On Friday, 61-year-old Ljubisa Karović was pulled headfirst toward the opening after part of the aircraft’s engine reportedly failed, sending debris through the acrylic window.

His wife, Svetlana Grković, told media outlets that his body was hanging outside the plane up to his chest.

She grabbed hold of his legs right away and with help from two other passengers, managed to pull him back inside after about two minutes.

During the ordeal, he reportedly lost consciousness three times.

As the cabin rapidly lost pressure, many passengers rushed away from the damaged section of the aircraft to other seats.

The Malta Air flight, operated on behalf of Ryanair, had taken off from Thessaloniki, Greece, and was heading to Memmingen, Germany. Flight tracking data shows the plane dropped around 9,000 feet roughly 10 minutes after departure.

According to other passengers, Karović had been wearing his seatbelt at the time, which prevented him from being completely pulled out of the aircraft as other travellers held onto him.

Karović remains in a hospital in Greece with serious injuries and is still recovering from the shock of what happened.

According to his wife, one of his hands was badly hurt; he also suffered burns, and has little memory of the incident.

For now, however, she is just grateful he survived.

Grković also expressed her thanks to the passengers who stepped in to help, especially a man she believes was Albanian.

While she never learned his name, she hopes to meet him again one day so she can thank him in person.

Photos and videos from inside the cabin show oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling after the window shattered and the aircraft lost cabin pressure.

One passenger said many people feared the plane was about to crash; the decompression in the cabin also made it hard to breathe.

She said Karović was bleeding and repeatedly passed out, likely because of the lack of oxygen and the trauma.

Another passenger thought someone had opened one of the emergency exits.

According to Thessaloniki Airport operator Fraport Greece, Greece’s air and rail safety investigation authority is currently looking into what caused the incident.

Ryanair said the aircraft safely returned to Thessaloniki after taking off.

The plane eventually landed without further problems; passengers were also taken back to the terminal, and a replacement aircraft was arranged so they could continue to Memmingen later that day.

The post Woman Speaks After Her Husband Was Almost Sucked Out Of Airplane Window appeared first on Gazette Review.

According to the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the two vessels capsized after leaving Myanmar’s Rakhine state in late June.

Most of those onboard were thought to be Rohingya, a Muslim minority that has faced years of violence and persecution.

Some passengers reportedly came from the overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where more than one million Rohingya continue to live in difficult conditions.

Many Rohingya risk dangerous sea crossings each year in hopes of finding safety or a better future. They often travel on overcrowded and poorly maintained boats run by people-smuggling networks.

The first boat, which was believed to be carrying around 250 people, reportedly disappeared soon after setting off.

A second vessel, with about 280 people onboard, is believed to have sunk near Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.

Officials have not yet confirmed exactly what happened or how many people were on the boats.

They also noted that the voyages took place outside the usual sailing season, when rough seas and poor weather make travel even more dangerous.

Heavy rain and flooding across the region are believed to have made conditions even worse.

While authorities have not officially confirmed the reports of the boats capsizing, the IOM and UNHCR said they are “gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life.”

If the reports are confirmed, the deaths would add to the nearly 300 people who have already been reported missing or killed this year while attempting sea crossings in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

The UN agencies said the latest incident highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya.

They highlighted the worsening conflict in Myanmar, limited support and opportunities in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and the continued exploitation of vulnerable people by smuggling and trafficking groups as key reasons why so many people continue to risk these dangerous journeys.

The agencies said governments need to do more to save people at sea and to protect those forced to flee; criminal groups should also be prevented from profitting from smuggling and trafficking.

The post More Than 500 Believed Dead After Two Boats Sink Off Myanmar appeared first on Gazette Review.

The illness, known as cyclosporiasis, is caused by the Cyclospora parasite, which is usually spread through contaminated food or water, particularly during the warmer months.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 7,000 people in 34 states have fallen ill. While the infection is rarely life-threatening, it commonly causes frequent, watery diarrhoea.

Experts say Cyclospora is one of the most difficult foodborne parasites to trace.

Unlike many other food-related illnesses that appear within hours, symptoms from Cyclospora often take one to two weeks to develop.

By the time someone develope symptoms, they may no longer remember exactly what they ate, making it much harder for investigators to identify the contaminated food.

Detecting the parasite in food is also a lengthy and complicated process.

Instead of using standard testing methods, laboratories must wash large amounts of produce to collect parasite organisms before they can be tested.

Because Cyclospora can be present in extremely small quantities, investigators often need very large samples of food to have any chance of finding it.

The size of the outbreak has created another challenge.

