This Month's Adventures in Boeing > Another technical issue causes injuries on 787 flight

 

Six injured in Boeing mid-air incident in Nigeria (VIDEO)

A US-bound flight was forced to return to Lagos after a United Airlines Boeing 787 experienced an emergency

A United Airline Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. © Getty Images / dannymark

Four passengers and two crew members sustained serious injuries when a United Airlines flight en route from Lagos to Washington experienced a sudden mid-air movement and had to return to the Nigerian city late on Friday, the air carrier’s spokesperson told the media.

A short video, apparently taken by passengers of the Boeing 787-8 flight and circulating on social media, shows chaos on board with trays, food, and other objects scattered across the plane’s floor. Social media posts reveal food and beverages strewn about the cabin.

The plane experienced “a technical issue and an unexpected aircraft movement” during the flight, the spokesperson told USA Today, adding that aviation authorities in the US and Nigeria have begun investigating the cause of the incident. The spokesperson added that the passengers who were hospitalized after landing have since been discharged.

There were 245 passengers and 11 crew members on board, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said in a statement, adding that 27 passengers and five crew members sustained minor injuries.

This latest occurrence is reminiscent of other recent issues experienced by Boeing aircraft flying over Russia. In September 2024, an Air India Boeing 787 flying from New Delhi to Birmingham in the UK was forced to land in Moscow due to technical problems. Two months prior, an Air India Boeing 777 heading from New Delhi to San Francisco made an emergency landing in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk because of a possible fire on board.

In March, a 787 en route from the Australian city of Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand, reported “a technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement.” The accident left 50 people injured.

New Years celebrations in Europe > Riots, arson, hundreds of arrests in the Netherlands and Germany

 

New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands: riots, arson, and injuries across provinces

New Year’s Eve celebrations across the Netherlands turned chaotic as riots, arson, and injuries were reported in several provinces. The unrest included the burning of a police car in Veen, fireworks explosions causing severe injuries in Wognum, hospitalizations for firework-related injuries and children with alcohol poisoning nationwide, and widespread incidents of violence and property damage in cities like Rotterdam, The Hague, and Culemborg.

In the village of Veen, located in the province of North Brabant, the decades-old tradition of setting car wrecks ablaze escalated into violence. Near the notorious Witboomstraat-Van der Loostraat intersection, where hundreds gathered to witness the annual car burnings, a police vehicle was destroyed. Around 3 a.m., as officers stood roughly ten meters from their patrol car, two young men poured a flammable liquid into the vehicle and set it on fire, according to eyewitness accounts. The Mobile Unit (ME) intervened, using water cannons to disperse the crowd and secure the area, which was littered with the remains of eight burned-out vehicles.

The local government faces growing frustration over the situation's rising costs, with officials estimating the replacement of road infrastructure will again be necessary after this year’s damage. Despite the chaos, police have not confirmed any arrests.

Emergency departments across the Netherlands reported a surge in patients during the night, with many treated for firework injuries and alcohol poisoning. Yara Basta, president of the Dutch Association of Emergency Physicians, told NPO Radio 1, “The number of people visiting emergency rooms was one-and-a-half times higher than on a typical night.” She noted an alarming rise in alcohol poisoning cases among minors under 16, explaining, “Their bodies simply cannot process the amount they consumed.”

The Eye Hospital in The Hague treated 13 patients for firework-related injuries, while hospitals in Rotterdam and Groningen reported treating multiple victims, including a serious case of burns caused by fireworks in Groningen.

In the North Holland village of Wognum, two young men sustained serious injuries when a firework exploded in a field on Westeinderweg around 11 p.m. A spokesperson for the regional safety authority stated, “The nature of their injuries is not yet known.” The incident remains under investigation.

In Alphen aan den Rijn, one of the most significant incidents occurred shortly after midnight when a fire broke out in several construction trailers on Wederikstraat. Flames spread to at least seven parked cars before firefighters gained control around 1:45 a.m. Though no injuries were reported, residents were alarmed, and authorities assessed the structural safety of a nearby scaffolded apartment complex.

