Child Death Toll in Pakistan Desert Community Rises to 62
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014 HEALTH & SCIENCE Child death toll in Pakistan desert community rises to 62 ISLAMABAD: At least 62 children outbreak of pneumonia and poor have died in a district of southern medical facilities during last three Pakistan where thousands are suffer- months in Thar.” Hubble captures ing from malnutrition, officials said But the province’s advocate gener- shattering yesterday, as the country’s top judge al Fateh Malik said the situation was called the situation a national shame. not as bad as had been portrayed by asteroid The disaster has sparked public the media, claiming disasters were the CAPE CANAVERAL: The Hubble outcry and diverted media attention norm in the impoverished area. Space Telescope has captured the away from the regular glut of militant He said 120,000 bags of food have first pictures of a disintegrating attacks, with both Prime Minister been distributed so far and a compen- asteroid. Asteroid P/2013 R3 was Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto’s heir sation of rupees 200,000 ($2,000 dol- detected in September in the Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visiting the lars) to the families of the dead. asteroid belt between the orbits of afflicted region. The court directed the officials to Mars and Jupiter. It appeared as a Local authorities last week ordered file a detailed statement about the sit- fuzzy object. Further observations a probe into the deaths, which uation with a plan of action next by ground telescopes revealed occurred in a stretch of the Thar Monday. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif three bodies. Hubble uncovered desert, which begins around 300 kilo- also arrived yesterday in Mithi, the 10 objects, each with dusty tails. metres (200 miles) from Karachi and capital of the Tharparkar district, to The four largest fragments are up runs up to the border with India. personally look into the situation, Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain accompanied by Bhutto-Zardari, to 656 feet across. Jillani summoned top officials to the whose Pakistan People’s Party rules Scientists say the asteroid Supreme Court in Islamabad yester- the province. “The provincial govern- began coming apart early last day and said the country should ment should take steps to prevent any year. They theorize sunlight is “should hang down our heads with such incident in the future,” Sharif slowing pulling the asteroid apart shame” over the conditions that led said, adding the federal government by increasing its rotation. A plane- up to the deaths and the failure of was ready to assist. Poor health and tary scientist at the University of government to prevent them. communication infrastructure keeps California, Los Angeles, David Mumtaz Ali Shah, the home secre- the district disconnected from main- Jewitt, led the investigation. He tary for Sindh province where the stream population. In 2000, the desert NEW YORK: Ducks swim along an open ferry channel on Lake Champlain on Wednesday, in Essex, N.Y. Lake says seeing the rock “fall apart desert lies earlier told the court: “At suffered a famine that killed 90 per- Champlain is frozen solid, except for two stretches of open water where two ferries carry passengers between before our eyes is pretty amazing.” least 62 children died, mostly because cent of the livestock, the economic Vermont and New York. The only open water within miles is attracting thousands of ducks and bald eagles The pictures were released of unusual cold weather leading to mainstay of the area. —AFP looking to eat the ducks. — AP Thursday. — AP.