Tag: local authorities

  • Child hanging from government truck angers the Dominican Republicans

    Child hanging from government truck angers the Dominican Republicans

    In the Dominican Republic, shocking video showing a tiny toddler hanging from an imprisoned woman’s arms through a truck’s barred door has sparked uproar.

    The event, which happened on Saturday in the municipality of Santo Domingo, was captured on social media cameras, showing the toddler dangling from the back of a moving immigration control truck that local authorities used to transfer detainees.

    A woman inside the car, whose arms extend beyond the door’s bars, is the only one who appears to be stopping the child from falling.

    An immigration agent sitting on the back platform of the truck, next to the child, seems to be speaking as he extends a hand and rests it on the child’s shoulder.

    In a statement, the country’s migration director Venancio Alcántara described the incident as “a disturbing and heartbreaking incident.”

    The migration agency said Monday that the agent seen sitting in the back of the truck has been fired, noting that he had only been in his job for 20 days.

    The woman, a Haitian national, was released after the agents became aware of the situation, it also said.

  • India’s avalanche claims seven lives and injures 13

    India’s avalanche claims seven lives and injures 13

    According to local authorities, a significant avalanche in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim resulted in the deaths of seven tourists and the injuries of thirteen more.

    The incident happened around 11.10 a.m. local time, according to a statement from the army to CNN.

    The army reported that at least 20 people were saved alive after snow struck multiple cars headed for the Nathu La mountain crossing.

    According to senior police official Tenzing Loden Lepcha, several of the survivors are in severe condition, and rescue efforts are still going on.

    The avalanche took place near the Nathu La mountain pass and struck a road connecting Nathu La and the state capital Gangtok.

    Lepcha told CNN that avalanches were unusual at this time of year, and blamed unseasonal rain and snow in the area.

    Another 350 tourists and 80 vehicles were rescued after roads were cleared of snow, said the army.

    Kavita Agarwal, a traveler from Delhi, told Reuters that police warned tourists against visiting a lake on the way to the Nathu La pass due to inclement weather.

    “Distressed by the avalanche in Sikkim. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” wrote Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter.

    “I hope the injured recover soon. Rescue ops are underway and all possible assistance is being provided to those affected.”