A separate blaze in Nootdorp heavily damaged a commercial building on Ambachtshof earlier in the evening. The fire primarily consumed the building’s roof and caused significant water damage to adjacent businesses. No injuries were reported, but the cause remains unclear.

Attacks on emergency responders

In Rotterdam’s Schiebroek neighborhood, police and emergency responders were attacked with stones and fireworks, prompting the arrest of several individuals. Similar unrest erupted in The Hague’s Transvaal district, where fireworks were thrown, causing property damage. The ME also deployed tear gas in Culemborg after repeated confrontations with rioters throwing heavy fireworks at first responders.

In Friesland’s villages of Sint Annaparochie and Marrum, officers were pelted with stones, and fires broke out in both locations. Four arrests were made in Marrum, where the ME restored order after securing the area.

Despite the chaos, New Year’s Eve marked record-high firework sales, with an estimated 118 million euros spent, breaking the previous record set in 2022. While fireworks brought colorful displays in many regions, they also caused significant harm. In The Hague alone, over 20 cars were destroyed in fires, including five vehicles parked together on Hasseltsestraat. Similar incidents occurred in Poeldijk, Leiden, Voorschoten, Gouda, and Reeuwijk, straining firefighting resources.

At The Hague’s Haaglanden Medical Center, emergency care staff treated 20 patients in just two hours, ten of whom suffered firework-related injuries. Frans de Voeght, a care manager at the hospital, remarked, “So far, the situation has been manageable,” crediting additional staff for mitigating patient aggression. “The first wave of patients includes firework victims; later, we expect cases involving violence and injuries from altercations,” he added.

Similarly, Rotterdam’s Maasstad Hospital reported a high volume of emergency room visits but did not admit any patients to its burn center as of 1:15 a.m. According to a spokesperson, the hospital’s hotline received numerous calls from general practitioners seeking advice on treating burns, with consultations facilitated through a secure photo-sharing app.

Efforts to mitigate harm saw mixed results. In The Hague’s Tarwekamp neighborhood, which was designated a firework-free zone following a deadly explosion in December, residents welcomed the relative quiet. One local said, “I still get startled by loud bangs,” expressing relief at the absence of fireworks in the area.

However, unrest in nearby regions highlighted ongoing challenges. The ME intervened in Naaldwijk, where rioters caused disturbances near an apartment complex, and in ’s-Gravenzande, where two individuals were injured in a stabbing incident at a residential address.

=====================

Over 200 arrested on New Year’s “full of destruction and violence,” says police chief

A chaotic and violent New Year’s Eve across the Netherlands led to the arrest of more than 200 people, as rioting, attacks on police officers, arson, and fireworks-related accidents marred the evening. Police officials described the night as “full of destruction and violence,” with significant incidents occurring in cities across the country.

Police Chief Janny Knol condemned the events, noting that what should have been a celebratory evening “turned into a night full of destruction and violence” in many locations. She emphasized that police officers and emergency responders were specifically targeted by rioters, calling it “unacceptable” that their efforts to ensure public safety were met with aggression.

There were reports of injuries related to fireworks, including the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy in Rotterdam from an explosion. Several other individuals across the country suffered severe injuries from fireworks.

In addition to the violence surrounding fireworks, police dealt with numerous assaults. In Woerden, a 49-year-old man was severely injured in a violent incident just after 3:30 a.m. A 27-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the attack. In Amersfoort, a 51-year-old man was stabbed, and a 39-year-old suspect was taken into custody. Investigations are underway into both incidents.

 Police in several regions were involved in violent confrontations, with some officers being targeted with fireworks and other forms of aggression. In Amsterdam, officers fired warning shots after they were attacked in the central square.

Happy New Year Netherlands

Hundreds arrested in Germany after New Year’s fireworks turn violent

The German government on Wednesday condemned a series of incidents on New Year’s Eve in which police officers and firefighters were attacked and injured, mostly with fireworks.

Revellers across the country traditionally ring in the new year by setting off large numbers of fireworks in public places. But the latest celebrations were marred by the use of fireworks against emergency officials.

