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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Speculation over Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha entry roils Bihar; Giriraj calls it ‘Holi prank’
Patna (PTI): Bihar was abuzz with speculation on Wednesday over rumours that JD(U) president and the state’s longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may move to the Rajya Sabha, paving the way for the BJP to take the top post while accommodating his son Nishant as deputy CM.
However, senior BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh dismissed the rumour as a "Holi prank", asserting "Nitish Kumar ji is the chief minister".
The filing of nomination papers for five Rajya Sabha seats in the state will close on Thursday.
While the BJP has named its two candidates, including national general secretary Nitin Nabin, and confirmed a second consecutive term for junior NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha, the JD(U) is yet to officially announce its nominees.
The rumours of Kumar, who turned 75 earlier this month, being one of the candidates of JD(U), surfaced a day after the party had announced that his son Nishant would be making a belated entry into politics.
Earlier, there were speculations that the reclusive Nishant, who is in his late 40s and is yet to be formally inducted into the JD(U), could be sent straight to the Rajya Sabha.
However, with less than 24 hours left for filling of nomination papers, several media outlets ran reports claiming that the chief minister, who has been at the helm since 2005, could choose the Rajya Sabha route to make an "honourable exit".
According to these unconfirmed reports, the BJP, which has been outperforming the JD(U) in elections, will have its own CM in the only Hindi heartland state where the highest seat of power has eluded it.
These reports also suggested that as a bargain, Kumar could settle for the deputy CM's post for his son.
When Giriraj Singh, who represents Begusarai Lok Sabha seat in the state, was approached with queries, he said, "Today is Holi. Such pranks are common on the occasion. Nitish Kumar ji is the chief minister".
JD(U) MLC Sanjay Kumar alias Gandhi ji, a close aide of the party supremo, reacted with bewilderment when his response was sought to the rumours.
"We have no information about who will be the Rajya Sabha candidates of the party. There is an impression that Union minister Ram Nath Thakur may retain his seat, but that is also not official. As regards the other seat, it is a decision to be taken by the chief minister, who is known to reveal his cards at the eleventh hour. We cannot say anything on the reports in the media," he said.