Public health specialists believe the infections likely came from several different contaminated foods rather than a single source, making it much more difficult to pinpoint where the contamination occurred.

Michigan is currently the hardest-hit state, with more than 3,300 cases, followed by New York.

Unfortunately, officials have not yet identified the exact foods responsible.

In the meantime, they are encouraging people to thoroughly wash fresh produce, and to avoid eating certain fruits such as raspberries; cooking vegetables can also help reduce the risk of infection.

Some public health experts believe the recent staffing and budget cuts within the US Department of Health and Human Services have made outbreak investigations more difficult.

Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the department reduced funding and personnel as part of a broader government cost-cutting effort linked to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Those changes also affected FoodNet, the federal surveillance program that monitors foodborne illnesses such as Cyclospora, Salmonella and Listeria.

Last year, the program reduced its work and stopped fully tracking most pathogens, focusing only on two.

Despite changes to FoodNet, HHS said the CDC is still tracking Cyclospora cases by collecting data from 3,000 health departments and using other surveillance tools.

The post Officials Still Searching for Source of “Explosive Diarrhea” Outbreak appeared first on Gazette Review.

Authorities are looking into whether emergency exits were obstructed, making it difficult for people to flee the burning Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao pub.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who visited the site early Monday, said smoke rapidly spread through the pub after the fire broke out, forcing many people toward the back of the venue near the bathrooms.

At least 63 people were injured, said Suriyachai Rawiwan, the director of Bangkok’s disaster administration.

An initial investigation determined that the fire was caused by a malfunctioning air conditioner.

Officials said the fire started around midnight at the front stage section of the pub and spread ‌throughout the building quickly.

According to authorities, the owner of the pub was also inside the building when the fire broke out; he is currently receiving medical treatment at a local hospital.

On Monday, grieving family members gathered at the police headquarters morgue to identify the victims.

Some were accompanied by support workers, while others were survivors of the fire who had come to identify relatives or loved ones.

Morgue staff said most of those who lose their lives were Thai nationals between the ages of 25 and 50.

Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, a popular live music venue in Chatuchak, is best known for its sprawling weekend markets popular with tourists.

According to its Facebook page, it also features live Thai performers and bands.

Kan Kutirat, a tourist who was visiting the area, said he “heard loud screaming from a lot of people inside” after the fire broke out.

A video posted online showed people fleeing the venue as flames burst through the doorway, with several patrons’ shirts still on fire.

The blaze broke out while the Thai band Tossakan was on stage. According to another member of the band, the lead singer did not survive the fire.

He said the band’s drummer was seriously injured, and two other members were still unaccounted for.

The mother of one of the missing band members went to the morgue hoping to find him, despite his name not appearing on the list of those confirmed dead.

On Monday, Tossakan bass player Anan Prasert returned to the pub, his arm wrapped in bandages, to retrieve some of the band’s equipment.

Speaking to reporters, he said he noticed something was wrong and managed to escape through the venue’s front entrance.

Usa Tadsree, 40, had stepped outside with a friend for a cigarette shortly before the fire broke out. She said she attempted to go back inside to help others but was forced back by the thick smoke.

Two of her friends were killed in the blaze, while another remained in critical condition.

Body camera footage captured by an emergency responder showed firefighters wearing oxygen masks navigating the smoke-filled interior with flashlights as they searched for survivors.

Several victims were seen lying near the pub’s restroom area while rescue crews carried stretchers through the building.

The footage also revealed the venue’s heavily damaged main room, where charred bar tables and stools were still standing.

The post At Least 27 Dead, 22 Critically Injured In Bangkok Pub Fire appeared first on Gazette Review.

Officials said one woman died after she was bitten by a snake, possibly a cobra that escaped from a flooded snake farm. Several other people have also reportedly been bitten.

Videos shared by residents show snakes swimming through floodwaters with only their heads above the surface.

Authorities initially downplayed the danger but have since warned residents to avoid any snakes they encounter.

Snake catchers have been deployed, and hospitals are also stocking up on antivenom as medical staff are preparing for the possibility of more snakebite patients.

The flooding also allowed several zoo animals to escape, including zebras, horses, donkeys, as well as ostriches, emus and raccoons.

The privately owned zoo issued an emergency alert asking people to report any escaped animals; they also warned that frightened animals could become aggressive.

The disaster also affected local farms, with more than 16,000 pigs reportedly swept away by the floodwaters. Videos shared online show heavy machinery being used to recover the animals from the water.

About the Region

Hengzhou is located in Guangxi in southern China, where a flat central plain is surrounded by mountains and hundreds of rivers.

