Month: August 2023

Authorities confirmed that an explosion on Saturday morning in the residential suburb of Plum, outside Pittsburgh left five people dead and three injured. Plum is about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The explosion destroyed three structures and damaged at least a dozen others. Police have not yet publicly identified the victims, but officials said one of the victims was an adolescent.

911 dispatchers received a call a little before 10:30 a.m on Saturday that multiple houses were on fire due to an explosion. The incident appeared to begin when one house exploded, engulfing two neighboring homes in flames as well, according to the county. Multiple other homes were damaged with windows blown out.

Allegheny County officials reported that firefighters arrived to find “people trapped under the debris,” and took three people to a hospital. Of the three, two have been released and the third is in the hospital in critical condition, according to police. The remains of five victims – four adults and one adolescent – were also found at the scene. County spokesperson Amie Downs said crews from at least 18 fire departments were working to douse the flames with the help of water tankers from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. 57 firefighters were treated on scene for minor issues, most for heat exhaustion.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Plum and county law enforcement, as well as the county fire marshal’s office, are investigating, and the state public utilities commission and local utilities were also at the scene. Officials said the investigation will be a “slow and long process” that could last for months or years. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting residents impacted by the explosion.

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Missouri Highway Patrol confirmed that the boat explosion on the Lake of the Ozarks which injured 16 people is believed to have been caused by a buildup of gas fumes.

MSHP Troop F tweeted: “Troopers are investigating a boat explosion at the Millstone Marina at Lake of the Ozarks Gas fumes built up in the engine area and a spark set off the explosion.” State patrol later tweeted a safety tip advising that all windows, ports, doors and other openings should be opened and any power ventilation system, such as an exhaust blower, should be turned on after fueling a boat.

It was reported by multiple local news agencies that the explosion happened on Friday afternoon with 15 people on board the boat; one person who was on the dock nearby was also injured, with three people ejected from the boat.  According to an incident report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the injured were between 6 and 43 years old, with four children under the age of 12.

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A rather unfortunate report from the Defense Department’s inspector general shows major flaws in military screening practices meant to weed out extremists during the recruitment process. A press release from the inspector general’s office summarized the report’s findings Monday:

This report highlights that the military service recruiting organizations generally screened applicants for extremist and criminal gang behavior using applicant interviews, screening questionnaires, tattoo reviews, and background investigations. However, we identified a number of instances where military service recruiters did not complete required screening steps in accordance [with] military service guidance. For example, military service recruiters did not always administer screening questionnaires or forms, provide evidence of fingerprint check results, or provide evidence that a background investigation was initiated.

The report found that recruiters “generally” screened applicants for extremist and criminal gang behavior in accordance with department policy. But, importantly, applicants required to go through additional screening often received an insufficient review, according to the report, potentially allowing extremists to slip through.

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Tourist fleeing the deadly wildfire scene in Hawaii told reported on Thursday how they had been without food and power for days. They compared the scene to a warzone. Dozens of people perished when a rapid wildfire tore through Lahaina, destroying hundreds of buildings. Thousands of locals have been left homeless, and tourists have been urged to leave to provide more resources to help people in need.

Lorraina Peterson was on a honeymoon when the wildfire trapped her and hundreds of other in their hotel. They was stuck in the rooms for 3 days as she waited for her flight to leave the island. She described it was as very scary with no lights, no cellphones, and no way to call home. The backup generation that the hotel was using eventually failed causing some people to be stuck inside the elevator.

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