January 29, 2017

ALERT: Canada- Quebec City Mosque Shooting (January 29, 2017)

Earlier this evening, a shooting at a Quebec City mosque left an “unknown number of people dead and wounded,” according to CNN.

CNN reported:

A shooting at a mosque in the Canadian city of Quebec has left an unknown number of people dead and wounded. The attack, which took place at the city’s Quebec Islamic Cultural Center, was confirmed by the Quebec City Police department via Twitter.

One person has been arrested, the department said. A previous statement indicated that two arrests had been made. It’s not clear what caused the discrepancy.

Police said in a later tweet that the situation was “under control.”

“The site is secure and the occupants (of the mosque) were evacuated. The investigation continues.”

At least five people were injured in the incident and are at the University Hospital of Quebec. Other victims are in hospitals throughout the city, hospital spokesman Richard Fournier tells CNN.

January 29, 2017

ALERT: Delta Air Lines Waivers Offered on Grounded Flights (January 29, 2017)

Delta Air Lines has issued a waiver policy for travel on January 29 and 30 after automation issues grounded domestic flights on Sunday.

According to Delta:

Due to an outage affecting multiple systems travel to/from/through all Delta served cities may be impacted. You may contact Reservation Sales to make changes to your itinerary. Check flight status frequently for up-to-the-minute info about your flight plans, or get updates sent directly to your wireless device or email with Delta Messenger.

RESCHEDULING FLIGHTS

If you wish to cancel your trip as a result of a flight cancellation or significant delay (90 minutes or more), you are entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your ticket.

Even if your flight is not canceled, you may make a one-time change to your ticket without fee if you are scheduled to travel to, from, or through the following destination(s) on Delta, Delta Connection®, or Delta-coded flights during the specified time periods listed below.

January 23, 2017

Alert – Plane Crash at Tucson (AZ) Airport

Earlier today a private plane crashed at the airport in Tucson, Arizona.

According to the local CBS-TV affiliate:

At least one person was killed in private plane crash in Arizona, Tuscon Airport officials have confirmed.

Photos and video from passengers at the Tuscon International Airport show what appears the fiery wreckage on the tarmac.

A spokesman said airport operations would continue despite the crash.

The Arizona Daily Star reports:

The Tucson International Airport is reporting there has been a fatal aircraft crash at the airport Monday afternoon.

A tweet from the airport shortly after 1 p.m. said the aircraft was a private plane and that the crash resulted in a fatality. The tweet said all airport operations, including commercial flights, are continuing.

Emergency personnel are responding to the airport for an aircraft down.

A fire was reported at the airport shortly before 1 p.m.

Tucson Fire Department units were responding to assist airport personnel.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all have scheduled flights to and from the Tucson airport today.

January 23, 2017

Alert – Heavy Flooding in French Polynesia

French Polynesia has been hit by heavy flooding, causing delays to travelers, and damage throughout Tahiti and Moorea.

Radio New Zealand reports:

“There has been no loss of life from the flooding but substantial damage to homes and infrastructure.

Many streets in Papeete have been flooded and a bridge along the northwestern coastal road collapsed, cutting the main road around the island.

Schools on the two islands will remain closed tomorrow to continue the clean-up.

The international airport is closed until further notice as crews try to remove debris from the runway.

An Air France plane from Los Angeles was forced to divert to the Cook Islands.”

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State – Consular Services posted an update on Facebook:

“U.S. citizens traveling to French Polynesia are advised that the government has declared a state of natural disaster as the result of severe flooding. Many streets in Papeete have been flooded, power has been lost in some areas, and a bridge along the northwestern coastal road has collapsed. The flooding has damaged water mains as well. The international airport is closed until future notice as crews try to remove debris from the runway, and incoming flights have been diverted.”

January 22, 2017

Alert – United Airlines’ Domestic Flights Resume

Sunday evening, all domestic “mainline” United Airlines flights were grounded due to a computer outage. The ground stop has now been lifted.

Reuters reported:

United Airlines said it would resume services after grounding all domestic flights following a computer glitch on Sunday.

International flights were not affected, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The number of flights that were affected was not known.

“The ground stop has been lifted. We’re working to get flights on their way,” the company said in a tweet. bit.ly/2jQRW6B

“We are working as quickly as possible to resolve this issue and get out customers to their final destinations,” a company spokeswoman Maddie King said in an emailed statement earlier.

CNN reported:

United Airlines resumed operations Sunday night after a computer problem temporarily grounded all domestic mainline flights, two sources familiar with the incident told CNN.

“The ground stop has been lifted,” the airline announced on Twitter. “We’re working to get flights on their way. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers.”

Earlier, United spokeswoman Maddie King told CNN that the flights were grounded due to an IT issue.

“We have issued a ground stop for all domestic mainline flights due to an IT issue,” King said. “We are working as quickly as possible to resolve this issue and get our customers to their final destinations. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers.”

