Two killed, one injured in landmine explosion in Pak
Peshawar, April 20: At least two teenage boys were killed and another one was injured in a landmine explosion in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan on Sunday, police said. The boys were searching for wild mushrooms in the nearby Tirah Valley mountains in the tribal Khyber district when one of them stepped on the landmine triggering a huge blast. One boy died on the spot while another succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, the police said. Another 16-year-old boy, who sustained critical injuries in the blast, is receiving treatment at the hospital. An investigation has been initiated into the incident, a police official said. Scenic Tirah Valley is heavily mined due to its proximity to the Afghan border. The movement of tribesmen on both sides of the Afghan border continues unabated daily. (PTI)
2 Japanese navy helicopters crash during training
Tokyo, April 21: Two Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members crashed in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo during nighttime training in a possible collision, leaving one dead while rescuers on Sunday searched for seven others missing, the defence minister said. The two SH-60K choppers from the Maritime Self-Defence Force were carrying four crew each and lost contact late Saturday near Torishima island, about 600 kilometres south of Tokyo, Defence Minister Minoru Kihara told reporters. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, but officials believe the two helicopters “highly likely” collided before crashing into the water, Kihara said. The navy chief of staff, Adm. Ryo Sakai, said training involving the SH-60s will be suspended until the cause of the crash is determined and preventive measures are adopted. (AP)
2 killed in shooting at Memphis park part: Police
Islamabad, April 14: Eight people were shot including two men who were killed at an unsanctioned public party in a Memphis city park Saturday night, police said. The shooting occurred at a block party in Orange Mound Park, which Davis said included an estimated 200 to 300 attendees but did not appear to have been issued a city permit. At least two people are believed to have fired weapons during the shooting and police were examing video footage as part of the ongoing investigation, Davis said. There were no immediate arrests. (AP)
Death toll due to heat in Bangladesh rises to four
Dhaka, April 21: The death toll due to scorching heat in Bangladesh has mounted to four on Sunday. A middle-aged woman reportedly died on Sunday morning, pushing the death toll due to blistering heat to four in the past two days, Xinhua news agency reported. Millions of people are at risk of heat-related impacts in the country, experts have warned, linking the early onset of an intense summer to climate change. (IANS)