YEAR IN REVIEW 1996: DISASTERS

Disasters The loss of life and property from disaster in 1995 included the following: Aviation January 5, Near Isfahan, Iran. A C-140 JetStar carrying the commander of the Iranian air force and 11 other top military officers, including 4 other generals, crashed on the tarmac when it returned to the airport after experiencing mechanical difficulties; all aboard perished. January 11, Near Cartagena, Colombia. A DC-9 aircraft carrying 53 persons crashed and broke apart in a field, apparently as the pilot attempted to make a crash landing in a nearby swamp; a nine-year-old girl, who was pushed out of the plane by her mother and landed on a soft pile of seaweed some 9 m (30 ft) from the wreckage, was the only survivor. March 31, Near Bucharest, Rom. A Romanian Tarom Airlines Airbus 310 with 60 persons aboard crashed during a sleet storm shortly after takeoff, but investigators blamed a faulty engine mechanism for the crash; there were no survivors. April 28, Jaffna province, Sri Lanka. A military transport plane carrying troops to Colombo crashed moments after takeoff; none of the 38 persons aboard survived. May 24, Near Harrogate, England. A commuter plane with 12 persons aboard crashed in a field during a violent thunderstorm, presumably after being struck by lightning; all aboard the aircraft perished. Late June, Lagos, Nigeria. An airliner making a domestic flight from Kaduna skidded off a rain-soaked runway while attempting to land and burst into flames in a nearby field; of the 80 persons aboard, at least 16 lost their lives. Mid-July, Antananarivo, Madagascar. A military transport plane crashed upon landing at the airport; 34 passengers, including 21 doctors from a humanitarian aid group, were killed. August 9, San Salvador, El Salvador. An airliner making its approach to the airport inexplicably slammed into the side of a volcano; all 65 persons aboard were killed. Early September, Near Jalalabad, Pak. An Afghan airliner with 46 persons aboard crashed; there were no survivors. September 10, Shacklefords, Va. A plane carrying parachutists went into a steep dive before crashing into a house; all 11 persons aboard the craft and one person on the ground were killed. Investigators concluded that the plane had been improperly loaded and had exceeded its maximum takeoff weight. September 13, Near Colombo, Sri Lanka. A military transport plane with 75 persons aboard crashed during a thunderstorm while simultaneously experiencing instrument failure; there were no survivors. September 15, Borneo. A Malaysian airliner carrying 53 persons plowed through a shantytown and exploded near the town of Tawau, where it was attempting to land; 37 persons aboard the plane were killed, and 9 persons on the ground were injured, two critically. September 21, Near Moron, Mongolia. A Mongolian airliner with 41 persons aboard went down after taking off from Ulan Bator; one person survived the crash. September 22, Near Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. An air force airborne warning and control system jet equipped with one of the world's most sophisticated surveillance systems and carrying 24 crewmen (22 Americans and 2 Canadians) crashed in a forest shortly after takeoff when its left engine suddenly caught on fire; all aboard perished. October 4, Kyrgyzstan. A helicopter that was ferrying workers from a gold mine to the capital crashed in the Tien Shan mountains; all 15 persons aboard perished. November 8, Central Argentina. A military aircraft en route to an aviation school ceremony crashed in a mountainous area during a raging storm; none of the 53 persons aboard survived. December 3, Near Douala, Cameroon. A Cameroon jetliner clipped some trees and crashed into a swamp, apparently after the pilot tried to abort the landing when the right engine began emitting sparks; of the 78 persons aboard the craft, only 6 survived. December 6, Near Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan. A twin-engine plane went down shortly after takeoff, apparently after experiencing engine problems; 49 persons were killed, and 33 were injured. December 7, Russia. A Russian aircraft with 97 persons aboard vanished from radar screens while it was en route from Sakhalin Island to Khabarovsk; the wreckage of the craft was discovered 11 days later, and all aboard were found dead. December 7, Near Belle-Anse, Haiti. A twin-engine plane with 20 persons