Mainline flights are those operated by an airline’s main operating unit, not regional alliances or subsidiaries.

The sources said the flights were grounded due to a problem with the communication system that airplanes use to send information to United operations. Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, is used to record and transmit a range of information, including departure times, as well as weight and balance, which is used to calculate takeoff speeds.

The system outage was an issue for planes that had yet to depart, as pilots need this information to safely take off. Planes already in the air were in no danger, the sources said. The issue did not affect communications between planes and air traffic control.

Alert: New York – United Airlines Plane Collides with Truck on Tarmac; No Injuries (January 20, 2017)

Yesterday, United Airlines Flight 1561 from New York LaGuardia to Denver hit a fuel truck was still on the tarmac. While there was some minor damage to the plane, there were no injuries.

According to CNN:

A United Airlines flight set to depart from New York to Denver early Thursday morning hit a fuel truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport, according to a United spokesman. It was the second collision of the week.

Flight 1561 was moving back “very slowly” from the gate when it hit the truck, the spokesman, Jonathan Guerin said. Just the tip of the plane’s winglet collided, causing very minor damage and no injuries, Guerin said.

The plane, a Boeing 737-800, returned to the gate where the passengers were taken off safely and put on another aircraft, Geurin said. They arrived in Denver about 90 minutes late, according to online flight tracker flightaware.com.

On Tuesday, an American Airlines plane hit the right wingtip of a Republic aircraft while pushing back from the terminal gate, the FAA said. There were also no injuries in that collision and the passengers on the American flight made it to Miami safely on a new aircraft, airline spokesman Ross Feinstein said.

January 20, 2017

ALERT: Austrailia – 4 Killed in Central Melbourne Shopping District as Car Strikes Pedestrians

Earlier today, a car ran into pedestrians along Melbourne, Australia’s Bourke Street in its Central Business District, killing four and wounding dozens more. Police say they “were not considering the incident an act of terrorism” and was linked to an earlier stabbing in Melbourne’s south side.

According to ABC News Australia:

A young child is among four people who are dead after a car was deliberately driven into pedestrians in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall, police say.

Key points:

 Police say driver was linked to an earlier stabbing in the city’s south

 Children are among the at least 24 people injured

 Police say incident was not terror related

It is believed 26-year-old Dimitrious Gargasoulas, also known as James, was the driver. Police have not confirmed his identity. Police said they shot the suspect before he was arrested on Bourke St. He is under police guard in hospital. They said he had been linked to an early morning stabbing in the city’s south.

A man and a woman, both in their 30s, and the child,were killed in different locations along Bourke St, Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said.

Police announced that a fourth person had died later in the evening.

Police said more than 20 people were injured. Up to five are understood to be in a critical condition.

The injured were taken to The Alfred, St Vincent’s, Royal Melbourne and Royal Children’s hospitals. A three-month-old is being operated on after being rushed to the hospital in a police car and a two-year-old is in intensive care.

Commissioner Ashton said at 1:45pm the vehicle entered the city driving erratically and did “burnouts” on the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets. “The vehicle proceeded up Swanston Street, then turned left into Bourke Street and entered the mall,” he said. “We suspect that [the driver was] intentionally hitting pedestrians. Travelling at speed right through the mall. It has then continued along Bourke Street, continuing over the intersection of Elizabeth Street and it has made its way up to approximately 501, or thereabouts outside the RACV Club in Bourke Street. At that time, police intercepted the vehicle, as I understand it, they rammed the vehicle.”

Police said they believed the man was involved in a stabbing at 2:15am in Windsor, where he allegedly attacked his brother.

Commissioner Ashton said the suspect was known to police and was also charged over an incident last weekend.

January 19, 2017

Alert – Italy: Up to 30 Missing as Avalanche Hits Hotel Rigopiano near Farindola

An avalanche has hit a central Italy hotel – Rigopiano Hotel, a four-star spa hotel close to Gran Sasso Mountain in the Abruzzo region – partly collapsing its roof. Up to 30 people are missing and one has died. The region was struck by a series of earthquakes on Wednesday.

According to BBC:

Rescuers say up to 30 people are missing after a hotel in central Italy was hit by an avalanche, apparently triggered by an earthquake. Rescuers battled overnight to reach the Rigopiano hotel, with the first of them arriving on skis. Snow dislodged by the avalanche had blocked the roads in.

One person has been pulled dead from the snow. At least three came out alive but most others appear still buried. One official said there were “many dead” in the hotel.

The mountainous region of Central Italy was hit by a succession of four earthquakes on Wednesday and further tremors were reported overnight. The quakes have compounded problems resulting from recent storms, which have brought down power lines and cut off villages.

Rescue operations are under way in other parts of the region as well.

The roof on the four-star spa hotel, close to the Gran Sasso mountain in the Abruzzo region, partly collapsed on Wednesday night. Rescuers said at least 20 tourists and seven staff were inside at the time, among them children.