The city is widely recognized as China’s jasmine capital and has been growing the fragrant flower, commonly used in tea, for around 500 years.

Snake farming is another major industry in the region. Guangxi is home to more than 100 snake species, and catching snakes for food has long been part of local tradition.

Snake meat is still considered a delicacy by many people.

By 2020, the region was home to nearly 20 million snakes spread across more than 14,000 breeding farms.

Today, many of these snakes are raised for pharmaceutical and biomedical research purposes.

Cobras and common rat snakes are among the most commonly bred species. While rat snakes are harmless to humans, cobra bites can be fatal.

A volunteer in Hengzhou said its seven or eight members spent two straight days searching for escaped snakes, catching an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 of them.

Most of the snakes they recovered were non-venomous rat snakes.

The team explained that after flooding, snakes often hide in sheltered places such as the corners of homes.

Residents report sightings, and the captured snakes are then turned over to specialists, who release them back into the wild.

The post Rainstorm Brings Devastating Flood and Snake Invasion to Chinese City appeared first on Gazette Review.

Parts of the mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, faced the greatest threat, along with portions of Kansas and Oklahoma.

Those areas were under a level 3 out of 5 risk for severe weather, meaning strong thunderstorms and wind gusts were expected.

Lightning and other severe weather also forced an evacuation of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., before President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July speech.

People at the event were told to take shelter in nearby buildings, and the program was temporarily delayed.

Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks in New York City also kicked off a little earlier than scheduled due to the storms.

Life-threatening Heat Wave Continued

In total, more than 140 million Americans remained under heat alerts Saturday afternoon.

The heat was slightly less intense than Friday, however, it still remained dangerously hot for many areas.

In Washington, D.C., the temperature was 102 degrees, making it the hottest July Fourth on record for the city.

It broke the previous record high of 100 degrees set on July 4th, 1919.

According to officials, 51 people were evaluated for heat-related issues, 12 of whom needed to be taken to the hospital.

On Sunday, temperatures lingered in the upper 80s in New York City. In Boston, the temperature reached the mid-70s.

Thousands of Power Outages Reported

The extreme heat across the U.S. has strained the power grid in some areas.

In total, nearly 800,000 customers went without power.

According to the tracking site PowerOutage, nearly 779,000 homes went without power in the Midwest and Northeast.

The outages came as some areas were expected to face another round of severe weather and dangerous heat on Saturday.

Millions of Americans also dealt with a heat wave that blanketed much of the country.

The post Extreme Heat and Severe Storms Slam Parts of the U.S. appeared first on Gazette Review.

People usually get infected after eating fresh produce contaminated with the parasite.

Michigan, in particular, has seen an unusually high number of cases this year.

As of July 4, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services had recorded nearly 600 cases of cyclosporiasis, compared with the roughly 50 infections it typically reports in an entire year.

New York also reported an increase in Cyclospora cases. Since May 1, officials have confirmed 107 cases outside of New York City. In a typical year, the state usually records between 500 and 700 cases statewide, according to the New York State Department of Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says infections usually become more common during the summer months.

Between May 1 and June 16, the agency received 145 reports from 17 states, with at least 20 people requiring hospitalization. Those figures do not include Michigan’s recent surge in cases.

While people are getting sick in several states, health officials have not found evidence that all of the illnesses are connected to a single nationwide outbreak.

Currently, health officials are trying to figure out whether some of these cases are connected.

What Is Cyclospora?

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that spreads through human waste.

In some cases, crops can become contaminated if they’re watered with feces-contaminated water.

Once the parasite reaches produce growing in warm, humid conditions, it can multiply before the food is harvested.

While Cyclospora is often associated with international travel, the CDC says the people involved in the current cases had not traveled in the two weeks before becoming sick.

So far, officials have not identified a single food responsible for the recent cases.

However, infectious disease experts say past outbreaks have frequently been linked to fresh herbs such as basil and cilantro, along with produce like strawberries, blueberries, and melons.

Cooking food thoroughly destroys the parasite, but raw fruits and vegetables can still carry it. Because many people eat more fresh produce during warmer weather, the risk of exposure tends to go up in the summer.

Health experts recommend washing all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating them.

They also advise cleaning hands, kitchen counters, and cutting boards to help reduce the risk of contamination.

Bleach alone is not effective at killing Cyclospora. Instead, experts recommend washing hands thoroughly with soap and water, then using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as an extra layer of protection when appropriate.

Symptoms usually appear anywhere from two days to two weeks after eating contaminated food. The most common signs include frequent watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, and a mild fever.