aboard, 16 of them Haitians bound for repatriation, inexplicably crashed; there were no survivors. December 13, Near Verona, Italy. A Romanian charter plane carrying at least 45 persons crashed shortly after take-off from Villafranca Airport; all aboard perished. December 18, Near Jamba, Angola. A Zairean-based plane that was carrying at least 136 persons went down in a remote area; only 5 persons survived the crash. December 20, Near Buga, Colombia. An American Airlines 757 jet with 164 persons aboard crashed into a mountain shortly before it was due to land in Cali; the accident, which was attributed to pilot error, claimed the lives of 160 and was the deadliest crash involving a U.S. jetliner since 1988. Fires and Explosions January 5, Jinan, Shandong province, China. An underground pipeline explosion blasted apart a 2-km (1.25-mi) expanse of pavement and killed at least 10 persons. February 7, Pusan, South Korea. A fire that erupted in the engine room of a cargo ship that was docked for repairs killed 18 persons and seriously injured 7. February 15, T'ai-chung, Taiwan. An explosion touched off a fire in a restaurant/karaoke complex, which was gutted by the blaze; at least 64 patrons were killed, many of them trapped behind iron-barred windows and a locked rear-door exit. Mid-April, Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur, China. A fire that ripped through a movie theatre and karaoke bar claimed the lives of 51 persons and injured countless others. April 17, Gdansk, Poland. A powerful explosion caused by a ruptured gas main in the basement of an 11-story building obliterated the first 3 floors of the structure and destabilized the remaining 8 levels; 7 persons were killed in the blast, and 20 were missing and presumed dead. April 17, Taiwan. A predawn fire at a nightclub claimed the lives of 11 persons, 10 of whom died after being hospitalized for smoke inhalation; the blaze, which was possibly the work of an arsonist, also injured 13 of the 39 persons on the premises. April 23, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. A jeep crammed with some 20 persons exploded when its cargo of explosives ignited; the vehicle and its passengers were incinerated. April 28, Taegu, South Korea. A thunderous rush-hour explosion that was precipitated by a leaking gas main at a subway construction site hurled huge metal plates serving as a temporary roadway atop cars and buses loaded with schoolchildren, tossed some 100 cars and city buses into the excavation site, and damaged about 70 buildings; 110 persons were believed killed, at least half of them schoolchildren. Late May, Northern India. A fire at a fireworks factory claimed the lives of 23 persons, including 13 women and 6 children. June 23, Belgrade, Yugos. A powerful explosion rocked a chemical factory during the production of a new but unidentified product; 10 persons were killed, and 11 were injured seriously. August 21, Near Seoul, South Korea. A fire in a church-run reformatory for women was deliberately started by prostitutes and runaways who tried to escape; at least 38 women perished behind barred windows and doors. October 27, Near Kosice, Slovakia. A ruptured gas pipeline that was oozing carbon monoxide gas exploded at a steel mill; 11 workers were fatally injured. October 28, Baku, Azerbaijan. A fire that enveloped a subway car as it was traveling between stations claimed the lives of more than 300 persons and injured some 200; most of the victims were felled by carbon monoxide fumes emanating from burning materials, and others were electrocuted as they tried to grasp cables to escape the blazing train. November 3, Crdoba province, Arg. A powerful explosion at an Argentine munitions factory in the town of Ro Tercero killed at least 13 persons and left 200 missing; the initial blast, which injured some 330 others, also touched off a fire that threatened to spread to an underground heavy artillery depot. December 7, Shaqlawah, Iraq. A fuel tanker that was taking oil to a UN gasoline station exploded; at least 10 persons, including two UN guards, lost their lives in the blast. December 23, Mandi Dabwali, India. A fire that engulfed a tent that had been erected in a walled courtyard for a school ceremony claimed the lives of more than 500 persons, mostly youths but also some entire families gathered for the occasion, and severely burned hundreds of others; the official cause of the