6 die in predawn fire at elderly care facility in Nagasaki
January 7, 2006Six people died in a fire that broke out early Sunday at an elderly care facility in Omura, Nagasaki Prefecture, police and firefighters said. The fire broke out around 2:25 a.m. when nine elderly people -- a man and eight women -- and a female facility staff member were in the facility that is fitted for accommodating senile people, the police said, adding the staffer was safe.
Heavy snowfall leads to relief efforts by ground troops
January 7, 2006Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force dispatched disaster relief units to Nagano and Niigata prefectures Saturday to help deal with heavy snowfall as the meteorological agency warned snow will continue blanketing northern to western Japan over the weekend. As of 7 p.m. Saturday, six more people were confirmed to have died due to snow-related incidents. That brings the death toll to 63 since the snow season began in early December, according to a Kyodo News tally based on reports from authorities.
Indonesia ends rescue effort for landslide victims, death toll rises
January 7, 2006The Indonesian government stopped Saturday trying to find victims buried under landslides that hit a hilly village in Central Java Province earlier in the week. The death toll in the village of Gunungraja has reached 58 and 26 people remain missing, an official said.