Displaying items by tag: plane crash

Scenes of devastation emerged along Japan’s western coast as rescuers raced to save residents trapped in the rubble of a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on 1 January which triggered multiple aftershocks and killed dozens of people. Buildings collapsed, fires broke out, and tsunami alerts were given as far away as eastern Russia. The disaster has claimed at least 57 lives. While warnings of tsunamis along the coast were lifted, the northern part of the Noto Peninsula remains isolated due to a destroyed road. Prime minister Fumio Kishida announced efforts to secure transportation routes, including aerial and marine transport, to send supplies and personnel to the affected areas. The city of Wajima, home to over 27,000 people, is among the hardest-hit areas, with 15 confirmed fatalities and widespread destruction. The next day, all 367 passengers and twelve crew members of a Japan Airlines jet successfully disembarked after it collided with a coastguard plane on its way to provide earthquake relief. The crew have been praised for their calmness and professionalism. See

An assembly of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) opened in Kenya's capital with a minute’s silence as delegates stood under the dark cloud cast by a plane crash that killed 157 people, including UN staff working for several different agencies. Through the week, as the identities of more victims were reported, heartache rippled through the conference halls. Students at Kenyatta University mourned the deaths of a lecturer and the director of teacher professional development. Hundreds of lives will not be the same as they mourn. Meanwhile Boeing faces further questions over the safety of its 737 Max 8 jets, now grounded after the second fatal crash in months. See

Indonesia has ordered inspections on all its commercial Boeing 737-Max 8 planes, after one crashed into the sea minutes after taking off from Jakarta, with 189 people on board, on 29 October. There are no known survivors. Searchers have recovered debris, bodies and personal items. The flight recorder (‘black box’) has now been located, which may shed light on the mystery of why it crashed, considering that it was almost brand-new. It seems that the pilot asked to return to Jakarta airport before losing contact with air traffic control. A log obtained by the BBC showed the plane had experienced technical problems on the previous day. Indonesia, a vast archipelago, is heavily reliant on air travel but many of its airlines have a poor safety record.