blaze was linked to an electrical short circuit that ignited a fire in the tent's synthetic fabric. Marine Early January, Constanta, Rom. Two bulk carriers, the Maltese-flagged Paris and the Hong-Kong-registered You Xiu, lost power in heavy seas and a blizzard and sank after hitting the port's breakwater; 54 seamen were feared drowned. February 25, Off the northwestern coast of Australia. Three small fishing boats apparently sank after being battered by ferocious winds; 11 persons were lost at sea. March 2, Off the coast of Angola. A coaster carrying some 227 persons, many of them women and children, ran aground and sank; about 45 persons survived. Late March, South China. An overloaded boat carrying nearly twice its capacity sank; some 42 Buddhist pilgrims lost their lives. Mid-May, Off the coast of the Philippines. An interisland ferry erupted in flames, causing panicked passengers to jump into the sea without their life jackets; 42 persons drowned, and 23 others were missing. Late May, Central India. Three boats carrying festival revelers capsized in the Narmada River; 22 persons drowned, and 100 suffered injuries. Early June, Zambezia province, Mozambique. A boat sank in the Ligonha River; 12 of the craft's occupants were killed by crocodiles, and several others were missing. Mid-June, Bangkok, Thailand. A floating pier that was loaded with commuters capsized on the Chao Phraya River; at least 20 persons lost their lives, and as many as 80 were injured. Early July, Gulf of Guinea. A passenger boat traveling between Cameroon and Nigeria sank in choppy waters; at least 100 persons were feared drowned. Mid-August, Western Bangladesh. A ferryboat capsized on the Chitra River; about 150 persons were believed drowned. August 17, Southeastern Venezuela. A tourist boat plummeted over a 91.5-m (300-ft) waterfall; 11 children and a priest who was accompanying them were killed. August 18, Off the coast of Yemen. A strong tide upended a boat carrying Eritreans sailing to Yemen; at least 92 persons lost their lives when the craft sank. Early September, Bihar state, India. A boat capsized after slamming into a bridge on the rain-swollen Ganges River; at least 40 of the 150 persons aboard perished. October 29, Near Patna, India. A boat brimming with a group of Hindu pilgrims capsized while attempting to cross the Ganges River; at least 60 persons drowned. November 8, Off the coast of Oregon. A charter fishing boat en route to Alaska was missing after experiencing engine problems during a spell of bad weather; the fate of the 11 persons aboard was unknown. November 10, Off the coast of Bangladesh. A fierce storm battered fishing boats in the Bay of Bengal; at least 21 trawlers and nearly 200 fishermen were missing. Mining and Tunneling January 1-March 15, China. A total of 92 mining accidents killed 573 persons during the 10-week period. February 26, Near Quetta, Pak. A methane gas explosion in a coal mine caused part of the mine to collapse; more than 27 workers were buried alive. March 13, Yunnan province, China. A gas explosion in a poorly ventilated mine killed 32 workers and injured 12; the mine, which had operated in violation of safety regulations, was closed by the government. March 26, Sorgun, Turkey. An explosion trapped at least 40 miners and injured 5. March 30-31, Near Vorkuta, Russia. Two separate gas explosions that occurred in the same mine on successive days resulted in the deaths of a total of 15 persons. May 10, Near Johannesburg, South Africa. A runaway underground locomotive at the Vaal Reefs gold mine plowed through a safety mechanism, plunged down a mine shaft, and crushed more than 100 miners who were descending in a cage; all were killed. August 31, Mieres, Spain. A gas explosion in a deep coal mine killed 14 miners. September 4, Kemerovo, Russia. A planned explosion in a coal mine, where 81 miners were working, claimed the lives of 15 miners who were killed when the cage in which they were riding collapsed as a result of the blast. Late September, Near Jos, Nigeria. A cave-in buried 80 persons who were illegally mining for tin; the dead were mostly teenagers and farmers in need of employment. September 27, Near Dhanbad, India. Two coal mines were flooded with water that surged into the shaft after a river overflowed; at least 70 miners drowned. Miscellaneous January 2, Tajikistan. Locally brewed champagne mixed with cyanide claimed the lives of 10 