Italian media reported that some guests at the hotel had been able to send text messages after they were trapped. “Help, we’re dying of cold,” Ansa news agency quoted one couple as saying. Two people were found alive outside the damaged building, which was surrounded by fallen trees. They were taken to hospital, one suffering from hypothermia.

A snowstorm and blocked routes have made access to the hotel difficult. Vehicles struggled to get through the snow, and some rescuers eventually resorted to skis.

Italian media said the first rescuers only reached the hotel on skis at 04:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Thursday.

The civil protection agency said it was now trying to get rescue vehicles to the hotel. The first victim, a man, was pulled out at about 09:30, Corriere della Sera newspaper reported.

Speaking at midday GMT, Italian Red Cross spokesman Tomaso Della Longa told the BBC he had heard that “in the last few minutes one or two persons have been found alive”.

The situation was changing “minute by minute” and there was still hope of finding more survivors, he added.

Wednesday’s quakes came after the regions of Abruzzo, Marche and Lazio were hit by days of heavy snow. One person in the area died on Wednesday and another was reported missing.

The same region was hit by an earthquake on 24 August, when 298 people died. Another earthquake in October killed no-one, as most of the population centres had been evacuated.

Since then, the region has been hit by cold weather and snowstorms.

January 18, 2017

Alert – Italy: Three Earthquakes Strike Central Italy

A trio of earthquakes has struck central Italy in the same region devastated by last August’s deadly earthquake that killed 300. The earthquake was felt in Rome, where its underground was closed as a precaution.

According to BBC:

Central Italy has been struck by a series of earthquakes, as the region shivers in freezing temperatures.

The biggest 5.7-magnitude quake struck at 10:14 local time (09:14 GMT), with others before and after. They hit an area devastated by quakes in August.

Shockwaves were felt in Rome, 100km (60 miles) to the south-west.

Almost 300 people died in the region around Amatrice last year. But Italy’s PM Paolo Gentiloni said this time it seemed there were no deaths.

Nonetheless, he said in Berlin after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it was a “difficult day”, reported AP news agency.

The latest tremors mainly affected three neighbouring regions – Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche.

Two quakes of more than magnitude 5 hit within an hour of the first, and seismic organisations have recorded strong aftershocks since in the epicentre area some 10km south of Amatrice.

They follow some 36 hours of steady snowfall in mountainous areas around Amatrice and Norcia, which is said to be hampering emergency services’ attempts to reach affected areas. In some areas, avalanche warnings have been issued.

Schools that were not already closed in the worst-hit areas were evacuated. Rome’s underground system was shut as a safety precaution.

January 17, 2017

Alert – Shooting and Code Red in Cancun, Mexico

Following an early Monday morning shooting in Playa del Carmen, there has been a shooting in Cancun, Mexico.

The shooting took place four miles from the hotel and resort areas, prompting a “Code Red” alert. At least one news report states that authorities have set up three checkpoints near the tourist zone.

A Security Message from the U.S. Consulate states:

The U.S. Consulate General Merida informs U.S. citizens of gunfire exchanges in various locations in downtown Cancun January 17, 2017. Local authorities activated a “Code Red” alert and urged residents to shelter in place. The U.S. Consulate urges all U.S. citizens to follow local authorities’ warnings and directives and consult with their hotels before leaving the premises.

Currently no reports of shootings have happened in the Cancun Hotel Zone. However, there are reports that access to the Hotel Zone may be controlled by authorities as a security precaution.

Global news agency AFP reports:

Mexico’s Mayan Riviera was rocked by another shootout as gunmen attacked the prosecutor’s office, leaving four people dead, a day after five died in a nightclub shooting.

Three gunmen and a police officer died as the Quintana Roo state prosecutor’s office in Cancun came under fire in broad daylight and police shot back, Governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez said.

Five other assailants were detained, Gonzalez said, urging the federal government to send reinforcements.

The gunfight caused panic in the Caribbean coast city, a day after three foreigners and two Mexicans died in a shooting at an electronic music festival in the nearby seaside resort of Playa del Carmen.

While it was not known whether the two shootings were linked, the back-to-back attacks broke the peace in a region that is popular among American, Canadian and European tourists and has avoided the sort of drug-related violence that has plagued other parts of Mexico.

State security chief Rodolfo del Angel said in a video message on Twitter that authorities activated “code red” after the shooting — a security protocol combining state and federal police and the army — but he insisted that the situation was under control.

The clash took place seven kilometers (four miles) away from the hotel area. Local media said authorities set up three checkpoints near the tourist zone.

“At the moment the state is peaceful, the citizens can remain calm, Cancun is doing well at this moment,” he said.

The motive for the attack was not immediately known.

The US Consulate in Merida issued a security message urging Americans to “follow local authorities’ warnings and consult with their hotels before leaving the premises.”