Myanmar quake: SMART recovers four bodies from rubble

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) has recovered four bodies from the rubble caused by the earthquake in Myanmar's Sagaing region. In a statement, the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) reported that two victims - a man and a woman - were retrieved on Monday (March 31), while the bodies of...

Subang Jaya inferno: Chronology of events

KUALA LUMPUR: The gas pipeline inferno at Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor, on Tuesday (April 1) morning sent shockwaves through the surrounding community, with some describing it as like a massive earthquake. Flames soared tens of metres into the sky, visible from several kilometres away. Rescue and firefighting efforts continue to contain the...

Subang Jaya inferno: Govt, PETRONAS to repair, replace damaged houses, says PM

PETALING JAYA: The Federal and State governments as well as PETRONAS will be responsible for repairing and replacing damaged houses, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He added that PETRONAS will provide cash aid to victims of the inferno at Putra Heights. According to Anwar, those whose homes were completely destroyed will get RM5,000 in assistance,...

Subang Jaya inferno: Very low chance of secondary blast, says Bomba DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The likelihood of a secondary explosion following Tuesday’s (April 1) gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, is very low, according to the Fire and Rescue Department. Director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said this was because no gas flow was detected this evening after the closure of four main valves in Kampung Lombong...

Four Chinese nationals who removed files from collapsed Thai building charged

BANGKOK: Authorities have charged four Chinese nationals for illegally removing 32 files of documents from the collapsed 34-storey State Audit Office (SAO) building, which was destroyed by an earthquake on March 28. A legal officer from the Chatuchak District Office’s municipal affairs division filed a complaint at Bang Sue Police Station against five Chinese individuals accused...

Bangkok earthquake: Korean man leaps across condo’s damaged sky bridge to seek wife, kid

BANGKOK: As Bangkok experienced tremors on March 28, a Korean man jumped across a broken sky walkway, 50 storeys above ground, to get from one swaying building to another where his wife and daughter were supposed to be. Thai resident Kwon Young-jun’s feat has been captured on video and circulated online amid other indelible images of...

As pets become more like family, more owners in Japan are opting for elaborate funerals

TOKYO: Increasingly, people are holding proper funerals when they lose their dog, cat or other beloved pet. The ceremonies may be attended by Buddhism priests who read out sutras, and memorial services may follow to mark religious milestones in the afterlife of the pet. Mourning a pet as you would a family member who has passed...

Britain hopes U.S. tariffs will be reversed with economic deal

LONDON (Reuters) - British business minister Jonathan Reynolds said the government was hopeful that any tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump would be reversed shortly, if the two sides agree a tech-led economic deal. Britain expects to be hit by Trump's plan to put tariffs on goods from countries across the globe this week, but...

Philippine cops praised for quick arrest of road rage suspect

MANILA: The quick arrest of a motorist who shot a motorcycle rider in Antipolo City shows how far the Philippine National Police (PNP) has improved in terms of response, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Tuesday (April 1). In a statement, Romualdez lauded the PNP, saying it has evolved into a stronger and smarter policing...

‘Residents immediately evacuated at 8am because the heat was too strong’

PETALING JAYA: Soon after explosions were heard in Putra Heights, residents rushed to vacate their homes because the heat was too strong, a resident recounts. Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, a retiree, said he is working with the local community to shelter fire victims here. “The explosion was about 8.12am. Then people just evacuated...