revelers celebrating the New Year. Mid-January, Laghouat, Alg. A perfume that was laced with a toxic substance killed at least 27 persons, including 10 victims who blended wine with the scent, and hospitalized some 40 others; it was not known if all of those afflicted had drunk the adulterated concoction or if some merely had worn it. February 24, Rasht, Iran. A stampede at a mosque on the last Friday of the Muslim month of Ramadan claimed the lives of 14 persons; additional details of the tragedy were not made available. March 16, Kigali, Rwanda. At least 22 of the 74 Hutu prisoners being held on suspicion of genocide suffocated after being incarcerated in a cramped cell built to hold between 5 and 10 inmates. April 28, South Island, New Zealand. A viewing platform above a spectacular cavern in the Paparoa National Park, built to support 10 persons, collapsed under the weight of 18 visitors; of the 14 persons who were hurled to their deaths on the rocks below, 13 were students. June 29, Seoul, South Korea. A five-story department store collapsed in a heap of rubble, causing a fire in an underground parking garage where cars crushed by falling debris leaked gasoline, which ignited and sent acrid smoke billowing through the complex; more than 500 shoppers were killed, and 400 were missing amid tons of concrete and metal debris. Investigators attributed the tragedy to shoddy construction. July 15, Near Gyor, Hung. An abandoned truck that had a faulty ventilation system became a death chamber for 18 Sri Lankan Tamils, who suffocated when the driver disappeared without opening the sealed trailer. Natural Early January, Northern Bangladesh. A bitter cold snap, the worst in 30 years, killed at least 120 persons. Early-mid-January, California. A series of violent storms deluged much of the state, claimed at least 11 lives, and caused some $300 million in damages to crops, homes, businesses, and roads; 34 rain-drenched counties were declared disaster areas, and the community of Rio Linda, just north of Sacramento, was one of the worst affected after a channel named Dry Creek burgeoned into a lake and inundated hundreds of homes. January 16, Sdhavk, Iceland. A predawn avalanche roared down upon a sleeping fishing village during a raging storm accompanied by gale-force winds; 14 persons were entombed in their homes. January 16-19, Kashmir, India. A thundering Himalayan avalanche trapped more than 5,000 motorists in their vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar highway; more than 200 persons were known dead, 400 were taking temporary refuge in a tunnel, and 5,000 were rescued. January 17, Kobe, Japan. The Great Hanshin Earthquake, a cataclysmic temblor of magnitude 7.2, devastated the city, claimed some 6,000 lives, injured more than 30,000 persons, left some 300,000 persons homeless, and temporarily closed the world's busiest port. Hundreds of streets buckled or caved in, nearly 200,000 buildings were destroyed or badly damaged, and kilometres of train tracks were mangled. It was estimated that the reconstruction of Kobe would cost around $120 billion, which would make the quake the costliest natural disaster in history. Late January-early February, Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands. Torrential rains and melting snow caused massive flooding as overflowing rivers, notably the Rhine, Main, Mosel, Meuse, Waal, and Nahe, unleashed their waters and submerged surrounding towns; the northern half of France was almost completely under water, German city dwellers navigated by boat, and The Netherlands, which was hardest hit of all, fortified stressed earthen dikes that were protecting low-lying farmlands with some 15,000 sandbags while more than 250,000 residents evacuated the already saturated areas. Some 30 deaths were attributed to the flooding, which inflicted damages in excess of $2 billion. February 8, Pereira, Colombia. An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 rocked the area, toppled cement and brick structures, and claimed at least 38 lives; 230 persons were injured, and at least 3,000 were left homeless after some 700 homes were destroyed. Early March, California. Record-setting relentless rains pummeled the state, destabilized twin Interstate 5 bridges, which collapsed and resulted in the closure of a 290-km (180-mi) stretch of highway, closed other roads, and isolated the communities around Monterey, which resembled a soggy bog. The storm also disrupted electrical and telephone services, submerged vineyards in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and destroyed crops in some of the nation's most fertile farmlands. At least 12 fatalities were attributed to the violent weather. March 27, Kalluq, Afghanistan. Heavy rains triggered a mud slide that obliterated a remote mountain village; 354 persons were killed, and 64 were injured. Early May, Northern Sumatra, Indon. Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains killed at least 55 persons and left some 17,500 homeless. May 5, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. A string of drenching storms packing high winds and accompanied by hailstones the size of softballs pounded the northern part of the state and claimed the lives of 17 persons. May 17, Southeastern Bangladesh. A vicious rainstorm and a tidal surge claimed the lives of nearly 100 persons; some 10,000 shanties were destroyed, and at least 120 passengers aboard two boats were spilled into the waters after the crafts capsized. May 28, Sakhalin Island, Russia. An earthquake of magnitude 7.5 nearly wiped out the town of Neftegorsk, where only 1,208 persons out of some 3,200 survived. Late May, Central Angola. Torrential rains washed away a feeding centre; 25 children were among the 33 fatalities. Early June, Northern and central India. A sweltering heat wave with temperatures in excess of 46 C (115 F) tormented residents in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh; though the official death toll was placed at 550, more than 1,200 corpses were prepared for burial. Early-mid-June, Bangladesh and Nepal. Heavy premonsoon rains produced severe flooding and landslides; at least 50 deaths were reported in Bangladesh, 60 persons were confirmed dead in Nepal, and 35 were missing. Early June-early July, Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces, China. Severe rains touched off massive flooding and swelled the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) to a dangerously high level; at least 1,200 persons perished in the flooding, some 5.6 million were stranded, and 1.3 million were relocated after some 900,000 homes were destroyed and some 4 million damaged. June 3, Puerto Lempira, Honduras. An electrical storm claimed the lives of at least 17 soccer fans who were struck by a bolt of lightning as they sought protection in a nearby shelter. June 15, Egion, Greece. An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 reduced an apartment building and a hotel to heaps of rubble; at least 17 persons were killed, 59 were injured seriously, and some 500 buildings were damaged. June 30, Near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A landslide buried more than 15 cars and 2 buses traveling on a highway leading to a resort; at least 20 persons lost their lives, and 23 were injured. July, U.S. A scorching heat wave that stalled over the Midwest and then gripped the East with suffocating temperatures hovering around 38 C (100 F) claimed the lives of nearly 1,000 persons nationwide; Chicago reported a record 733 heat-related deaths, while the other fatalities were scattered across the nation. July 13, Western Turkey. Flash floods triggered massive mud slides that descended on the town of Senirkent; at least 50 persons perished, and some 200 homes were destroyed. Mid-July, Bangladesh. Chest-deep floodwaters inundated at least 27 districts and claimed the lives of more than 150 persons. Mid-July, Pakistan. Relentless monsoon rains touched off severe flooding; nearly 600 persons perished. Mid-July, Southwestern China. Weeks of heavy rains triggered a landslide that buried a sleeping village; 26 deaths were reported. Mid-July, South Korea. Typhoon Faye lashed the country with heavy rain and high winds; at least 16 persons were known dead, and 25 were missing. Mid-July, Spain. A stifling heat wave, with temperatures soaring to 44 C (111 F), was blamed for the deaths of 10 persons. August 17, Morocco. A downpour in the drought-stricken Atlas Mountains triggered flash flooding and landslides, which swept away homes and cars carrying vacationers; more than 230 persons were killed, and some 500 were missing. Early September, Northern India. Heavy monsoon rains were blamed for the deaths of at least 40 villagers. Early September, Morocco. A new round of flooding killed 31 persons. September 4-6, Northeastern Caribbean