Firefighting plane crashes in Australia, killing 3 Americans
Sydney, Jan 23: Three American crew members died Thursday when a C-130 Hercules aerial water tanker crashed while battling wildfires in southeastern Australia, officials said.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the crash deaths in the state's Snowy Monaro region as Australia attempts to deal with an unprecedented fire season that has left a large swath of destruction.
Coulson Aviation in the US state of Oregon said in a statement that one of its Lockheed large air tankers was lost after it left Richmond in New South Wales with retardant for a firebombing mission. It said the accident was extensive" but had few other details.
The only thing I have from the field reports are that the plane came down, it's crashed and there was a large fireball associated with that crash, said Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.
He said all three aboard were U.S. residents.
Unfortunately, all we've been able to do is locate the wreckage and the crash site and we have not been able to locate any survivors, he said.
The tragedy brings the death toll from the blazes to at least 31 since September.
The fires have also destroyed more than 2,600 homes and razed more than 10.4 million hectares (25.7 million acres), an area bigger than the U.S. state of Indiana.
Coulson grounded other firefighting aircraft as a precaution pending investigation, reducing planes available to firefighters in New South Wales and neighboring Victoria state.
The four-propeller Hercules drops more than 15,000 liters (4,000 gallons) of fire retardant in a single pass.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the national air crash investigator, and state police will investigate the crash site, which firefighters described as an active fire ground.
There is no indication at this stage of what's caused the accident, Fitzsimmons said.
Berejiklian said there were more than 1,700 volunteers and personnel in the field, and five fires were being described at an emergency warning" level the most dangerous on a three-tier scale across the state and on the fringes of the national capital Canberra.
Also Thursday, Canberra Airport closed because of nearby wildfires, and residents south of the city were told to seek shelter.
The blaze started Wednesday but strong winds and high temperatures caused conditions in Canberra to deteriorate. A second fire near the airport that started on Thursday morning is at a watch and act level in the middle of the three tiers.
Arrivals and departures are affected due to aviation firefighting operations, the airport authority said in a tweet.
Another tweet from traffic police said the fire is moving fast and there are multiple road closures in the area. Please avoid the area. Local road blocks in place. Residents in some Canberra suburbs were advised to seek shelter and others to leave immediately.
"The defense force is both assisting to a degree and looking to whether that needs to be reinforced," Chief of Defense Angus Campbell told reporters.
"I have people who are both involved as persons who need to be moved from areas and office buildings that are potentially in danger, and also those persons who are part of the (Operation) Bushfire Assist effort," he said.
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Woman's family denies affair allegation in Amethi murder case
Accuses police of ignoring harassment complaint
Amethi: The family of a woman who was killed along with her husband and two daughters in Amethi has refuted the police's claim that she was involved in an affair with the accused, Chandan Verma. Instead, they allege that Verma harassed her and took photos without her consent.
The victims, identified as Poonam, her husband, a government schoolteacher, and their two daughters, were found shot dead in their home in the Ahorwa Bhawani area of Amethi. Poonam's brother, Bhanu, told the media that Verma used to harass his sister and forced her to talk to him. He further alleged that Verma had taken photos with her without her consent, which are now being circulated. "Had the local police acted on my sister's FIR, this incident could have been prevented," Bhanu stated.
The police, however, maintained that the murders took place after an alleged affair between Verma and Poonam ended. Verma, a resident of Rae Bareli, claimed he had been in a relationship with Poonam for the past 18 months. He reportedly reached the victims' house on Thursday, got into an argument, and then shot the family.
After the murders, Verma tried to kill himself, but the gun misfired. On Saturday, he was shot in the leg when he allegedly opened fire at a police team.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met the family members of the victims in Lucknow on Saturday. Offering condolences, Adityanath assured the family that strict action would be taken and promised financial assistance and a government job for a family member. "The UP government stands with the bereaved family with full sympathy and commitment," he stated.
The police disclosed that Poonam had lodged a complaint against Verma on August 18 in Rae Bareli for harassment, but no substantial action was taken.
