Nine people are injured after an explosion at a chemical plant in China's eastern province of Shandong. Large flames could be seen from the site after the blast in the city of Zibo.

China explosion: Fires at Shandong chemical plant


3 hours ago
From the section China
 
An explosion has been reported at a chemical plant in China's eastern province of Shandong.

Large flames could be seen from the site after the blast in the city of Zibo. Nine people are reported injured.

The People's Daily said a warehouse at the Runxing chemical plant exploded. There is a residential area about 1km from the plant.

Earlier this month blasts involving chemicals in the northern city of Tianjin killed at least 121 people.

Hundreds were injured there and 54 remain missing.

The proximity of industrial and chemical plants to residential areas has become hugely controversial.

Saturday's blast took place near the city of Zibo, the South China Morning Post reported, quoting a villager who said that he saw a huge fireball and then heard two explosions.

The paper said that the fire had been brought under control by late on Saturday night.

It is not yet clear if homes in the area have been damaged.
Adiponitrile

The explosion triggered a fire and a dozen fire engines were at the scene, Xinhua news agency reports.

Howard Zhang of BBC Chinese says that the blasts at Shandong and Tianjin have taken on a political significance and threaten to overshadow China's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of its victory over Japan in World War Two.

The Beijing Times reported that the Runxing plant contained adiponitrile - a chemical which is reported to be used for the production of nylon and can be harmful to skin.

Windows shattered at the scene of the blast, state media reported, and its vibration could be felt 2km from the site.

The operators of the Tianjin site are being investigated for allowing dangerous chemicals to be stored too close to homes. Tianjin raised concerns about proximity of homes and of chemical storage regulations


The blasts there also raised fears of contamination by toxic substances.

They also sparked a nationwide directive cracking down on the storage of chemicals.

Officially the minimum distance between businesses with dangerous chemicals and public buildings and transport networks is meant to be 1km.

But data from the Tianjin incident showed there were at least three major residential communities inside that distance from the warehouse.
Source:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-34029202

Fiery crash involving semi-truck sends one person to the hospital in South Carolina

 

Spectators gathered around a burning 18-wheeler early Saturday morning

UPDATED August 22, 2015
GREENWOOD COUNTY, S.C.


Emergency crews were called to a crash involving a semi and another vehicle late Friday night.


Fire crews were called to 2210 Montague Avenue just before 11 p.m.

Greenwood County Fire Coordinator Steve Holmes said at least one person was taken to the hospital.

Holmes said the semi, which was carrying automotive carpet, caught on fire after the collision.

Both vehicles are considered to be a total loss, Holmes said.

Goodrich, ND man charged in July ATV crash that killed his friend

By Andrew Sheeler

AUGUST 21, 2015


A Goodrich man is facing criminal charges in connection with the July 25 death of Bismarck man Cole R. Weckerly, resulting from an all-terrain vehicle accident.

Damon John Tessmann was charged in South Central District Court in Sheridan County with felony criminal vehicular homicide and misdemeanor driving under the influence. If convicted on the felony, Tessmann could receive up to 20 years in prison.

According to the accident report, Tessmann was driving an ATV, with Weckerly as passenger, leaving a bar in Martin on their way east to Selz.

At one point, Tessmann said he intentionally accelerated in order to fishtail. When he tried to regain control of the vehicle, he overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn.



Weckerly was partially ejected and sustained fatal injuries, according to the report.

Tessmann received minor injuries in the crash and was taken by ambulance to Harvey. He allegedly admitted to a Sheridan County Sheriff's Department deputy that he had consumed alcohol, but did not know how much.

His blood alcohol content later was determined to be 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit, according to the report.

Bus Collision with Tree in Westwood Leaves 13 Injured, Prompts Closure of Wilshire Boulevard

More than a dozen people were injured early Saturday after a bus jumped a curb and crashed into a tree in Westwood, authorities said.


A bus crashed into a tree before hitting a power pole in Westwood, leaving 13 people hurt on Aug. 22, 2015. (Credit: KTLA)


Posted August 22, 2015
by Tracy Bloom and Erin Myers
The single-vehicle collision occurred shortly after 3 a.m. on Wilshire Boulevard between Manning and Thayer avenues, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Investigators said the force of the crash resulted in a power pole being knocked down.