In Berlin, 30 police officers and one firefighter were injured in confrontations or attacks during New Year’s Eve, leading to 400 arrests, city officials said. Hundreds of police officers from across the country were deployed to the capital to help prevent further violence.

Five people were killed and hundreds injured across the country after being hit accidentally by fireworks, German news agency dpa reported.

Explosions of very strong, illegal fireworks in Berlin also caused extensive damage in two Berlin neighborhoods and injured numerous people, some of them seriously. According to the city’s fire department, powerful detonations severely damaged numerous house facades and broke many windows.

Thirty-six apartments are currently uninhabitable, dpa reported.

“The deployment of strong police forces from the federal states and the federal police and an early and consistent crackdown are the right means against perpetrators of violence and chaos,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.

“However, the many arrests in Berlin alone and the renewed attacks on police officers also show that this crackdown was absolutely necessary.”

She wished all injured officers a speedy recovery and vowed that all perpetrators will be “prosecuted and punished with the utmost severity.”

What is absolutely necessary is the outlawing of all fireworks in Europe, and the arrests of anyone breaking that law.

What would be nice is if you indicated the background of all those who were arrested.

Happy New Year, Germany

IDF/Mossad pager operation kills nine Hezbollah, injures nearly 2800 in Lebanon - 2 stories

 

Israel behind Lebanon pager attack in

joint Mossad-IDF operation

From CNN’s Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv

The operation, which left thousands injured across Lebanon, was the result of a joint operation between Israel’s intelligence service, the Mossad, and the Israeli military.

Israel placed explosive material in a batch of Taiwanese-made pagers which were imported into Lebanon and destined for Hezbollah, the New York Times reported, citing American and other officials briefed on the operation.

How it happened: The explosives were planted next to the battery in each pager, and a switch embedded to detonate them remotely, according to the New York Times. The devices detonated simultaneously after receiving a message on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 9 people and injuring more than 2,800 — including at least 170 of whom were in critical condition, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.

Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have blamed Israel for the attack. Israel has not commented.

"There was blood on the roads."

Eyewitnesses describe carnage in Beirut

following pager explosions

From Mohammed Hanoun

Eyewitnesses have described to CNN how people lay injured in the streets of the Lebanese capital following the deadly pager explosions on Tuesday.  

One witness, who spoke to CNN outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center and asked not to be named citing fears for his safety, described going outside in a southern Beirut suburb after reading about the explosions online. 

“We went out to the streets, and we found the suburb as if it was a zombie city,” he said. Injured people were lying scattered on the roads, he said, adding that some of his friends were among the wounded.  

Another witness, who also asked not to be named over fears for his safety, said he had been driving to work when he saw Red Cross ambulances and people lying on the ground. 

“We were surprised that there were a lot of people … there was blood on the roads and people were being transported in ambulances to the hospital. But we did not know what was happening,” he said. 

The second witness said he had gone to a hospital to visit a friend who had been carrying one of the pagers when it exploded. 

“This device was not only in the hands of people who belong to [Hezbollah], but in the hands of all people. There were people working in the security field who were using that device and they were also hurt,” he added. 

If the shoe was on the other foot, there would be dancing in the streets. Hezbollah, has Hamas to thank for this.

Bits and Bites from Around the World > Shark attacks on Florida and Texas coasts on July 4th

 

3 people bitten by sharks in 4th of July attacks

off Texas, Florida coasts

By Kathryn Mannie  Global News

Posted July 5, 2024 11:48 am

 3 min read

Multiple people were injured and at least three were bitten by sharks during two separate incidents at beaches in Texas and Florida as Americans celebrated the Fourth of July.

The Florida shark attack occurred at New Smyrna Beach, northwest of Orlando. A 21-year-old man from Ohio was playing football in knee-deep water when a shark bit his right foot, beach safety officials said. Thankfully, the man’s injuries were non-life-threatening, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. No further details were release.

In Texas waters off South Padre Island, a single shark has been blamed for biting two people and injuring two more.

“Details at this time indicate that two people were bitten and two people encountered the shark but were not seriously injured,” the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wrote in a news release. “The two victims who were bitten were transported to Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville where one is being treated and the other has been flown out for further treatment.”

