STORY TO BE TOLD

Thursday February 24, 2011

CHRISTCHURCH (Reuters) - International rescuers intensified their search for earthquake survivors in New Zealand on Thursday, despite fading hopes of finding any more people alive and fears that a damaged 26-storey tower could collapse nearby at any time.

Rescue workers are seen at the collapsed CTV building that housed the King's Education School, where missing Japanese people are believed to be trapped, following Tuesday's earthquake in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch February 23, 2011. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

Specialist teams from quake-prone countries such as Japan and the United States used sniffer dogs and listening devices to search for signs of life, two days after a strong tremor struck the tourist city of Christchurch, killing at least 76 people in the country's deadliest natural disaster for 80 years.

Rescue teams rushed on Thursday to a small church after it was believed that a woman's voice had been heard -- apparently the first sign in more than 15 hours that people might still be alive -- but it turned out to be another false hope.

"Right now we do not have any active contact with any person or any indication of signs of life at any location we are working at," fire rescue coordinator Jim Stuart Black said.

"We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst."

Hopes are fading by the hour, but there was renewed activity on Thursday at the scene of what was feared to be the deadliest single collapse -- a six-storey building where up to 100 people, including 11 Japanese students, are believed to be trapped.

A newly arrived Japanese rescue team headed straight for the site. Around 30 of them, in orange and blue overalls, gathered at the smouldering ruin for a morning briefing before heading into the pile of broken masonry, which had housed an English-language school on its third floor.

The team had three sniffer dogs. As they met, other rescuers carried out more bodies from the rubble and officials brought additional body bags to the scene.

"We have a big team and we are determined to help," Kai Jinnai told Reuters.

"It is up the New Zealand fire service how long we are here, but while we are here we are going to do our very best."

DEATH TOLL TO CLIMB

Operations at the so-called CTV building, which also housed a local broadcaster, faced the risk that a nearby 26-storey hotel tower could topple at any moment and bring other buildings down. The Grand Chancellor Hotel is already leaning badly.

Rescue teams had worked through a second night under floodlights, but reported finding only bodies. Still, they hoped for a miracle, along with distraught onlookers awaiting news of family and friends still trapped in rubble.

"Miracles happen and we're keeping that in the forefront of our minds. That sort of things drives you and pushes you on," rescue official Keith Norton said.

The last rescue was of a woman, Ann Bodkin, from a finance company building mid-afternoon on Wednesday.

Around 2,500 people had been injured, 164 seriously.

TEETERING BUILDING

Rescue operations have focused on the city's central business district, which bore the brunt of the force 6.3 quake that struck early afternoon on Tuesday when streets and shops were filled with lunchtime crowds.

There are fears that a collapse of the 26-storey Grand Chancellor, one of the city's tallest buildings, might trigger a domino-effect and further hamper rescue efforts.

"It's incredibly dangerous...if it hits the ground it will create a significant shock wave," local mayor Bob Parker said.

The city has been shaken by more than 100 aftershocks, bringing down more debris. Roads are buckled and large pools of water have welled up from broken pipes and sewers.

In places, roads had collapsed into a milky, sand-coloured lake beneath the surface, the result of Christchurch's sandy foundations mixing with subterranean water under the force of the quake. Officials call it "liquefaction" of the ground.

Investment bank J.P. Morgan estimates the quake could cost insurers $12 billion, while catastrophe modelling firm AIR Worldwide Estimates says the insurance industry faces claims of NZ$5 billion ($3.5 billion) to NZ$11.5 billion ($8 billion).

Key said on Wednesday the estimates could neither be backed up or dismissed, but said the country could afford to rebuild the city although it would impact on near term economic growth.

INTERNATIONAL REINFORCEMENTS

Authorities said the arrival of more rescue specialists from Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore and the United States would allow an expanded, intense search of three square km of the central city which is littered with flattened buildings.

More than 1,000 workers are expected to comb though shattered Christchurch buildings on Thursday.

A national state of emergency has been declared and the central city has been under curfew with soldiers patrolling in armoured personnel carriers.

Thousands of people spent a second night in emergency shelters set up in local schools, sports grounds, and at a race course. Fresh water supplies were being distributed from schools and portable toilets set up as services were disrupted.

(Additional reporting by Mantik Kusjanto in WELLINGTON; Writing by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Mark Bendeich)

Copyright © 2011 Reuters

Fleeing robbers collide with patrol car
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
rashitha@thestar.com.my

SUBANG JAYA: A group of robbers in a stolen BMW failed to escape with their loot when their getaway vehicle collided with a police patrol car soon after the crime.

In the 11.30am incident yesterday, the robbers, aged between 17 and 21, used the BMW to block a Honda Accord with three siblings inside.

The two sisters and their brother were about to leave the vicinity of a bank in Persiaran Ikhlas here when the robbers rushed out and attacked them.

