At least 52 people were killed when a crowded passenger bus fell into a deep gorge in northern India, police said.
Police officer Raj Kumar said the driver lost control of the vehicle at a sharp bend on a mountain road in Himachal Pradesh state, nearly 385 miles north of New Delhi.
The bus then plunged more than 100 metres into the gorge.
The officer said the rescue operation is continuing and that the death toll of 39 was likely to rise.
Police figures show India has the world’s highest road death toll, with more than 110,000 people dying each year in accidents commonly caused by overcrowding, speeding, and poor vehicle and road maintenance. (PA)
Fractures arm in whale collision
A South African man fractured his arm after a catamaran crashed into a whale off the eastern port city of Durban, but the Leviathan was unhurt, an official said yesterday.
Derrick Pienaar, 50, suffered a fracture in his right arm, National Sea Rescue Institute official Craig Lambinon said.
“Mr Pienaar’s injury was sustained after he fell on deck after the sport fishing boat, which he was a passenger on, struck a whale while the boat was underway,” he said.
Seven others on board with him were unhurt but the whale “appeared to not be injured,” said Lambinon. (AFP)
Italian border police seize record amounts of gold, cash
Italian police yesterday announced a 78 per cent jump in the amount of gold, silver and cash they have prevented from leaving the country illegally in the first seven months of 2012.
The ‘Yellow Flame’ financial police seized €41 million worth, compared with €23.2 million in the same period last year, they said in a statement.
In addition to large quantities of cash and treasury bills, they seized 88 kilos of gold and 570 kilos of silver, the statement said.
Dogs trained to detect the scent of money played their part.
A Labrador named Tango nabbed a Sri Lankan at a Milan airport with €424,000 in a suitcase bulging with clothing, while his brother Cash sniffed out a pensioner trying to spirit out €242,000. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister undergoes surgery
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has undergone a successful operation to remove an obstruction in his intestines and the 72-year-old is in stable condition, the royal court said yesterday.
In a statement carried by the official SPA news agency, the royal court said Prince Saud was suffering from “intestinal obstruction” triggered by a previous surgery. “He underwent successful surgery” to remove the obstruction and “his health is stable”.
Prince Saud is one of the world’s longest-serving foreign ministers, having been appointed to the post in 1975, seven months after the assassination of his father, the late King Faisal.
It was not immediately clear if he would chair a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in the Red Sea city of Jeddah today to discuss the Syrian conflict following the resignation of UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan. (AFP)
Worshippers killed by lightning
At least 10 worshippers have been killed by lightning outside a mosque in Bangladesh.
About 20 other people were injured by the lightning in Sylhet district, in the north east of the country, local police chief Bayes Ahmed said.
The victims were struck by the lightning as they were leaving the mosque after special prayers tied to the holy month of Ramadan.
Mr Ahmed says some of those who were killed died at the scene, while others died on the way to hospital.
The fasting month of Ramadan is being observed across Bangladesh, a Muslimmajority nation. (PA)