SOME crew members have survived the fire which killed 14 sailors onboard one of the Russian navy’s deep-sea submersibles, the defence minister said.
However, Sergi Shoigu did not specify exactly how many crew members were rescued from the fire. Details of the incident on the ship have been scarce, as the defence ministry said seamen were killed by toxic fumes from the blaze. The name of the vessel has not been released, however Russian media reported it was the country’s most secret submersible: a nuclear-powered research submarine capable of deep sea investigations.
Shoigu praised the crew for “heroic” action, saying they sacrificed their lives to rescue a civilian expert and save the ship after the fire erupted on Monday.
MEANWHILE in Japan authorities have directed more than one million residents in parts of the southern main island of Kyushu to evacuate to designated shelters, after heavy rains batter the region, prompting fears of landslides and widespread flooding.
Directives are stronger than advisories, however there is no penalty for those who don’t comply. Heavy rain has continued in southern Japan since last Friday, flooding dozens of homes and killing an elderly woman in a mudslide in Kagoshima.
The cabinet secretary said 14,000 ground troops are standing by for any emergency rescues.
ELSEWHERE an airstrike hit a detention centre for migrants in Libya early yesterday, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 130, the UN mission to the war-torn country said.
The airstrike raises further concerns about the EU’s policy of partnering with Libyan militias to prevent migrants from crossing the Mediterranean. This may also lead to greater pressure on Libyan general Khalifa Hifter, whose forces launched an offensive on Tripoli in April.
The Tripoli-based government blamed his self-styled Libyan National Army for the airstrike and called for the UN to investigate.
AND FINALLY, Amsterdam is proposing “fundamental” changes to the famed red light district to ensure the rights of sex workers, prevent crime and reduce nuisance for local residents and businesses.
In a statement, the city announced major Femke Halsema will discuss with workers and residents four options for the neighbourhood’s future. The proposals range from closing the curtains of those working, closing brothels with display windows altogether or moving sex work somewhere else in the city.
A public consultation on the future of the area marks a latest attempt by officials to clean up part of the city, after becoming a noisy and overcrowded tourist magnet.
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