Anyone who becomes sick should drink plenty of fluids; drinks such as Pedialyte or Gatorade are also recommended to help replace lost electrolytes.

The post Diarrhea-Causing Parasite Outbreak Spreads Across Multiple States appeared first on Gazette Review.

Police carried out a search warrant at a home near Southeast 15th Street and High Avenue on June 25, after receiving a tip about suspected drug trafficking.

While searching the property, officers found an overwhelming number of animals living inside the house as well as in outdoor pens, sheds, and stalls.

The city’s Animal Welfare team was then called in to help with the rescue effort.

By the time the operation ended, officials had removed 523 animals from the property. The group included about 470 birds, 49 dogs, several cats, and one horse.

City officials said the final number kept increasing as some of the outdoor animals had wandered into nearby wooded areas before they could be captured.

Rescue crews returned to the property multiple times and continued to find additional animals.

Every animal was taken from the property due to the horrid living conditions. In total, four people were arrested.

The massive rescue has put significant pressure on the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter, forcing it to temporarily pause new intakes while staff focus on caring for the newly rescued animals.

According to the shelter’s superintendent, Johny Sandoval, the case is likely the largest animal seizure the city has ever handled.

Staff are encouraging people to adopt from the shelter to make more room for the rescued animals.

The rescue happened just one day after the shelter warned it was already running out of space due to having rescued a large number of medium and large-breed dogs.

City officials said the temporary intake pause is meant to give staff time to safely manage the large number of animals.

While new animal intakes are on hold for now, the shelter is still open for adoptions.

Officials are also working with rescue groups and other partners to place many of the seized animals.

City leaders are asking community members to consider fostering or adopting.

In addition to the animals, police also found around 30 pounds of meth inside the property.

Four people were charged with aggravated trafficking of illegal drugs, including Luis Ricardo Gaytan, Martin Banda Sierra, Efren Valdez-Medina, and Ail Jaset Lopez.

The post Over 500 Animals Seized During Oklahoma City Drug Raid appeared first on Gazette Review.

18-month-old Vincent Lorenzo Fiordilino was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday.

Nearly six hours later, at 11:52 p.m., staff discovered he was still breathing as they prepared to transfer his body.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is now reviewing what happened during those hours, as well as the events leading up to the toddler’s near-drowning.

Gilbert police said Vincent survived the incident and has since been released from the hospital.

According to a police report, the boy may have wandered into the family’s swimming pool without his parents noticing while they were watching the Super Bowl.

Police said both parents admitted to using marijuana that morning, and investigators are looking into whether drug impairment may have played a role.

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center described the incident as heartbreaking and said it carried out its own internal review. However, the hospital has not shared its findings or said whether the doctor who pronounced the child dead is still employed there.

The police report identifies the physician as Dr. A. Toosi.

According to investigators, an officer questioned the decision after the child showed signs of breathing. However, the doctor insisted the decision was correct and told the officer to let the medical team handle it.

Dr. A. Toosi’s attorney declined to discuss the case in detail, citing the ongoing investigation, patient privacy laws, and the possibility of criminal charges against the child’s parents.

His lawyer said the publicly reported details do not tell the full story.

While Vincent is not identified by name in the police report, his family later created a crowdfunding campaign to help cover his medical expenses.

A man who answered the phone at the family’s home declined to comment.

According to the fundraising page, Vincent is now breathing with the help of a ventilator. While he seemed to have avoided severe brain damage, he will still need ongoing medical monitoring and extensive rehabilitation.

The incident happened at around 5:38 p.m. on Feb. 8, when someone called 911 after Vincent was found face down in the family’s backyard pool. A relative began CPR before emergency crews arrived.

He was rushed to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where emergency room workers continued life-saving efforts.

According to the police report, Dr. Toosi informed the child’s family that Vincent had died before officially pronouncing him dead at 6:20 p.m.

Several people present in the emergency room, including the child’s parents and police officers, later told investigators they believed the toddler still showed signs of breathing.

About an hour later, as hospital staff prepared to move Vincent to the hospital’s morgue, an officer reported hearing another breath from the child.

Roughly an hour afterwards, the same detective again noticed what appeared to be breathing.

Hospital staff reportedly believed the movements were agonal respirations, involuntary gasps that can occur after the heart has stopped, and attributed them to earlier resuscitation efforts.

Vincent was then placed in the morgue, where temperatures are kept between 36 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

More than four hours later, when medical examiner personnel arrived to collect his body, they discovered he was still breathing.

His family was immediately notified, and Vincent was flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment.

The post Arizona Toddler Found Alive in Morgue After Being Declared Dead appeared first on Gazette Review.