Cyclone kills almost 100 as floods, landslides hit Southeast Asia
CBSN
Lembata, Indonesia — Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Monday after torrential rains caused multiple disasters on remote eastern Indonesian islands as well as in East Timor. At least 70 people died and dozens were missing in Indonesia, and 21 deaths were reported in East Timor.
Tropical Cyclone Seroja, causing the damage, was expected to continue affecting the Southeast Asian nations for days while moving south toward Australia. Mud tumbled down from surrounding hills onto dozens of homes in Lamenele village shortly after midnight Sunday on Indonesia's Adonara island. Rescuers recovered 38 bodies and at least five people were injured, said Lenny Ola, who heads the local disaster agency. Flashfloods killed at least 30 people elsewhere and at least 70 were missing in the province, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Severe flooding also was reported in Bima, a town in the neighboring province of West Nusa Tenggara, killing two people and submerging nearly 10,000 houses. Relief efforts were hampered by power outages, blocked roads covered in thick mud and debris, as well as the remoteness of the area on an island that can only be reached by sea which is now surrounded by high waves, said the agency's spokesperson, Raditya Jati. CBS News' Lucy Craft said videos from Indonesia showed residents young and old being evacuated on rubber boats, or crammed onto tractors and trucks, after the floodwaters swallowed up their villages.Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
Kathmandu — Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Mount Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman. Climbers usually take days to reach the top of the 29,032-foot mountain, spending nights on its different camps to rest and acclimatize.
New Delhi — Indian justice officials have changed course amid outrage over the bail terms set for a teenager accused of killing two people while driving a Porsche at high speed while drunk and without a license. The 17-year-old son of a wealthy businessman had been ordered to write a 300-word essay and work with the local traffic police for 15 days to be granted bail — a decision that was made within 15 hours of his arrest.
Zurich — A woman jogger was killed by a naked man who was screaming and attacking people in a lakeside park in Switzerland, police said Wednesday. The attack happened Tuesday evening in Mannedorf on Lake Zurich, around 12 miles southeast of Switzerland's biggest city, the Zurich cantonal police said.
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and appeared ready to do the same with its ambassador to Spain.
Jerusalem — Israeli officials seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the news organization of violating the country's new ban on Al Jazeera. The Qatari satellite channel is among thousands of clients that receive live video feeds from the AP and other news organizations. The AP denounced the move.