Death toll from collapsed building in Sicily raises to seven
December 13, 2021, 8:07 am

Death toll from collapsed building in Sicily raises to seven

Representative image-Explosion/Pixabay

The Arab News reported according to the AFP that officials said, rescuers on Monday found four more bodies in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Sicily after a massive explosion probably caused by a gas leak, raising the official death toll to seven.

“The search continues unabated” for two more people missing after four residential buildings toppled to the ground late Saturday in the southern town of Ravanusa, the island’s civil protection unit said on Facebook.

The latest victims were found at dawn.

A photograph posted on the region’s firefighting service twitter account showed firefighters standing on the rubble, as “a fresh day of searching painfully begins.”

Italy-Sicily/Pixabay

Two women were recovered alive from the debris early on Sunday after being found by sniffer dogs, but rescuers have not heard further signs of life.

The blast leveled four structures, including a four-story apartment building, in the central residential district of the town of nearly 11,000 inhabitants, according to the civil protection unit.

Images from the scene showed a mass of concrete rubble, wooden beams and mangled steel in a large empty space, with neighboring buildings charred and damaged.
An investigation has been opened into the cause of the explosion, which authorities said was most probably a gas leak.

Natural gas distributor Italgas said in a statement it had received no reports of gas leaks in the week leading up to the incident.

It said that no construction work was under way in the section of pipeline affected in the blast and the town’s distribution network was fully inspected in both 2020 and 2021.

Local resident Calogero Bonanno said “neighbors had told me there was a smell of gas.”

He was cited as saying by Italian media: “I heard a tremendous roar, as if a bomb had gone off or a plane had crashed into the house."

He said after fleeing along with his wife, three children and in-laws: “Then the window frames exploded. We immediately went down to the street, there was fire everywhere, rubble all around."

“It’s a miracle we’re alive.”

Source: arabnews

Lebanon’s top patriarch, Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, says cabinet should reconvene Vladimir Putin reveals he drove a taxi to make ends meet after fall of Soviet Union

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”