Based on witness reports and images on social media, authorities believe a single shark measuring around 1.8 metres long was responsible for the attacks, Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy said.

A video taken by witness Katie McMillan shows the shark’s dorsal fin and tail fin sticking out of the water as it swam along the coast of South Padre Island. The shark appears very close to shore in the video.

View image in full screen

This image provided by Katie McMillan shows sharks near the shore on South Padre Island, Texas on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Katie McMillan via AP

Another video showed a group of Good Samaritans pulling a woman from the water and wrapping a tourniquet around her leg after she was bitten. Witness Kyle Jud told NBC News that he saw the woman being pulled from the water and called the scene “horrific.”

“Beach patrol lifted her up — her calf was just gone, shredded,” he said.

The Good Samaritans who pulled the woman from the water appear to have been two off-duty border patrol agents, according to a Facebook post from the U.S. Border Patrol Laredo Sector. The South Padre Island, where the attacks took place, is just north of a U.S.-Mexico border in east Texas.

The two border agents “pulled the shark attack victim from the water and provided lifesaving aid,” the post reads.

The other bite victim, a man, sustained severe injuries, according to Nikki Soto, the South Padre Island city secretary. The man’s current condition is unknown at this time.

Texas wildlife officials told CNN that, on top of the two people who were bitten, a third person was injured by the shark as they tried to help one of the victims. Officials did not specify how the person was hurt. A fourth person said they felt a shark brush against them while they were in the water.

View image in full screen

This image provided by Texas Department of Public Safety shows a shark close to the share in South Padre Island, Texas

on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Texas Department of Public Safety via AP

Nereyda Bazaldua told CNN that her 18-year-old daughter Victoria was one of the victims. Her two teenage daughters were playing on boogie boards in knee-deep water on the beach when they spotted the shark and screamed.

As Victoria came out of the water, Bazaldua said she “could see some blood coming down her leg.”

“The shark pushed into her, five to six of his teeth scratched her leg,” Bazaldua said, adding that the “wounds aren’t deep.”

The mother said the shark “showed up out of nowhere.”

“It wasn’t choppy water, and the seas were calm,” Balzadua told CNN. “We never saw the shark ‘til he was right there with them.”

Texas wildlife officials wrote in the July 4 news release that “shark encounters of this nature are not a common occurrence in Texas.”

“When bites from sharks do occur, they are usually a case of mistaken identity by sharks looking for food.”

Capt. Dowdy said the last reported shark attack in the South Padre Island area was five years ago.

Boats, drones and a helicopter were deployed to patrol the beach and officials were eventually successful in leading the shark away from the shore and into deeper water. Further shark sightings in the area have not been reported, though the U.S. Coast Guard has warned people to not go into the water off South Padre Island.

Bits and Bites from Around the World > "You'll shoot your eye out with that thing!"

 

British Columbia man suffers eye injury 

after setting off shotgun shell with knife

27-year-old man uses knife to poke at pile of shotgun shells, ends up in hospital with minor injuries

Mission City Record Staffa day ago

A 27-year-old man suffered an eye injury on Sunday night (June 23) after setting off a shotgun shell with a knife near Mission.

According to a Mission RCMP news release, the man and his friend discovered a pile of shotgun shells while camping off a forest service road. The man used his knife to poke at one of the shells, activating the primer and setting it off. 

The man suffered minor injuries to his face from shrapnel and attended Mission Memorial Hospital for treatment. 

"This is an important reminder that ammunition can be dangerous even if not loaded into a gun, and safe handling practices should also be used. Also, anyone discharging firearms in the backcountry is reminded to do so lawfully and safely, and to clean up all spent and unspent shell casings before leaving," Mission RCMP said. 

Police were also called to Farms Road in Hatzic the previous night (June 22) for reports of a group shooting guns. 

RCMP chatted with a group of men from Surrey, Abbotsford, Coquitlam and Langley about the dangers of shooting in the area and advised them it was a no-shooting zone. 

Mounties encourage potential firearm users to review the No Shooting Areas with the Fraser Valley Regional District.

