Indonesia quake kills 56 people
Jakarta, Jan 17: The death toll from a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Friday has risen to 56, while the number of injured has climbed to 826, said the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) on Sunday. Maximum number of fatalities took place in Mamuju Regency in Indonesia’s West Sulawesi Province. BNPB has confirmed that at least nine people have died in the Majene Regency. Saturday’s update by the BNPB put the death toll at 46, while it put the casuality figure at 637. West Sulawesi authorities have declared a state of emergency in the region. BNPD chief Doni Monardo has said that the state of emergency could be lifted within one or two weeks depending on the situation. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked West Sulawesi in the early hours of Friday. (UNI)
Global Covid-19 cases top 94.4 mn
Washington, Jan 17: The overall global coronavirus caseload has topped 94.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.02 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 94,417,649 and 2,020,103, respectively. The US is the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 23,727,467 and 395,372, respectively, according to the CSSE. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 10,542,841, while the country’s death toll soared to 152,093. (IANS)
Cargo ship sinks in the Black Sea
Istanbul, Jan 17: A cargo ship sank off Turkey’s Black Sea coast on Sunday, leaving at least three people dead, Turkish authorities said. Six others were rescued. The transport ministry said the Palau-flagged ship named Arvin had anchored off the port of Bartin in northern Turkey due to bad weather, before breaking into two pieces and sinking. Emergency workers saved at least six crew members and reached the bodies of two others, the ministry’s naval branch said on Twitter. Bartin’s Gov. Sinan Guner said a third person had died, according to the official Anadolu news agency. The navy sent a frigate to assist rescue efforts. The transport ministry said the ship had 12 crew members, including two Russians and 10 Ukrainians. (AP)
2 female Afghan judges killed
Kabul, Jan 17: Two female Afghan judges were killed in Kabul on Sunday when unidentified armed men opened fire at the vehicle they were travelling in, marking the latest incident of targeted killings in the war-torn country, a security source said. The incident took place in Taimani neighbourhood, Police District 4 of the city, the source told Xinhua news agency. The shooting also left two other government employees injured, he added. Sunday’s incident was the latest in a string of targeted killings in Afghanistan On January 12, two female army officers died and two female officers and a driver wounded in a similar incident in northern Balkh province. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. (IANS)