“The bus ran off the road, jumped the curb, hit the tree, the tree fell down and took the electrical with it,” Elizabeth Ellis of the Los Angeles Police Department said.

A total of 13 people were hurt in the crash, including four people who were transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said.

The other patients were treated at the crash site, Ellis said.

The collision prompted the temporary closure of Wilshire Boulevard in both directions, CHP’s incident log stated.

The cause of the collision was under investigation.

SLOW DOWN, SAVE YOUR LIFE: 2 killed after speeding car slams into tree in southwest Houston, Texas

Two people died in a car wreck in southwest Houston






Saturday, August 22, 2015 08:05AM
HOUSTON, TEXAS (KTRK) -- 

Two people died in car wreck in southwest Houston last night. Now investigators are trying to find the cause of that wreck.

The crash happened around 11:30pm last night on Hillcroft near Ludington.

A car headed down Hillcroft somehow lost control, hit the median, and slammed into a tree.

The driver was a man, and there was a woman in the front seat. Both appear to be in their 20s or early 30s. They died at the scene.

Police not sure what really happened here, but officers say there were a couple people who saw the accident and wonder if a bump in the road caused the driver to lose control.

Houston Police Department Sgt. Tim Trometer, said, "There were a couple witnesses that we spoke to they said that there was a little bump just passed the bridge coming over at a high rate of speed. They might've come over the bump at a high rate of speed and that's what pushed the car into striking the median and then the tree."

Police say there are no signs of alcohol being a factor.

They are still investigating.

Boat destroyed after catches fire on Kemah boat dock in Texas

(iWitness Photo)





Updated 18 mins ago
KEMAH, TX (KTRK) -- 

Huge flames destroyed a boat on a Kemah dock Saturday afternoon.

The Kemah Fire Department responded to the fire and quickly put it out. An viewer snapped several photos from the scene and sent them to Eyewitness News.



Fortunately, there were no injuries.

It's unclear what caused the boat to catch fire.

ELDERLY DRIVERS CAUSE MANY ACCIDENTS: 82-year old man killed, wife seriously injured after he lost control and crashed in Bensalem, PA

Updated 23 mins ago

BENSALEM, Pa. (WPVI) --

An elderly man is dead and his wife is seriously injured following a rollover crash in Bensalem, Bucks County.

It happened at 12:57 p.m. Saturday in the 2400 block of Knights Road.

Police tell Action News that 82-year-old Harry Pappas somehow lost control of the vehicle and flipped over.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His wife, who is also in her 80s, is listed in serious condition at Aria-Torresdale Hospital.

Bensalem police say Pappas may have suffered some sort of medical emergency while driving, leading to the accident. However, they are continuing to investigate.

Elderly drivers cause many accidents.  We need to force drivers to take driving refresher courses every 5 years or more often.  Drivers must also be tested for eye-sight, hearing, drugs, etc.  Many thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries would be prevented if we do so.  Please remember that a vehicle is a lethal weapon and only a regularly-trained, capable and fit person should operate it.

 

ANOTHER ZIP-LINE DEATH, 4TH THIS SUMMER ALONE, PROMPTS SCRUTINY

Challenge course regulations scrutinized after 4 deaths

(Shutterstock)





Saturday, August 22, 2015 11:59AM
RALEIGH -- As 12-year-old Bonnie Sanders Burney soared over a 40-foot ravine at her sleep-away camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the tether attaching her to a dual zip line snapped - plunging her to her death.

Her tether had been mistakenly draped over the line's second steel cable and melted from the friction.

Burney is one of at least four people killed in challenge course incidents across the country this summer. The deaths have drawn attention to a regulatory safety net full of holes.

The federal government does not regulate the challenge course industry. Nor does it keep data on how many courses exist or how many accidents occur. While some states have put regulations in place, others allow operators of zip lines and high ropes courses to self-regulate.

In North Carolina, zip lines are exempt from state regulation. Burney's death led the General Assembly to swiftly pass a law requiring officials to research possible regulations.


"The point is these things are obviously dangerous and they need to be monitored. They need to be regulated," said Rep. Ted Davis, R-Wilmington, who introduced the provision.