Extreme Turbulance at 36,000 ft leaves one dead and 30 injured on Singapore Airlines flight

 

We can't blame Boeing for this, for a change, but surely we have the technology to be able to see horrific turbulance like this and find a way to avoid it. Was it necessary to go through that turbulance? Did the pilot decide to go through it to save fuel and/or time? This needs to be thoroughly investigated.

Terrified passengers recall moment of ‘dramatic drop’

on deadly Singapore Airlines flight: 

By 

Social Links forEmily Crane

Published May 21, 2024

 Updated May 21, 2024, 11:53 a.m. ET

Terrified passengers have recalled the petrifying moment a Singapore Airlines flight took a “dramatic drop” due to turbulence Tuesday — leaving one man dead and others bloodied and screaming out in pain.

Those on board the Boeing 777 jet said there was virtually no warning before the plane made a “dramatic drop” enroute from London to Singapore Tuesday afternoon.

“Everyone seated and not wearing seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling, some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it,” Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student, said.

“The crew and people inside lavatories were hurt the most because we discovered people just on the ground not able to get up,” he continued. “There were a lot of spinal and head injuries.”

Another passenger, Andrew Davies, recalled how those with medical training were desperately trying to render aid — including to the 73-year-old British man who died on board after authorities say he suffered a heart attack.

“My heart goes out to the gentleman who lost his life and his poor wife. Awful experience,” Davies, who lives in the UK, tweeted. 

“Shouted for a defribulator [sic]. Passengers with medical training helping as much as they could. CPR on the poor gentleman that passed. Another passenger laid flat in aisle further behind me. Not sure what happened with them. Wish I could have helped more.”

“People’s belongings scattered, coffee and water splattered the ceiling. Surreal. So many injured people. Head lacerations, bleeding ears. A lady was screaming in pain with a bad back. I couldn’t help her,” Davies added.

Photos circulating online showed terrified passengers gripping their seats and a flight attendant bleeding from her nose in the aftermath of the turbulence.

Meanwhile, other images showed food and debris strew throughout the aircraft, as well as huge dents in the overhead bins where passengers had crashed through.

Allison Barker, whose son Josh was onboard, recalled receiving a frightening text from him during the flight that read: “I don’t want to scare you, but I’m on a crazy flight. The plane is making an emergency landing… I love you all.”

“It was terrifying,” she told the BBC. “I didn’t know what was going on. We didn’t know whether he’d survived, it was so nerve wracking. It was the longest two hours of my life. It was awful; it was petrifying.”

Everything we know so far about the London-Singapore flight that killed 1, injured 30

• A 73-year-old British man was killed and more than 30 others were injured after a Singapore Airlines Boeing flight dealt with severe turbulence Tuesday.
• Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old British grandfather, was traveling on his dream vacation of a six-week tour of Asia and Australia with his wife when he died of a heart attack after the Singapore Airlines flight plunged more than 6,000 feet.
• The Boeing 777-300ER jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok at 3:45 p.m. local time, the airline said.
• Passengers have since detailed the terror on board, saying those who weren’t wearing seatbelts were launched into the ceiling when the plane dropped abruptly.  
• Photos circulating online showed food and debris strewn throughout the aircraft in the aftermath of the turbulence, as well as huge dents in the overhead bins.

The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok in the wake of the ordeal.

Tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the Boeing jet sharply dropping from an altitude of about 37,000 feet to 31,000 feet within just five minutes as it flew over the Andaman Sea.

The plane, which was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok in the wake of the ordeal.

First responders rushed onboard to treat the injured, Thai officials said.

Seven passengers were severely injured and 23 passengers and nine crew members sustained moderate injuries, Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, told a news conference.

“Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” the airline said in a statement. “We deeply apologize for the traumatic experience that our passengers and crew members suffered on this flight.”

The nationalities of the passengers included four Americans, 56 Australians, two Canadians, one German, three Indians, two Indonesians, one from Iceland, four from Ireland, one Israeli, 16 Malaysians, two from Myanmar, 23 from New Zealand, five Filipinos, 41 from Singapore, one South Korean, two Spaniards and 47 from the United Kingdom.

With Post wires