Looking for evidence: Police checking the BMW that crashed into a patrol car in Subang Jaya yesterday.

They smashed the windows of the Honda with machetes and a hammer before snatching a handbag containing RM3,000 and an iPad.

“In the midst of getting away, the robbers drove straight into a patrolling police car some 600m from the scene,” said Subang Jaya deputy OCPD Supt Abd Aziz Abd Majid.

Two were nabbed after a struggle while the other two escaped on foot.

Police retrieved the machetes and hammer from the BMW. They also found the snatched handbag.

The detained suspects are being investigated under Section 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery.

Initial investigation revealed that the BMW, bearing a false number plate, was reported stolen in Petaling Jaya a few months ago.

The brother, who wanted to be known only as Cheng, said the siblings were discussing where their next destination would be after the sisters had withdrawn the money from the bank. “Ironically, while we were on our way to lodge a report, we passed by a scene where police were arresting the same two robbers.”

Death messenger irks family
By CHITRA S. NATHAN
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

SEREMBAN: The family of a 26-year-old accident victim who died at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital (TJH) here is upset that they had to learn of his death from a funeral parlour operator.

Karaoke centre manager Chin Hee Soon was on his way home from work in Kuala Lumpur when he was involved in an accident on the North-South Expressway near Nilai.

It occurred at 7.50am on Monday.

Chin, who became a father only a week ago, was taken to the hospital but his family was not informed of the accident.

His father-in-law, who wanted to be known as Lee, said his daughter Kah Mun, 25, had called him on Monday night when her husband failed to return home.

“She was frantic as Chin had called her earlier that day at 7am to say that he was on his way home.

“Fearing the worst, I contacted the TJH to enquire if he had been admitted there.

“But I was told by the hospital that they had no patient by that name,” he told reporters yesterday.

A funeral parlour operator showed up at their doorstep at 6.30am the following day, informing them that Chin had died at the TJH three hours earlier.

Lee said he was upset that the news was not relayed by either the police or the hospital authorities.

“My daughter, who had just given birth, is grief-stricken and so are Chin’s parents and siblings,” he said.

“They feel that they had been denied a chance to say their goodbyes.”

Lee claimed that a TJH clerk told him off when he called to enquire why he was not informed of Chin’s admission earlier.

Chin’s father Pak Leong said the family might have had the chance to comfort or bid him farewell.

“I wish I could have held his hand while he was still alive but instead I only got to see his dead body.”

The family also claimed that RM1,000 was missing from Chin’s wallet.

Not only that, a newly-installed hi-fi system in his car had been removed.

Chin’s mobile phones had also gone missing.

Pak Leong said his son’s Toyota Vios had been towed away by a private operator.

Temiang Barisan Nasional service centre co-ordinator Jason Lee said he wanted answers from the authorities soon.

“I hope that the matter will be investigated and that no one else will have to go through the same ordeal,” he said.

When contacted, TJH director Dr Jaafar Che Mat said he would look into the case.

“I cannot comment on it at the moment.

“However, I can confirm that it is not hospital procedure to pass on a patient’s information to a third party like a funeral parlour operator,” he said.

“In cases like this, we will try to trace the patient’s family first.

“If that fails, we will contact the police,” he added.


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Jet admits to stealing from Penny


(From left) Penny Tai and Yi Jet Qi are close friends and the latter's confession came as a piece of shocking news to many. (image source: yjqmusic)

Local singer Yi Jet Qi dropped a bombshell by admitting to be the culprit behind the Penny Tai incident.

Earlier on, Penny, 32, claimed that she was cheated of NTD$300,000 (RM31,000) by a friend and went on to post on her Facebook a footage from the surveillance camera situated at where her ATM card was last used, asking her fans to identify the man in the video.

She reportedly received a phone call from a male friend who admitted to have stolen the card from her bag, withdrawn the sum of money and returned the card after that.

Jet (as the pop star is fondly known) released a black and white video that lasted for three minutes and 14 seconds on his Facebook.

In the video titled "Jet says sorry", he was seen reading from a statement, expressing his regret for committing the act.

He did not explain why he did it, merely mentioning that he made the mistake "because of my passion for music".

"It is unwise and I will treat this as a lesson," he said.

Apart from apologising for "hurting (my) good friend and those who are concerned" and "causing disturbance and discomfort", he said he was "grateful towards his good friends and the public for their support and forgiveness”"and would try his best to face and compensate for it.

He added that he would put on hold whatever job he’s was doing until everything was settled, pleading with fans to continue supporting and encouraging him.

He also said sorry to them for letting them down and hurting them.

To watch the video, click here.

Earlier reports claimed that Penny, who regarded Jet as a close friend, did not press any charges although she was said to be upset over the incident.

Jeti was originally set to release his fourth album on Wednesday.

Published Feb 22 2011

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