North Carolina challenge course operator Ken Jacquot said he's watched the industry grow for decades, recently shifting to a high throughput, for-profit model. Jacquot said companies need to adapt design and training standards as their operation changes.

"Just because a camp has a well-facilitated team-building program, doesn't mean you can drop in a zip line tour or point-point zips or adventure parks, specifically that you're going to open up to a more general public experience or high throughput volume and use the same operational strategies," Jacquot said.

Jacquot runs Challenge Towers, a company based in Boone, North Carolina, that designs, builds and operates challenge courses across the country. He is also a former board member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology, a national trade organization that develops industry safety standards.

Camp Cheerio follows ACCT guidelines, said David Ozmore, the director of the YMCA of High Point, which operates the camp.

Camp Cheerio's three zip lines had been designed, installed, and inspected by an ACCT-certified company, a policy the camp's insurance company demanded, Ozmore said. The camp's adventure course supervisor, trained by ACCT standards, had harnessed Burney in.

"It was truly an accident," Ozmore said.

In some states, ACCT compliance is voluntary. In others, it is mandated.

In July, a zip line worker fell 150 feet to his death in Utah after being pulled off the landing deck while helping a rider come to a safe stop. The state's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Utah doesn't have specific standards for zip lines or other challenge courses.

In South Carolina, a 16-year-old girl fell 100 feet to her death when she became unhooked from a high ropes course for which her camp did not have the required permits. The state has closed the camp's courses.




Tennessee suspended the permit of a camp where an 18-year-old man's neck was entangled in a safety harness during a fall. He later died from his injuries. The Navitat zip line adventure park in Knoxville was inspected prior to the accident by an inspector certified by ACCT.

A post-incident inspection by a second ACCT-certified inspector found that the safety lanyard, along with the combination of protective equipment, created a safety hazard, according to Navitat spokeswoman Abby Burt. Navitat's summary of the inspection states that all equipment met ACCT standards but "should henceforth be considered 'incompatible.'"

The ACCT issued an advisory notice recommending operators reconsider the potential safety risk associated with this equipment. ACCT did not respond to requests for comments.

In North Carolina, Camp Cheerio's zip lines have been shut down for the summer. The YMCA of High Point will decide this year whether to reopen the challenge courses next summer, Ozmore said.

"We will certainly respect and will follow the state guidelines," Ozmore said. But even with state regulation and ACCT compliance, he said, there is no "guarantee of perfection."

NOWHERE, NEVER SAFE: Woman struck and killed by Jeep in Oyster Bay on Long Island as she was walking to her parked car

Saturday, August 22, 2015 12:08PM

OYSTER BAY, N.Y. --

Police say a 64-year-old woman was struck and killed by a Jeep as she walked to her parked car on Long Island.

The accident happened at 10:20 p.m. Friday in Oyster Bay.

Nassau police say Patricia White was walking to her car on Pine Hollow Road when she was hit by a Jeep traveling southbound.

White was pronounced dead at Nassau University Medical Center. The driver of the Jeep, a 26-year-old woman, was not charged.

An equipment problem touched off a fire in the Delaware City Refinery Friday, sending smoke billowing from the site.

Delaware City Refinery fire under investigation
Esteban Parra and Jeff Montgomery, The News Journal 11:56 p.m. EDT August 21, 2015


Emergency crews and DNREC are on the scene of a fire reported at the Delaware City Refinery at about 1 p.m. Friday.



(Photo: Courtesy of Chopper 6, 6abc News)


An equipment problem touched off a fire in the Delaware City Refinery Friday, sending smoke billowing from the site. No injuries were reported.

A compressor malfunction caused the fire at about 1 p.m., said state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control spokesman Michael Globetti.

Michael Karlovich, a vice president for refinery owner PBF Energy, in an email said the problem involved the factory’s catalytic cracking unit “that resulted in flaring and a subsequent fire.”

“Flaring” generally means that there was a disruption in one or more refining processes that caused an automatic diversion of hydrocarbons and other gases to one of two large open-air incineration towers.

“All refinery personnel are safe and accounted for, and appropriate public officials and government agencies have been notified,” Karlovich said. “Offsite air monitoring indicates there was no community impact.”

