Death toll from German roof collapse rises to 13

January 4, 2006

The bodies of two boys were found Wednesday, raising the death toll from the collapse of a snow-covered roof at a skating rink in Bad Reichenhall in southern Germany to 13, police said. Rescue workers are searching for a woman and a girl.

M7.0 quake hits N. America

January 4, 2006

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 jolted North America at around 5:32 p.m. Wednesday Japan time, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The focus of the quake was some 30 kilometers under the seabed around the Gulf of California, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

5 children found dead, 4 adults injured in Hyogo fire

January 4, 2006

A house fire in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, early Wednesday morning left five children dead and four adults injured, police said. The bodies found at the site are believed to be those of five children from three families who had been spending the New Year holidays together at the house, the police said.