islands. Hurricane Luis, one of the most powerful storms of the 20th century and packing winds of 225 km/h (140 mph), brutalized Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Dutch and French island of St. Martin, Dominica, Montserrat, Anguilla, Saint-Barthlemy, and Guadeloupe before grazing the northern coast of Puerto Rico and losing force; though Antigua was hardest hit, the other islands sustained heavy damage, and at least 15 persons, 9 of them on St. Martin, lost their lives. September 6, Southern Philippines. Waist-high floodwaters descended on towns in Cotabato province after the rim of Parker Volcano collapsed, causing the crater's lake waters to overflow; 26 persons were killed, and more than 100 were missing and feared dead. September 14, Mexico. Hurricane Ismael hammered the northwestern Pacific states and claimed the lives of at least 107 persons, many of them fishermen caught at sea. Mid-September, Thailand. Extensive flooding affected 52 of the country's 76 provinces and claimed the lives of at least 62 persons. September 15-16, U.S. Virgin Islands and eastern Puerto Rico. Hurricane Marilyn unleashed its fury on St. Thomas with winds in excess of 160 km/h (100 mph) and destroyed 80% of its buildings, battered St. John and ripped off 60% of the roofs there, and bashed St. Croix before destroying 50 homes and damaging some 200 others on Puerto Rico; at least nine fatalities were attributed to the storm, which caused some $875 million in damages. Late September-early October, Bangladesh. Five days of heavy rains created severe flooding that trapped more than one million persons in their homes and claimed the lives of more than 100. October 1, Western Turkey. An earthquake of magnitude 6 rocked the area and reduced to rubble more than 60% of the buildings in Dinar; at least 84 persons were known dead, dozens of others were buried under debris and feared dead, and more than 190 were injured. October 1, The Philippines. Tropical storm Sybil ravaged at least 29 provinces and 27 cities and helped unleash floods, landslides, and volcanic mudflows; more than 100 fatalities were reported, and 100 were missing and feared dead. October 4, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Hurricane Opal pummeled the Florida panhandle along a 195-km (120-mi) stretch of land with wind gusts of up to 200 km/h (125 mph), ruptured sewer and water lines, caused $50 million in damages to recreational boats, inflicted at least $1.8 billion in property damages, and claimed the lives of at least 19 persons. October 7, Sumatra, Indon. An earthquake of magnitude 7 claimed the lives of at least 100 persons and injured at least 700. October 9, Mexico. An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 rocked the country's Pacific coast, toppling two hotels (one in the resort town of Manzanillo, Colima state, and the other in Jalisco state); the temblor claimed the lives of more than 65 persons and injured scores of others. October 24, Yunnan province. An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck during a torrential downpour, demolished hundreds of buildings and homes, killed at least 40 persons, and injured at least 70. October 26, Flateyri, Iceland. A massive predawn snowslide, preceded by days of blizzards and storms, engulfed 19 homes and claimed the lives of 20 persons in the fishing village. Late October, The Philippines. Tropical storm Zack roared through the country and forced at least 60,000 persons to flee their homes; the brutal storm claimed at least 100 lives. November 3, The Philippines. Typhoon Angela, with punishing winds of 225 km/h (140 mph), blasted the northern part of the country and left a trail of destruction that included $77 million in damages to crops, roads, and bridges; the death toll of more than 700 was expected to rise, as many persons remained missing. November 11-12, Nepal. Heavy snow in the Himalayas triggered a series of snowslides and mudflows that killed at least 49 persons and trapped scores of others; more than 500 persons were rescued. November 22, Middle East. A powerful earthquake shook Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia and claimed at least 10 lives across the region. December 25, KwaZulu/Natal province, South Africa. Flash floods caused by incessant rains killed at least 130 persons, many of them swept away in their corrugated iron shacks. Late December, Europe and Asia. A series of