The affected unit processes hydrocarbons left over after fuels are extracted from crude oil in the 191,000-barrel-per-day first-stage crude unit.

Other production units unaffected by the fire were operating at reduced rates, officials said.

DNREC officials said “the fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished by the refinery’s fire brigade with assistance from the Delaware City Fire Company.”

The incident is under investigation.

The 4500 Wrangle Hill Road refinery has been in operation since 1956.

On July 17, 2001, a 415,000-gallon tank at the site exploded while containing spent sulfuric acid, a mixture of sulfuric acid, water and hydrocarbons. The explosion killed worker Jeffrey Davis and injured eight others.

On Nov. 5, 2005, two contract employees, John Lattanzi and John Ferguson, were overcome and asphyxiated by nitrogen as they performed maintenance work near a 24-inch opening on the top of a reactor. One of the workers died attempting to rescue the other. At the time, the refinery was owned by Valero.

Green Compass Environmental Solutions LLC (Green Compass), Santa Clara Waster Water Company (SCWWC) and nine SCWWC officials and employees were indicted for hazmat explosion in California

Eleven indicted for hazmat explosion in California
By Land Line staff


Nine individuals and two companies in California were indicted on Wednesday, Aug. 19, for numerous charges ranging from conspiracy to dispose of hazardous waste to causing great bodily injury or death by emitting an air contaminant, according to U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.

Green Compass Environmental Solutions LLC (Green Compass), Santa Clara Waster Water Company (SCWWC) and nine SCWWC officials and employees were investigated after an explosion of a vacuum cargo tank trailer containing hazardous waste last November. More than 1,000 gallons of chemicals spilled, caused a fire and resulted in several explosions.

People within one mile of SCWWC were evacuated and those within a three-mile radius were given shelter-in-place orders. Highway 126 and an elementary were also shut down. Dozens were treated for possible exposure. Two SCWWC employees and three firefighters were hurt. The firefighters who were hurt went on disability leave as a result.

Investigators found that SCWWC stored more hazardous materials than it was permitted. SCWWC officials tried to hide the excess material by relocating it to an off-site, unsecured truck just before an inspection. Hazardous materials were also disposed of through a wastewater pipeline to the city’s sewage plant and by trailers to a landfill.

The nine SCWWC executives and managers who were indicted were Douglas Edwards, chairman of the board; William Mitzel, chief executive officer; Charles Mundy, vice president-environmental health safety and facility operations; Dean Poe, vice president-oil and gas sales; Brock Gustin William Baker, operations manager; Marlene Faltemier, human resources manager; David Wirsing, transportation manager; Mark Avila, supervisor, and Kenneth Griffin, shift supervisor.


Charges filed under the indictment include:

Conspiracy to dispose of hazardous waste;
Impeding enforcement;
Failure to warn of a serious concealed danger;
Disposal of hazardous waste;
Handling a hazardous waste with a reckless disregard;
Withholding information regarding a substantial danger to public safety;
Filing a false or forged instrument;
Causing great bodily injury or death by emitting an air contaminant; and
Dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.







//-----------------///////////

Santa Clara Waste Water Explosion (Mission Incident)



Santa Clara Waste Water Current Status

The Ventura County Environmental Health Division (EHD) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed oversight of the Mission Incident cleanup phase on January 9, 2015 and the site was returned to the Santa Clara Waste Water (SCWW) representatives. On December 4, 2014, the Ventura County Planning Division suspended SCWW’s Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and the permit will remain suspended until further notice. This suspension does not allow SCWW to operate its wastewater process units or receive any loads of wastewater. However, since January 9th, SCWW has been working to restore damaged infrastructure and perform maintenance and repair of equipment and structures damaged during the explosion and fire. A description of the SCWW maintenance activities can be found at the link below.



Land Use Permitting

The County of Ventura Resource Management Agency (RMA) staff has met with SCWW and its representatives to discuss the status of the conditional use permit and what information must be submitted prior to the County considering the resumption of any activities or the lifting the suspension. SCWW seeks to obtain an emergency use permit that would allow removal of the waste material that has partially solidified in their process tanks.



