An Amazon cruise ship has exploded in Peru, with up to seven people reported missing following the blast, feared to have been trapped in the boat. The Aqua Amazon tourist boat was at Enapu port in Iquitos, where it was being loaded with fuel and supplies ahead of its next cruise, when an explosion blew a hole in the ship and it began to sink.

Several crew members were forced to jump into the water to avoid the flames and were pulled from the river by onlookers, while some suffered burns and other injuries in the explosion.

In a statement, Aqua Expeditions founder and CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro said: "During the regular Saturday supplying and turnaround hours for restocking of the vessel, an accident occurred that caused an explosion and resulted in the sinking of the ship. The investigation is ongoing and more information will be shared as it becomes available.

"No passengers were on board but some of the crew have been hurt and up to four are declared missing. All efforts are being made to get a better understanding of the status of the missing crew.

"The entire operations team is on the ground providing logistical support with local emergency services."

Peruvian newspaper El Comercio reported some members of staff were presumed to have been trapped in the ship as it sunk on Saturday (16 July 2016), with emergency services forced to suspend their rescue at nightfall because they did not have the right equipment to continue.

The company has redirected passengers booked onto the Aqua Amazon on to other vessels and is continuing the search for missing crew members, with between four and seven people believed to be unaccounted for.

(ibtimes.co.uk)

Pollution from power plants in two states killed thousands of people last year

By Aura Bogado on Jul 15, 2016


How poisonous are power plants? An estimated 2,300 people in the United States died prematurely because of Pennsylvania’s power plants just last year, according to a study out Thursday. Across the border in Ohio, power plants claimed another 2,130 lives last year. The healthcare bill for people suffering from power plants in both states hit $40 billion.

These startling numbers come from a pair of reports from NextGen Climate America and PSE Healthy Energy, which looked at two states infamous for their coal-burning power plants. It should come as no surprise that nearly 90 percent of power plants in both states are in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

In a word, it’s horrifying. People are getting sick, paying a lot of money, and dying to meet our demand for electricity. Once the EPA’s Clean Power Plan takes hold (it’s currently tied up in the courts) Ohio and Pennsylvania should take a hard look at who’s being affected by emissions, says NextGen. The new federal regulations give states flexibility to meet the standards — including choosing natural gas over coal plants to lower emissions. But, as NextGen points out, natural gas can still lead to asthma attacks, respiratory problems, and death.

NextGen argues that Ohio and Pennsylvania should focus on health and equity for everyone. But the organization’s policy recommendation tiptoes around it: “An emphasis on renewables and efficiency, rather than increased natural gas generation, may be the best way to realize the benefits of the Clean Power Plan without placing a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities.” It’s not a “may be,” it is.

Natural gas plants can mean sickness and death for vulnerable communities. The long-term goal should be a complete end to poisonous power plants — not a meek proposal to curb some, but not all, of the burdens.


(GRIST)