to clap on the brakes, catching the bus driver behind by surprise.The second bus, owned by Capital Bus, caught fire after the collision, according to the agency, which said the driver died in the fire.Firefighters said they launched rescue efforts immediately upon hearing of the accident and extinguished the flames at 2:08 p.m., adding all the injured, mostly suffering from smoke inhalation, had been rushed to nearby hospitals.The tunnel has been closed to traffic to facilitate rescue work, police said.The accident is the most serious to have happened in the tunnel, which was opened to the public in June 2006.Considered a marvel of civil engineering and human perseverance, the tunnel took 15 years to complete.rn

Posted:2012-05-07 10:27:25 [UTC]

2012-05-07 10:32:50 – Hailstorm – USA

Saturday’s storms grazed Sioux Falls, but other parts of eastern South Dakota felt the brunt of high winds, hail and heavy rain.Rain through the evening and early morning in Madison, Mitchell and Flandreau caused flooding and standing water in fields and roadways, said Joe Sheehan, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls.More than 4.8 inches of rain fell in Madison. Flandreau had 4.78 inches and Winfred with more than 5 inches, Sheehan said.Hail was reported, too, he said.“The stuff in the evening between Mitchell, Brookings and Flandreau brought quite a bit of reports of dime- to quarter-sized hail,” Sheehan said.More than two inches of hail fell near Mitchell, and more than an inch of hail fell near Montrose, according to National Weather Service weather spotter information.Hail damaged about 300 cars at a Mitchell car dealership early Saturday, causing an estimated $1 million in damage.KELO-TV reported strong winds, rain and golf-ball-sized hail blew out windows and caused dents in hundreds of cars at the Iverson Chrysler Center in Mitchell early Saturday. General Manager Tim Hurll said employees were able to save 15 cars.Hurll says the dealership will offer discounts on the damaged cars starting today.Weather spotters and law enforcement in Flandreau and Madison reported winds surpassing 70 mph. Reports included damage to trees but no injuries. High winds damaged businesses, offices and residents in southwest Flandreau, in some cases ripping roofs off buildings.“There were a couple of duplexes that had the roof blown off of them or half blown off,” said Terry Albers, Moody County Emergency Manager. “We had a trailer house in Flandreau that slid off the foundation.”Heavy rain temporarily flooded out some rural roads in Moody County, and the city park in Flandreau has been closed until further notice, Albers said.Trees damaged by the storm also took down some power lines Saturday, leaving some areas near Flandreau without power. Albers said utility crews worked throughout the night to restore power.Those living in buildings with extensive damage have been relocated to friends and family or to a hotel, Albers said, but he had not heard of any reports of injuries.“Thank God,” he said.Sioux Falls saw three-quarters of an inch of rain early Sunday.The rest week looks quieter, with slight chances for scattered showers and temperatures in the mid-60s.

Posted:2012-05-07 10:32:50 [UTC]

2012-05-07 05:20:49 – Vehicle Accident – USA

On Sunday morning, an ECISD school bus collided with a fire truck, sending several students and a firefighter to area hospitals.Horticulture students from Permian High School and Odessa High School were on their way home from their annual spring trip.At approximately 9 a.m., the school bus collided with a Leona Volunteer Fire Department truck in Centerville, Texas which is about a seven hour drive southeast of Midland-Odessa. That fire truck was on the way to a fire.rnIt happened as the bus was directed by police to change lanes due to a large grass fire in the area. Trooper Jimmy Morgan with DPS in Bryan, TX tells says a Leona Volunteer Fire Department truck was responding to a fire that two other fire trucks were already at. The driver of the third truck tried to make a U-turn on the highway to join the other two trucks, but the driver didn’t notice the ECISD school bus coming up alongside it. The truck was then struck by the school bus.42 students along with their class sponsors and the bus driver were onboard. One firefighter and 12 students were sent to area hospitals. Fortunately, none of their injuries were serious.All the uninjured kids were taken to a high school in Centerville. Centerville ISD Superintendent Cathy Nicols tells us, “When I heard it, it really scared me. I didn’t know what I was facing when I came up to the school grounds.” Centerville ISD says several of the kids were still in fear over what happened.”They were scared and we had people come in and our counselor came in and visited with them and we tried our best to put them at ease and I think we were successful,” Nicols said.All students taken to the hospital have since been discharged.On Sunday night, an Ector County ISD bus met the whole group in the Metroplex area and started driving them back home. They are scheduled to arrive in Odessa at approximately 1 a.m. on Monday.