Mission Incident Summary

At approximately 3:30 am on November 18, 2014, a vacuum truck parked in the unloading area of SCWW exploded. A fire ensued, eventually involving several previously reported hazardous materials, including: oxidizers, acids, polymerizing agents, and possibly chlorine tablets. 

It is not clear what was in the vacuum truck when the explosion occurred. The unloading area filled with a mixture of water, watery sludge, and chemicals. The emergency response phase ended on November 22, 2014, when the Ventura County Fire Department transferred the incident to the EHD and the EPA for the cleanup phase. 

At that time, the evacuation and shelter in-place orders ended and the businesses and residents located on Mission Rock Road were able to return to their business or residence, and businesses were able to reopen at that time. The cleanup phase involved analytical testing, solidification, and off-site disposal of the spilled material. The objectives of the EPA/EHD cleanup were completed on January 9, 2015. 

Although SCWW provided the results of their internal investigation to the EHD and others on February 27, 2015, the cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. A copy of the SCWW internal investigation is available at the link below.

Hazardous material teams contained a 150-gallon chemical spill after a container of flammable liquid fell off of a trailer in Amarillo, Texas

Chemical spills at River Road, St. Francis
Posted: August 21, 2015 - 4:53pm


Robert Stein / Amarillo Globe-News



By ROBERT STEIN
robert.stein@amarillo.com



Hazardous material teams contained a chemical spill after a container of flammable liquid fell off of a trailer on Friday afternoon.

At 3:46 p.m., the Amarillo Fire Department responded to reports of a hazardous chemical spill on St. Francis Avenue, just east of River Road.

Upon arrival, the first crew found a 300 gallon container of liquid had fallen onto the side of the roadway. The liquid was running downhill and had traveled about 100 feet.

Firefighters determined that the liquid was an emulsifier used at oil fields and contained a highly flammable chemical known as toluene. About 150 gallons of the chemical had leaked out.

A hazardous material team was called out and quickly created a dam to stop forward progress of the chemical. The team also created a 150-foot perimeter around the spill, closing two westbound lanes near the intersection of St. Francis Avenue and River Road.

The major concern was keeping any ignition sources away from the chemical, Capt. Larry Davis of the Amarillo Fire Department said.

A forklift was called out, and shortly after 6 p.m., the container was lifted back to its upright position, with half of its contents still inside.

A local environmental cleanup crew then took control.

No injuries were reported from the incident.

Nitric acid exposure at Integra Technologies sends 3 to Albuquerque hospital

By Chelo Rivera 

Published: August 21, 2015

 

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Three people were sent to an Albuquerque hospital Friday after being exposed to Nitric acid at Integra Techlologies.

It happened at 10401 Research Road SE at the semi-conductor manufacturing plant.

The Albuquerque Fire Department says the three victims suffered burns but were they are expected to be OK.

AFD says the cause of the exposure is unknown at this time. The building was evacuated and will be closed for the rest of the day.





ABOUT INTEGRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Integra Technologies LLC provides semiconductor production testing (wafer probe and final test), qualification, and related technical services to manufacturers and users of semiconductor devices. In business for more than 30 years, we serve the Fabless Semiconductor, Aerospace, Space, Military, Medical, Automotive, Industrial and Commercial markets with our test services.

Integra offers these services from its locations in Wichita, Kansas and Albuquerque, NM and has earned an outstanding reputation for quality, technical expertise and on-time delivery.

Integra has one of the largest and most experienced test engineering organizations in the industry. We have the engineering expertise in house to support all technologies, including RF, digital, linear, analog mixed signal and memory.

Integra specializes in software development, hardware design and development, full production electrical test, qualification testing, failure analysis and destructive physical analysis. Integra’s electrical test expertise encompasses both final test and wafer probe, including bumped wafer probe.

An Audit Finds Millions of Dollars Mismanaged After Joplin Tornado in Missouri

The audit finds examples of the waste and mismanagement that occur when city leaders blur the lines between private business dealings and government service


JOPLIN, Mo. — 
August 18, 2015



An audit of Joplin found enough mismanagement over its hiring of a master developer following a May 2011 tornado that devastated the southwest Missouri city that the findings have been turned over to authorities, the state auditor said Tuesday.

