Latest attempt to free U.S. warship ends in failure

By Calvin Palmer

The third attempt to free a U.S. Navy guided missile cruiser, which ran aground off the coast of Hawaii on Thursday, failed this morning.

The $1 billion USS Port Royal is stuck in 17 to 22 feet of water about half a mile off Honolulu International Airport’s reef runway.

Early this morning seven tugs and a salvage ship tried to move the warship during high tide. Despite the increased pulling power and the removal of fuel, water and some personnel, the 9,600 ton, 567ft ship still remained aground after four hours of towing.  The Navy is assessing its options on how to proceed.

“Our priorities have been and remain the safety of the crew, the safety of the ship and the safety of the environment,” said Rear Admiral Joe Walsh, deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. “There have been no injuries associated with the grounding or our recovery efforts.”

The 15-year-old Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser ran aground as it was finishing the first day of sea trials following four months of routine maintenance at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, the ship’s home port.

The USS Port Royal’s hull is structurally sound and no fuel leaks or spills have occurred.

“We are working closely with both the U.S. Coast Guard and the state of Hawaii to ensure all precautions are being taken should a release of fuel occur,” Walsh said.

[Based on reports by the Honolulu Advertiser and Associated Press.]

‘Hell and its fury’ bring bushfire death toll to 108

By Calvin Palmer

The death toll in Australia’s worst ever bushfires has passed 100.  According to The Daily Telegraph, authorities have confirmed 108 deaths and at least another 100 people remain unaccounted for.

At least 650 homes have been destroyed and, 3,733 have fled their homes in the state of Victoria.  The Red Cross said the numbers left homeless will be far higher.

Thousands of firefighters are tackling the inferno in the state of Victoria and the army has been deployed.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced immediate emergency aid of A$10 milion ($6.76 million, £4.5 million).

“Hell and its fury have visited the good people of Victoria,” said Rudd on a visit to the disaster zone. “The nation grieves with Victoria.”

Many of those confirmed dead were trapped in cars trying to flee. 

The small town of Marysville has been razed. A witness described the town as “a warzone, like a bomb had been dropped”.

The fires are burning around towns about 50 miles north of Melbourne, hitting both semi-urban and rural areas. More than 20 people were being treated for serious burns, local officials said.

“These fires won’t be out for some days,” said John Brumby, the premier of Victoria, as he appealed for blood donations for burns victims. “It’s about as horrific as it could get,” he said.

Fires were still burning across about 770 sq miles in areas north of Melbourne, with a few towns still under threat. Brumby said 26 fires remained out of controlin Victoria.

Police said 12 were people killed around Kinglake, the worst-affected area so far known. Broadcasting veteran Brian Naylor and his wife Moiree are among the dead.

Residents told of how a thick blanket of black ash blotted out the sun, leaving a ‘horrible orange glow’.

Others described trees “exploding” and roads “peppered with burnt out cars”.

One Kinglake resident said “it rained fire”.

Bushfires are an annual natural event in Australia, but this year a combination of scorching weather, drought and tinder-dry bush has created prime conditions and raised pressure on the government’s climate change policy.

Australia’s previous deadliest bushfires were the so-called Ash Wednesday fires in 1983 when 75 people were killed and more than 3,000 homes destroyed in the southern states of Victoria and South Australia.

[Based on reports by the Melbourne Herald Sun, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph.]