blizzards and spells of extreme cold that stretched from the U.K. to Kazakhstan and Bangladesh took the lives of over 350 people, many of whom froze to death in Moscow while intoxicated. Late December, Brazil. Severe rains and attendant flooding resulted in the deaths of some 60 people. Railroad January 13, Near Hilli, Bangladesh. A speeding passenger train collided with a stationary passenger train; more than 150 lives were lost, and at least 300 were injured in the high-speed crash. April 2, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. A 10-ton truck slammed into the locomotive of a passenger train at an unmarked railroad crossing, causing the train to derail; 14 persons were killed, including the truck driver, the train engineer, a mechanic, and 11 passengers, and at least 109 were injured. Mid-May, Tamil Nadu, India. A freight train collided head-on with an express passenger train near the town of Salem after barreling through a stop signal; at least 50 fatalities and some 200 injuries were reported. August 20, Firozabad, India. An express train that hit a cow and came to a complete stop after its braking system was damaged was rammed from behind by another express train when signaling problems developed; the worst rail accident in the country's history killed 348 persons and injured scores of others. October 24, Near Tasikmalaya, Indon. A passenger train carrying between 300 and 400 persons left the tracks and tumbled into an area filled with ravines and volcanic mountains; at least 17 persons were killed, and 100 were injured. December 21, Near Cairo. A commuter train traveling at high speed in thick fog rammed into the rear of a passenger train, propelling one car of the passenger train atop another of its cars and derailing two other cars; the official toll was placed at 75 dead and 76 injured, but eyewitnesses reported that many more were killed. Traffic January 3, Near Echague, Phil. A bus that was racing with another bus fell off a bridge into a ravine; 31 persons were killed, and 38 were injured. January 7, Hao Binh province, Vietnam. A passenger bus, which experienced brake problems while the driver's son was at the wheel, left the road and plunged into a ravine; 21 passengers were killed, but the boy survived the crash. February 3, Near Jhumsa, Nepal. A bus rolled off a mountain road and fell some 100 m (330 ft); 43 persons lost their lives in the accident. March 12, Near Madras, India. An oil truck collided with a bus after attempting to pass a tractor-trailer filled with wedding guests; at least 110 persons were killed when all three vehicles burst into flames. Early March, Cte d'Ivoire. A bus traveling on the Abidjan-Touba coastal route left the roadway and plowed into a village; 14 persons were killed, and 54 were injured. April 9, Near Bowie, Ariz. A swirling dust storm blinded motorists traveling on Interstate 10 and resulted in a 24-car pileup; 10 persons were killed in the crash. April 17, India. A bus filled with Buddhist pilgrims was traveling on a mountain road when it fell off a cliff on Adam's Peak; 14 persons were killed, and 34 were injured. April 25, Southern India. A truck veered off a road and dived into a deep irrigation ditch; at least 29 Hindu pilgrims aboard the vehicle were killed. Early May, Near Chongqing, China. A bus collided with a truck and fell into a river; 12 persons lost their lives. Mid-May, Eastern Spain. A bus carrying some 40 senior citizens collided head-on with a tractor-trailer truck; 13 passengers were killed. May 23, Near Bristol, England. A bus carrying British Legion members spun off the M4 roadway, landed in a culvert, and burst into flames, apparently after the driver swerved to avoid wooden pallets strewn across the pavement; 12 retirees were killed in the crash. Early June, Near Kalubathan, India. An express train collided with a freight train; 48 persons perished, and 76 were injured. June 4, Maharashtra, India. A truck overturned and plunged into a deep valley near Kohlapur; 23 persons perished, and 10 were injured. July 10, Near Roquemaure, France. A bus transporting Spanish students from Amsterdam to Barcelona, Spain, swerved wildly and rolled over several times after the bus driver apparently dozed off; at least 22 persons were killed and 32 injured when the driver, who was abruptly awakened after the vehicle's side mirror scraped a truck, tried frantically to steer the bus back on course.