The city entered into master developer agreements with Wallace Bajjali Development Partners, of Sugar Land, Texas, after the 2011 tornado that killed 161 people and destroyed much of Joplin. Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway said "key selection and agreement documents appeared to be written to benefit the company, and did not adequately protect the city" and resulted in nearly $1.5 million spent by the city with no real estate redevelopment services provided."

She said her audit found "mismanagement and questionable business practices" in Joplin and earned the municipal government a 'poor' rating, The Joplin Globe reported ( http://bit.ly/1KuAtDh ).

"The audit finds examples of the waste and mismanagement that occur when city leaders blur the lines between private business dealings and government service," Galloway said in a statement. "This leads to a distrust in the system, and a distrust in the people who are elected to represent our own best interests."

The 101-page audit also found violations of Missouri's open records and meetings law and noted that the Joplin City Council held at least 10 closed meetings and 10 work sessions where notes were not properly taken or provided to the public, which is prohibited by state law. Joplin residents had petitioned for the audit.

The auditor's office, citing a lack of "critical city records" to explain Joplin's decision-making process regarding the master developer, issued subpoenas to compel testimony and records. After reviewing those records, the auditor's office notified law enforcement agencies "of facts in our possession, which pertain to possible violations of state and/or federal statues and possible malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance."

A lengthy city response included in the audit findings said some of the auditor's recommendations have already begun to be implemented and that it's "well established that the contract with Wallace Bajjali, the predevelopment agreement, did a poor job of protecting the city."

The city response also said Wallace Bajjali developed the agreements and "applied tremendous pressure on previous city administration to rush this process. City staff was not allowed sufficient time to properly review the agreements."

"Additionally, recommended changes to the agreements to help protect the city were not approved by Wallace Bajjali. Therefore, the city will ensure future contracts protect city interests," the city response said. "The city will also implement new policies to better monitor the progress of contracts to ensure that compliance and deadlines are properly enforced."

A working number for Wallace Bajali could not be found Tuesday evening so that it could comment on the audit and the city's response.

Liberty Mutual plans to begin using the drones later this year on a limited basis

  Greg Ryan Law and Money Reporter Boston Business Journal

 
 
Michael Nagle

A drone in action. Liberty Mutual has not disclosed which manufacturer's drones it plans using for site inspections
Liberty Mutual Insurance will soon use drones to photograph houses and businesses damaged by fires or natural disasters for some claims, in place of manned planes or adjusters on ladders.

The Federal Aviation Administration last month granted the Boston-based insurance giant permission to use four types of drones of varying sizes, as long as they ascend no more than 400 feet off the ground and travel no more than 100 miles per hour, among other conditions. The drones are relatively small and can't weigh more than 55 pounds.

Liberty Mutual plans to begin using the drones later this year “on a limited basis,” according to spokesman Glenn Greenberg. The drones will at least initially be used to inspect sites damaged in hurricanes and other large-scale natural disasters, to help adjusters assess a wide swath over damage in a relatively short amount of time.

The drones will keep Liberty Mutual claims adjusters and contractors safer, the insurer said, since they won’t have to take the risks of piloting a plane or falling off a ladder during a roof inspection. “It’s very easy for us to get excited by a technology that helps our claims professionals more safely help our customers after a loss,” Greenberg said. The technology will also provide the insurer with higher-quality photos.

Other insurance companies like AIG and State Farm have also recently received FAA approval to use drones.



Liberty Mutual had petitioned the FAA for permission to operate drones without a licensed private pilot or a second person to visually monitor the drone’s flight, known in FAA parlance as a visual observer, but instead a trained operator. However, the agency is requiring Liberty Mutual to have both a visual observer and a pilot with a commercial, private or other flying certificate.

Greenberg did not disclose how many drones Liberty Mutual has purchased, the companies that make the drones, or how much it's spending on the drone program.

Drone-makers in Massachusetts include the consumer drone made by Danvers-based CyPhy Works has surpassed its $250,000 Kickstarter goal within five days of the crowdfunding campaign launching.

Towboat M/V Louise capsizes on Neches River near Port Arthur, Texas

The towing vessel Louise capsized in the Neches River Aug. 21, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Station Port Arthur crew)
August 22nd, 2015

 PORT ARTHUR, Texas – The Coast Guard has established a safety zone on the Neches River after a towing vessel capsized near Port Arthur, Friday.

The safety zone is in place between mile markers 276 to 289.

The Coast Guard received notice, at approximately 6:45 p.m., the towing vessel Louise capsized in the Neches River near mile marker 284. The four crewmembers aboard the Louise were rescued by a Good Samaritan tug boat operator, with no reported injuries.

Currently there is a minimal sheen reported on scene; however the Louise has the potential to release 6,000 gallons of fuel oil, 70 gallons of lubricant oil, and 30 gallons of hydraulic fluid.

Coast Guard personnel are on scene assessing the damage and impacts to the waterway.

A salvage company has been hired to remove the vessel from the waterway to minimize the impact to commercial traffic. The Coast Guard requests that all mariners avoid the area until further notice.

The incident is under investigation.

The towing vessel Louise capsized in the Neches River Aug. 21, 2015. Coast Guard crews responded to ensure all mariners were safe along the river during salvage and recovery operations by establishing a safety zone around the vessel. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Station Port Arthur crew)

A Hawker Hunter T.Mk 7 military jet taking part in the Shoreham British Airshow crashed into a busy main road, killing seven people and injuring more than a dozen others

A plane taking part in the Shoreham airshow in Brighton, UK, crashed on Saturday, August 22. The plane hit several cars on the A27 roust near Shoreham Airport, according to police in Sussex, who advised drivers to avoid the area. A number of people were injured in the crash, but their condition was unknown. Credit: Twitter/Charlie Lear


LONDON (AP) — A military jet taking part in a British airshow crashed into a busy main road, killing seven people and injuring more than a dozen others, police said Saturday.

The Hawker Hunter fighter jet, which was participating in the Shoreham Airshow near Brighton in southern England, hit several vehicles on a nearby road as it crashed Saturday afternoon. Witnesses told local TV that the jet appeared to have crashed when it failed to pull out of a loop maneuver.

West Sussex Police said seven died at the scene and one patient with life-threatening injuries was taken to the hospital. A further 14 people were treated for minor injuries.

News video and photographs showed a fireball erupting near trees and huge plumes of thick black smoke rising. A witness, Stephen Jones, told the BBC that the pilot had just begun his display.

"He'd gone up into a loop and as he was coming out of the loop I just thought, you're too low, you're too low, pull up. And he flew straight into the ground either on or very close to the A27, which runs past the airport," Jones said.

The force said all the casualties were believed to have occurred on the road, and no one on the airfield was believed injured. It was not known whether the pilot was able to eject.

The road was closed in both directions Saturday.

Crashes at British airshows are rare, but in 2007 the pilot of a World War II Hurricane died at the Shoreham Airshow after performing an unplanned barrel-roll.

Date:	22-AUG-2015
Time:	ca 13:15 LT
Type:	Hawker Hunter T.Mk 7
Owner/operator:	Canfield Hunter Ltd.
Registration:	G-BXFI
C/n / msn:	41H-670815
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	7
Airplane damage:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	near Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA) -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA)
Destination airport:	Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA)

Narrative:
A Hawker Hunter jet impacted the A27 road during a loop in a display flight at the Shoreham Airshow, U.K. 

Four cars were reportedly hit by the aircraft. 

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that there has been seven fatalities declared at the scene, one patient with serious life-threatening injuries has been transported to Royal Sussex County Hospital and further 14 patients treated for minor injuries. 

Preliminary reports suggest the pilot was pulled from the wreckage and has survived the accident.

The only Hunter listed in the Shoreham Airshow display program was Hawker Hunter T Mk.7 G-BXFI (carrying military markings WV372).

Sources: 
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=178886 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34027260
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/22/hawker-hunter-plane-crash-shoreham-air-show-reports
http://www.fradu-hunters.co.uk/fraduhnt/877wv372.html
https://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=
http://www.airlive.net/2015/08/breaking-were-receiving-reports-of.html


"Hawker Hunter T.7, Private JP7180533" by Aldo Bidini - Gallery page http://jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7180533 Photo http://images3.jetphotos.net/img/4/3/1/8/85085_1312747813.jpg. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons.