Seoul Halloween crush: South Korean authorities investigate after ...

Seoul, South Korea CNN —

South Korea is searching for answers after Halloween celebrations in the capital Seoul turned into one of the country’s worst disasters, with authorities declaring a national mourning period as they investigate how a chaotic crush left at least 151 people dead.

Tens of thousands of costumed partygoers – mostly teenagers and young adults – had poured into the popular nightlife neighborhood Itaewon to enjoy South Korea’s first Halloween celebration since it lifted Covid restrictions such as crowd limits and face mask rules.

But the festivities descended into chaos, with photos and videos on social media showing huge crowds crammed into a narrow alley. Eyewitnesses described partygoers being packed so tightly together it was difficult to move around or even breathe.

Before the crush, crowd numbers built in Seoul's popular nightclub district Itaewon, October 29, 2022. Courtesy Suah Cho

Suah Cho, 23, described walking through an alley when “suddenly, some people started pushing each other, and people were screaming.” The screaming went on for 15 minutes, she said, adding: “It was just panic.”

“Some people were going forward and some people were going backward, and then just they were pushing each other,” she added. She was able to escape into a building along the alley, where she watched the disaster unfold. She said some people had told her that “people were climbing the building to survive.”

Authorities are still investigating what caused the incident, but Choi Seong-bum, chief of the Yongsan-gu Fire Department, said it was a “presumed stampede” and that many people fell, injuring at least 82.

The dead included at least 19 foreign nationals, including people from Iran, Norway, China and Uzbekistan, he said. One Thai national is among the dead, the Thai Foreign Ministry said.

Crowds are seen in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in Seoul on October 30, 2022. Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images

The chaos of Saturday turned into shock and grief across the country on Sunday. Many victims’ families have gathered at a nearby center in Itaewon, where officials are compiling the names of the dead and missing as they race to identify bodies.

So far, more than 90% of those killed have been identified, said Minister of Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min in a briefing on Sunday. He added that about 10 people can’t be identified because some are under the age of 17 – too young to carry a national ID card – and others are foreigners.

But many remain missing, with families left anxiously calling hospitals and visiting morgues. By 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, Seoul authorities had received more than 3,580 missing persons reports, said the city government.

Relatives of missing people weep at a community service center on October 30, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

One mother, Ahn Yeon-seon, told South Korean news agency Yonhap her 19-year-old daughter had gone out to celebrate with her boyfriend for one of their last dates before he left for mandatory military service.

Several hours after the couple left, her daughter’s boyfriend called crying, saying she had been “under a pile of people for over an hour and that he’d tried to pull her out but couldn’t,” Ahn said, according to Yonhap.

Since then, Ahn has been searching hospitals for her daughter, waiting for confirmation of what happened to her. “I’ll just keep searching,” she told Yonhap.

And, though the government has launched an investigation and promised new measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again, questions are emerging about how such a disaster could have occurred at all.

Cho, the 23-year-old who escaped the crush, said she saw no police or officials trying to control the crowd before the crush began. Even after they arrived later in the night, the sense of confusion and panic continued.

“The police officer was screaming, but we couldn’t really tell that was a real police officer because so many people were wearing costumes,” she said. “People were literally saying, ‘Are you a real police officer?’”

Investigation and recovery

Authorities received the first emergency calls of people being “buried” in crowds at 10:24 p.m. in Seoul (9:24 a.m. ET). As the news broke, Yonhap reported that some people had suffered from “cardiac arrest,” with others reporting “difficulty breathing.”

However, officials said there were no gas leaks or fires on site.

Lee Sang-min, Seoul’s interior and safety minister, said on Sunday that “a considerable number of police and security forces” had been deployed to another part of Seoul on Saturday to deal with protests there.

Meanwhile in Itaewon, the crowd had not been unusually large, he said, so only a “normal” level of security forces had been deployed there.

But as the disaster unfolded, it prompted a massive response. More than 1,700 emergency response forces were dispatched on Saturday night, including 517 firefighters, 1,100 police officials, and about 70 government workers.

Social media videos showed police had taped off an area where people were performing compressions on other partygoers lying on the ground as they waited for medical help. Others showed people dressed in Halloween costumes lying on the street and on stretchers as first responders rendered aid and ambulances lined up to take away the injured.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency meeting in the early hours of Sunday, and later visited the scene to receive briefings from emergency officials.

Addressing the nation, he called a national period of mourning “until the handling of the accident is concluded.” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo later said the period of mourning would end at midnight of November 5.

“A tragedy that should not have happened occurred in the middle of Seoul last night on Halloween,” Yoon said. “I pray for those who died in an unexpected accident and hope that the injured will recover quickly.”

He also said the disaster would be investigated, with measures put into place to ensure similar incidents never happen again.

“We will have relevant ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety conduct emergency inspections not only for Halloween events but also for local festivals and thoroughly manage them so they are conducted in an orderly and safe manner,” Yoon said, adding that a “multi-purpose emergency system” would support both the injured and the families of the dead.

Video Ad Feedback This narrow street was the scene of deadly incident in Seoul 02:16 - Source: CNN

Also on Sunday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the government would provide a fund for families of the deceased and injured. It will operate “a funeral support team and respond fully to the treatment of the injured,” and provide psychological treatment for those affected, he said.

The government will also “actively consult with diplomatic offices to ensure there is no shortage of support,” Han said.

“Our country has a history of overcoming disasters with all citizens united in one mind,” he said, adding: “I earnestly ask all the people to join so that we can overcome sorrow and rise again.”

The government has declared the district of Yongsan-gu, where Itaewon is located, a special disaster area.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it would set up a joint memorial altar at Seoul Plaza Monday morning, with another joint memorial altar in Itaewon.

Foreign nationals among the dead

People fly into Seoul from all over Asia to celebrate Halloween in Itaewon, and this year’s event was seen as a welcome return of festivities after the pandemic. Hotels and ticketed events in the neighborhood had been booked solid ahead and large crowds were expected.

One eyewitness, Sung Sehyun, said the space was like a “jammed subway,” and that he had to push his way through the throng earlier in the night to get clear of the busy streets.

“I was lucky to get through (but an) hour later, I heard people got killed. Because people got stamped on … and people got jammed together,” he said

Juliette Kayyem, a disaster management expert and national security analyst for CNN, said the city’s density – and how common crowds are in Seoul – may have played a role in the tragedy.

Rescue teams work at the scene where dozens of people were injured during a Halloween festival in Seoul, South Korea, October 29, 2022. Kim Hong-ji/Reuters

“People in Seoul are used to being in packed spaces, it’s possible they might not have been fully alarmed by the packed streets,” she said. “Panic is always a factor, and there is a danger of being too used to being in crowded spaces.”

It’s hard to pinpoint what might have triggered the crush – but authorities “would have anticipated high numbers … before Saturday night,” she added. “There is a responsibility on the part of the authorities to be monitoring crowd volume in real time, so they can sense the need to get people out.”

Around the world, leaders sent their condolences to South Korea and those affected by the disaster.

“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in Seoul,” US President Joe Biden wrote in a statement. “We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and send our best wishes for a quick recovery to all those who were injured.”

Emergency services treat injured people on October 30, 2022, in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

The United States government is ready to provide South Korea with “any support it needs,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on Twitter Saturday. One US citizen was injured in the crush, authorities said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time.” In tweet written in French and Korean, President Emmanuel Macron said “France is by your side.”

Itaewon, once shunned by locals as a seedy, red light district, has transformed into one of Seoul’s top party venues. Known for its nightlife and trendy restaurants, the neighborhood comes to life at night.

It is also home to Seoul’s thriving Muslim and gay communities, and is located near a US army base.

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Chinese airliner carrying 132 people crashes in southern Guangxi ...

Editor’s Note: Read the latest update on this story here – No survivors found after China’s worst air disaster in more than a decade, state media says

CNN —

A China Eastern Airlines jetliner carrying 132 people crashed in the mountains in southern China’s Guangxi region on Monday afternoon, according to the country’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC).

The Boeing 737 was en route from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou when it lost contact over the city of Wuzhou. On board were 123 passengers and nine crew members, CAAC said in a statement posted online.

China Eastern Airlines confirmed those details and said it had activated emergency procedures, including a line for emergency assistance for family members.

Rescue efforts are underway at the scene of the crash, but there were no immediate details on the possible cause or the number of casualties.

China Eastern offered its condolences to those who were killed in the incident, without confirming any death toll.

“The cause of the plane crash is still under investigation. The company expresses its sorrowful condolences to the passengers and crew members who died in this plane crash,” the airline said in a statement.

A piece of wreckage from China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 is seen in this photo, released by the Xinhua News Agency on March 21. Xinhua/AP

Boeing said in a statement: “Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. We are working with our airline customer and are ready to support them.”

The company added that it is in contact with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and that its technical experts are ready to assist in the CAAC investigation.

Later Monday, the NTSB said it “appointed a senior air safety investigator as a U.S. accredited representative to the investigation,” which will be led by the CAAC.

Boeing, engine manufacturer CFM, and the US Federal Aviation Administration will also be involved in the probe, the NTSB said. This arrangement is standard for aviation incidents involving a US-designed Boeing aircraft that occur in other countries.

China Eastern staff wait to lead the relatives of those on board the crashed flight MU5735 to a special area at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, the destination of the flight, on Monday. JULIEN TAN/FCHNA/FeatureChina/AP

Chinese President Xi Jinping instructed the country’s emergency services to “organize a search and rescue” operation and “identify the causes of the accident,” state media reported.

“After the accident, President Xi Jinping immediately made instructions to start the emergency mechanism, organize search and rescue, and properly deal with the aftermath,” state broadcaster CCTV said.

Sudden descent

The aircraft lost contact with emergency services before “suddenly descending” around 2:19 p.m., Chinese government officials and state media reported Monday.

“A China Eastern plane (flight number MU5735) lost contact at 2.15 pm … Rescue teams are on the way to ground zero, and rescue work is being laid out in order,” the Guangxi Emergency Management Department said in a statement.

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The plane’s altitude dropped from 8,869 meters (29,098 feet) to 1,333.5 meters (4,375 feet) in the span of three minutes, state news agency China News Service reported, citing VariFlight, a Chinese technology company that provides civil aviation data services.

Hours after the accident, CCTV reported that the airline was grounding all its Boeing 737-800s and that the aircraft currently in the air would “not carry more flights after landing.”

CCTV also reported that rescue efforts could be hampered by bad weather and limited accessibility to the site.

Heavy rescue equipment was unable to reach the scene – which lacks electricity – as it is surrounded by mountains on three sides and accessible only through a narrow path, CCTV said, citing the Guangxi Wuzhou fire department.

Separately, Guangxi Meteorological Bureau warned that the rescue effort could be hindered by an incoming cold front that would see heavy rainfall and a temperature drop in Tengxian County, where the crash site is.

Eyewitness describes falling plane

In an interview with state media outlet Beijing Youth Daily, an eyewitness described seeing a plane “falling directly from the sky in front of him around 2 p.m.”

“The plane fell vertically from the sky. Although I was very far away, I could still see that it was a plane. The plane did not smoke during the fall. The fire started after it fell into the mountain, followed by a lot of smoke,” the witness, who was only identified by his surname, Liu, said.

“My heart was thumping. I immediately informed friends about the situation, that this area is dangerous and not to come nearby,” Liu continued.

In a separate interview with China News Service, a resident from Molang village in Tengxian county – close to the scene of the crash – reported seeing “wings and pieces of the plane, as well as pieces of clothing hanging from trees.”

The witness – whose name was not published – told state media he drove his motorcycle to the crash site after hearing “a huge explosion” around 2:40 pm to “see if he could participate in the rescue.” The onlooker added that the accident caused “about 10 acres of fire,” according to his visual estimates.

Video showing what appears to be a plane falling nose first from the sky circulated widely on Chinese social media Monday, before being picked up and published by state media.

Footage posted online and shared by state media outlet People’s Daily show plumes of smoke billowing from a mountainous, forested area. Another clip shows what appears to be wreckage from the plane on a muddy mountain path.

The colors on the Boeing and China Eastern Airlines websites were changed to black and white in China, as a sign of respect in response to the crash.

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Migrant workers helped build Qatar's World Cup tournament, now ...

CNN —

Kamal was standing outside a shop with other migrant workers, having finished yet another grueling working day, when he and – he says – a few others were arrested this August. Without explanation, the 24-year-old says he was put into a vehicle and, for the next week, kept in a Qatari jail, the location and name of which he does not know.

“When they arrested me, I couldn’t say anything, not a single word, as I was so scared,” he told CNN Sport, speaking at home in southern Nepal where he has been working on a farm since being deported three months ago.

Kamal – CNN has changed the names of the Nepali workers to protect them from retaliation – is one of many migrant workers wanting to tell the world of their experiences in Qatar, a country that will this month host one of sport’s greatest, most lucrative, spectacles – the World Cup, a tournament which usually unites the world as millions watch the spectacular goals and carefully-choreographed celebrations.

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. Much of the build-up to this tournament has been on more sober matters, that of human rights, from the deaths of migrant workers and the conditions many have endured in Qatar, to LGBTQ and women’s rights.

Kamal says he has yet to be paid the 7,000 Qatari Riyal bonus (around $1,922) he says he is entitled to from his previous employers, nor 7,000 Riyal in insurance for injuring two fingers at work.

“I wasn’t told why I was being arrested. People are just standing there … some are walking with their grocery [sic], some are just sitting there consuming tobacco products … they just arrest you,” he adds, before explaining he could not ask questions as he does not speak Arabic.

A worker is seen inside the Lusail Stadium during a stadium tour on December 20, 2019, in Doha, Qatar. Francois Nel/Getty Images

Describing the conditions in the cell he shared with 24 other Nepali migrant workers, he says he was provided with a blanket and a pillow, but the mattress on the floor he had to sleep on was riddled with bed bugs.

“Inside the jail, there were people from Sri Lanka, Kerala (India), Pakistan, Sudan, Nepal, African, Philippines. There were around 14-15 units. In one jail, there were around 250-300 people. Around 24-25 people per room,” he says.

“When they take you to the jail, they don’t give you a room right away. They keep you in a veranda. After a day or two, once a room is empty, they keep people from one country in one room.”

Using a smuggled phone, he spoke to friends, one of whom, he says, brought his belongings – including his passport – to the jail, though he says he was sent home after the Nepali embassy had sent a paper copy of his passport to the jail. CNN has reached out to the embassy but has yet to receive a response.

“When they put me on the flight, I started thinking: ‘Why are they sending workers back all of a sudden? It’s not one, two, 10 people … they are sending 150, 200, 300 workers on one flight,’” he says.

“Some workers who were just roaming outside wearing (work) dress were sent back. They don’t even allow you to collect your clothes. They just send you back in the cloth you are wearing.”

Kamal believes he was arrested because he had a second job, which is illegal under Qatar’s 2004 Labour Law and allows authorities to cancel a worker’s work permit. He says he worked an extra two to four hours a day to supplement his income as he was not making enough money working six eight-hour days a week.

Qatar has a 90-day grace period in which a worker can remain in the country legally without another sponsor, but if they have not had their permit renewed or reactivated in that time they risk being arrested or deported for being undocumented.

He says he received paperwork upon his arrest, which Amnesty International says would likely have explained why he was being detained, but as it was in Arabic he did not know what it said and no translator was provided.

Laborers rest in green space along the corniche in Doha, Qatar, on June 23. Christopher Pike/Bloomberg/Getty Images/FILE

A Qatari government official told CNN in a statement: “Any claims that workers are being jailed or deported without explanation are untrue. Action is only taken in very specific cases, such as if an individual participates in violence.”

The official added that 97% of all eligible workers were covered by Qatar’s Wage Protection System, established in 2018, “which ensures wages are paid in full and on time.” Further work was being done to strengthen the system, the official said.

Some workers never returned home

With the opening match just days away, on-the-pitch matters are a mere footnote because this tournament has come at a cost to workers who left their families in the belief that they would reap financial rewards in one of the world’s richest countries per capita. Some would never return home. None of the three Nepali workers CNN spoke to were richer for their experience. Indeed, they are in debt and full of melancholy.

The Guardian reported last year that 6,500 South Asian migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country was awarded the World Cup in 2010, most of whom were involved in low-wage, dangerous labor, often undertaken in extreme heat.

The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN.

Hassan Al Thawadi – the man in charge of leading Qatar’s preparations – told CNN’s Becky Anderson that the Guardian’s 6,500 figure was a “sensational headline” that was misleading and that the report lacked context.

A government official told CNN there had been three work-related deaths on stadiums and 37 non-work-related deaths. In a statement, the official said the Guardian’s figures were “inaccurate” and “wildly misleading.”

“The 6,500 figure takes the number of all foreign worker deaths in the country over a 10-year period and attributes it to the World Cup,” the official said. “This is not true and neglects all other causes of death including illness, old age and traffic accidents. It also fails to recognize that only 20% of foreign workers in Qatar are employed on construction sites.”

It has been widely reported that Qatar has spent $220 billion leading up to the tournament, which would make it the most expensive World Cup in history, though this likely includes infrastructure not directly associated with stadium construction. A spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) which, since its formation in 2011, has been responsible for overseeing the infrastructure projects and planning for the World Cup, told CNN that the tournament budget was $6.5 billion, without expanding on what that cost covered.

Eight new stadiums rose from the desert, and the Gulf state expanded its airport, constructed new hotels, rail and highways. All would have been constructed by migrant workers, who – according to Amnesty International – account for 90% of the workforce in a near-three million population.

An aerial view of Al Janoub stadium at sunrise on June 21 in Al Wakrah, Qatar. David Ramos/Getty Images

Since 2010, migrant workers have faced delayed or unpaid wages, forced labor, long hours in hot weather, employer intimidation and an inability to leave their jobs because of the country’s sponsorship system, human rights organizations have found.

However, the health, safety and dignity of “all workers employed on our projects has remained steadfast,” a statement from the SC read.

“Our efforts have resulted in significant improvements in accommodation standards, health and safety regulations, grievance mechanisms, healthcare provision and reimbursements of illegal recruitment fees to workers.

“While the journey is on-going, we are committed to delivering the legacy we promised. A legacy that improves lives and lays the foundation for fair, sustainable and lasting labour reforms.”

Last year, in an interview with CNN Sport anchor Amanda Davies, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that while “more needs to be done,” progress had been made.

“I’ve seen the great evolution that has happened in Qatar, which was recognized – I mean not by FIFA – but by labor unions around the world, by international organizations,” said Infantino.

‘It was difficult to breathe’

We are, unusually, writing about a World Cup in November because the competition had to be moved from its usual June-July slot to Qatar’s winter as the heat is so extreme in the country’s summer months – temperatures can reach around 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in June – that playing in such conditions could have posed a health risk to players.

Hari is 27 years old and, like many of his compatriots, left Nepal for Qatar as his family – he was one of five siblings with just his father at home – desperately needed money, primarily to eat. Since 2013, Nepal’s government-mandated minimum wage has been set at $74 a month, according to minimum-wage.org. He says that his monthly wage in Qatar was 700 Rial a month ($192).

After moving to Qatar in 2014, he worked in four places during his four-year stay: at a supermarket, a hotel and airport, but the most difficult job, he says, was in construction when he had to carry tiles up buildings “six to seven stories above” in overbearing heat, plus lay pipelines in deep pits.

“It was too hot,” he tells CNN. “The foreman was very demanding and used to complain a lot. The foreman used to threaten to reduce our salaries and overtime pay.

“I had to carry tiles on my shoulder to the top. It was very difficult going up through the scaffolding. In the pipeline work, there were 5-7 meters deep pits, we had to lay the stones and concrete, it was difficult due to the heat. It was difficult to breathe. We had to come upstairs using a ladder to drink water.

“It never happened to me, but I saw some workers fainting at work. I saw one Bengali, one Nepali … two to three people faint while working. They took the Bengali to medical services. I’m not sure what happened to him.”

During his time in Qatar, government regulations generally prohibited workers from working outdoors between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. from June 15 to August 31. He said one company he worked for followed these rules.

He added: “At some places, they didn’t have water. Some places, they didn’t provide us water on time. At some places, we used to go to houses nearby asking for water.”

In this photo taken in May 2015 during a government organized media tour, workers use heavy machinery at the Al-Wakra Stadium being built for the 2022 World Cup. Maya Alleruzzo/AP/FILE

Working long hours in extreme heat has, some non-governmental organizations believe, caused a number of deaths and put lives at risk in Qatar.

In 2019, research published in the Cardiology Journal, exploring the relationship between the deaths of more than 1,300 Nepali workers between 2009 and 2017 and heat exposure, found a “strong correlation” between heat stress and young workers dying of cardiovascular problems in the summer months.

The government official told CNN that there had been a “consistent decline” in the mortality rate of migrant workers, including a decline in heat stress disorders, “thanks in large part to our comprehensive heat stress legislation.”

“Qatar has always acknowledged that work remains to be done, notably to hold unscrupulous employers to account,” the government official added. “Systemic reform does not happen overnight and shifting the behavior of every company takes time as is the case with any country around the world.”

‘Heat does not typically injure on its own’

Natasha Iskander, Professor of Urban Planning and Public Service at New York University, tells CNN that heat can kill “in ways that are confusing and unclear.”

“Fatal heat stroke can look like a heart attack or a seizure. Sometimes, heat kills through the body, amplifying manageable and often silent conditions, like diabetes and hypertension, and turning them into sudden killers,” she explains.

“As a result, Qatar, in the death certificates that it has issued after migrant construction workers have collapsed, has been able to push back against the correlation between heat stress and deaths and claim instead that the deaths are due to natural causes, even though the more proximate cause is work in the heat.”

Determining the number of workers injured by heat is even harder, she says, because many injuries may not become apparent until years later, when migrants have returned home and young men “find that their kidneys no longer function, that they suffer from chronic kidney disease, or that their hearts have begun to fail, displaying levels of cardiac weakness that are debilitating.”

“Heat does not typically injure on its own,” she adds. “Workers are exposed to heat and heat dangers through the labor relations on Qatari worksites. The long hours, physically intense work, the forced overtime, the abusive conditions, the bullying on site all shape how exposed workers are to heat. Additionally, conditions beyond the worksite also augmented heat’s power to harm – things like poor sleep, insufficient nutrition or a room that was not cool enough to allow the body to reset after a day in the heat. In Qatar, the employer housed workers in labor camps, and workers as a matter of policy were segregated to industrial areas, where living accommodations were terrible.”

Foreign laborers working on the construction site of the Al-Wakrah football stadium, one of Qatar's 2022 World Cup stadiums, walk back to their accomodation at the Ezdan 40 compound after finishing work on May 4, 2015, in Doha's Al-Wakrah southern suburbs. Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images/FILE

According to Amnesty International, Qatari authorities have not investigated “thousands” of deaths of migrant workers over the past decade “despite evidence of links between premature deaths and unsafe working conditions.” That these deaths are not being recorded as work-related prevents families from receiving compensation, the advocacy group states.

In its statement, the SC said that its commitment to publicly disclose non-work-related deaths went beyond the requirements of the UK’s Health and Safety Executive Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences regulations (RIDDOR), which defines and provides classification for how to document work-related and non-work-related incidents.

The statement added: “The SC investigates all non-work-related deaths and work-related fatalities in line with our Incident Investigation Procedure to identify contributory factors and establish how they could have been prevented. This process involves evidence collection and analysis and witness interviews to establish the facts of the incident.”

Amnesty International’s Ella Knight told CNN Sport that her organization would continue to push Qatar to “thoroughly investigate” deaths of migrant workers, including past deaths, to “ensure the families of the deceased have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.”

Barun Ghimire is a human rights lawyer based in Kathmandu whose work focuses on the exploitation of Nepali migrants working abroad. He tells CNN that the families he advocates for have not received satisfactory information on their loved ones’ deaths. “Families send out healthy, young family member to work and they receive news that the family member died when they were sleeping,” he says. In a separate interview, he told CNN last year: “The Qatar World Cup is really the bloody cup – the blood of migrant workers.”

Last year, Qatari legislation was strengthened regarding outdoor working conditions, expanding summertime working hours during which outdoor work is prohibited – replacing legislation introduced in 2007 – and additionally putting into law that “all work must stop if the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) raises beyond 32.1C (89.8F) in a particular workplace.” The regulations also mandate annual health checks for workers, as well as mandatory risk assessments.

“We recognize that heat stress is a particular issue in the summer months in Qatar,” a Qatari government official said. “In May 2021, Qatar introduced a requirement for companies to conduct annual health checks for workers, as well as mandatory risk assessments to mitigate the dangers of heat stress. Companies are expected to adopt flexible, self-monitored working hours where possible, adjust shift rotations, enforce regular breaks, provide free cold drinking water and shaded workspaces, and adhere to all other guidelines with respect to heat stress outlined by the Ministry of Labour.

“Every summer, Qatar’s labor inspectors carry out thousands of unannounced visits to work sites across the country to ensure that heat stress rules are being followed,” the official added. “Between June and September 2022, 382 work sites were ordered to close for violating the rules.”

Workers walk to the Lusail Stadium -- one of the 2022 Qatar World Cup stadiums -- in Lusail on December 20, 2019. Hassan Ammar/AP

Iskander said a heat point of 32.1C WBGT was “already dangerous.”

“Working at the physical intensity that construction workers do in Qatar for any amount of time at that temperature is damaging to the body,” she explained.

“The regulation relied on the assumption that workers would be able to self-pace and rest as needed whenever they experienced heat stress. Anyone who has ever spent any amount of time on a Qatari construction site knows that workers have no ability to self-pace.”

Knight adds: “The fact investigations into migrant workers deaths are often not happening precludes the possibility of greater protections being implemented because if you don’t know what is really happening to these people how can you then implement and enforce effective measures to increase their protection?”

For the majority of his time in Qatar, Hari said he felt sad. He would watch planes take off during his six months tending the airport gardens and question why he was in the country. But he had paid 90,000 Nepali rupees ($685) to a Nepali recruitment company that facilitated his move. He was also told, he says, by the company he had joined that he would have had to pay 2,000 to 3,000 Riyal ($549-$823) to buy himself out of his contract.

His friends, he said, counseled him as he continued to work long, lonely days for, Hari says, not enough money to live and save for his family. Amnesty International says many migrants pay high fees to “unscrupulous recruitment agents in their home country” which make the workers scared to leave their jobs when they get to Qatar.

Now, he is a father-of-two, and work is plowing fields in Nepal as a tractor driver, but Hari hopes one day to work abroad again, his heart set on Malaysia. “I don’t want my children to go through what I did. I want to build a house, buy some land. That’s what I am thinking. But let’s see what God has planned,” he says.

‘Our dreams never came true’

Sunit has been back in Nepal since August after working just eight months in Qatar. He had expected to be there for two years, but the collapse of the construction company he worked for meant he and many others returned with money still owed to them, he says. He struggles to find work in Nepal, meaning feeding his two children and paying school fees is difficult.

He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. One of the stadiums – the name of which he does not know – was a 10-minute walk from the hotel. “We used to talk about it,” he says of the World Cup. “But we had to return, and our dreams never came true. The stadium activities were visible from the hotel. We could see the stadium from the hotel rooftop.”

In helping construct the city center hotel, the name of which he doesn’t remember, he would carry bags of plaster mix and cement, weighing from 30 to 50 kilos, on his shoulders up to 10 to 12 floors, he says.

“The lift was rarely functional. Some people couldn’t carry it and dropped it halfway. If you don’t finish your job, you were threatened saying the salary would be deducted for that day,” he says. “The foreman used to complain that we were taking water breaks as soon as we got to work. They used to threaten us saying: ‘We will not pay you for the day.’ We said: ‘Go ahead. We are humans, we need to drink water.’

“It was very hot. It used to take 1.5 to two hours to get to the top. I used to get tired. I used to stop on the way. Then proceed again slowly. Yes, the supervisors used to yell at us. But what could we do?”

He says he had paid an agent in Nepal 240,000 Nepali rupees (around $1,840) before leaving for Qatar. He says he has filed a case with the police about the agent as he had been unable to fulfill his two-year contract, but there have been no developments. He says the owners of the company he worked for in Qatar were arrested because they did not pay laborers. The company did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment, neither did it respond to questions from the Business & Human Rights Centre, an advocacy group, about protests over unpaid wages.

Qatar has expanded its airport, constructed new hotels, and rail and highways over the last decade. Britta Pedersen/picture alliance/Getty Images

For a month, he says, he was in his accommodation with no work or money to buy food – he borrowed to eat – so he and his fellow workers called the police, who brought food with them.

“The police came again after 10-15 days and said we have arrested the company people. (The police) distributed food again,” he says. “They told us the company has collapsed and the government will send all the workers back home.”

“I’m extremely sad,” he adds. “I mean, it is what it is. Nothing would change by regretting it. I get mad (at the company) but what can I do? Even if I had tried to fight back, it would have been my loss.”

The SC said it has established what it claims is a “first-of-its-kind” Workers’ Welfare Forum, which it said allowed workers to elect a representative on their behalf and, when companies failed to comply with the WWF, it steps in, demands better and alerts the authorities.

Since 2016, the SC said 69 contractors had been demobilized, 235 contractors placed on a watch list and a further seven blacklisted. “We understand there is always room for improvement,” the statement added.

‘Expertise and heroism’

Qatar, a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and the smallest World Cup host in history, is set to host an estimated 1.5 million fans over the month-long tournament, which begins on November 20. There are already reports of accommodation concerns for such a vast number of visitors.

The spotlight is no doubt on this Gulf state, as has progressively been the case since it was controversially awarded the tournament over a decade ago – though Qatari officials have previously “strongly denied” to CNN the allegations of bribery which has surrounded its bid.

Such attention has brought about reforms, significantly dismantling the Kafala system which gives companies and private citizens control over migrant workers’ employment and immigration status.

In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. But Knight adds: “Another aspect of the Kafala system, the criminal charge of absconding still exists, and this, along with other tools that are still available to employers, means that, fundamentally, the power balance between workers and employers, the imbalance remains great.”

Knight says unpaid wages is still an issue as the wage protection system “lacks enforcement mechanisms,” while she also says employers can cancel a worker’s ID at a “push of a button,” meaning they risk arrest and deportation. Additionally, labor committees intended to help workers are under-resourced and “lack the capacity to deal with the number of cases that are coming to them.”

Migrant laborers work at a construction site at the Aspire Zone in Doha on March 26, 2016. Naseem Zeitoon/Reuters/FILE

Ghimire agrees that there have been a few positive changes to employment laws but adds that it is “more show and tell.”

“Many workers who work in construction are untouched, so there’s still exploitation going on,” he tells CNN.

Qatar’s government official told CNN work remained to be done but that “systemic reform does not happen overnight, and shifting the behavior of every company takes time as is the case with any country around the world.

“Over the last decade, Qatar has done more than any other country in the region to strengthen the rights of foreign workers, and we will continue to work in close consultation with international partners to strengthen reforms and enforcement.”

Human Rights Watch’s #PayUpFIFA campaign wants Qatar and FIFA to pay at least $440 million – an amount equal to the prize money being awarded at the World Cup – to the families of migrant workers who have been harmed or killed in preparation for the tournament.

Families of workers who have died face uncertain futures, HRW says, especially children. Those who survived and returned home, cheated of wages or injured, remain trapped in debt, it says, “with dire consequences for their families.”

Ghimire says compensation is key, but so too is making the world aware of what has taken place to make this tournament happen.

“People are concerned about clothing brands, and the meat they eat, but what about mega events? Isn’t it time we ask how this was possible?” he asks.

“Everyone who will watch should know at what cost this was even possible and how workers were treated. Players should know, sponsors should know.

“Would it be the same situation if it was European workers dying in Qatar? If it was Argentinean workers, would Argentina be concerned about playing?

“Because it’s migrant workers from poor south Asian countries, they’re invisible people. Forced labor, death of workers, while making a World Cup is unacceptable. As a football fan, it makes me sad; as a lawyer, it makes me really disappointed.”

Earlier this month, Qatar’s Labor Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri rejected the prospect of a remedy fund.

A Qatar government official said the country’s Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund was “effective in providing compensation for workers and their families” with the fund reimbursing workers with more than $350 million so far this year.

In terms of the SC’s efforts to ensure repayment of recruitment fees, as of December 2021, workers have received $22.6 million, with an additional $5.7 million committed by contractors, according to FIFA.

Last month, FIFA’s Deputy Secretary General Alasdair Bell said “compensation is certainly something that we’re interested in progressing.”

A general view shows the exterior of the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha -- one of eight stadiums that will host World Cup matches KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/AFP via Getty Images

It has been widely reported that FIFA has urged nations participating in the World Cup to focus on football when the tournament kicks off.

FIFA confirmed to CNN that a letter signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the governing body’s secretary general Fatma Samoura was sent out on November 3 to the 32 nations participating in the global showpiece but would not divulge the contents. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers.

The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

As NYU’s Iskander says: “One of the things that is not really covered in the coverage of the World Cup and the coverage of this enormous construction boom is the expertise and heroism of the workers who built it.

“They built buildings that were unimaginable to everyone, including the engineers and designers, until they were built. They performed acts of bravery that are unsung. They operated at levels of technical complexity and sophistication that are unparalleled. And yet their contribution to building the World Cup is really rarely featured, downplayed.

“They are represented, generally speaking, as exploited and oppressed. And it’s true that they have been exploited and oppressed, but they are also the master craftsmen that built this Cup, and they are enormously proud of what they have built.”

Hosting this tournament has undoubtedly put Qatar under the global spotlight. The question is whether the world can enjoy watching what the migrant workers built, knowing the true cost of this billion-dollar extravaganza.

Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel

No survivors found among 132 people in China plane crash ...

More than 18 hours after a Chinese airliner carrying 132 people crashed into a mountainous area in the southern province of Guangxi, no survivors have been found as the search continued Tuesday, Chinese state media reported.

The Boeing 737-800, operated by China Eastern Airlines, crashed Monday afternoonwith 123 passengers and nine crew members on board, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

“Wreckage of the plane was found at the scene, but up until now, none of those aboard the plane with whom contact was lost have been found," state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday morning.

The plane crash is China's worst air disaster in a decade.

The crash sparked a large fire, big enough to be seen on NASA satellite images, that was later extinguished. State media reported late Monday that forecast rain and the mountainous terrain at the crash site might complicate search efforts. Only debris from the wreckage had been found, according to rescuers who spoke to state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an "all-out effort" in the rescue operations and for any potential safety hazards to be investigated.

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The crash occurred near the city of Wuzhou in Teng county. According to aviation officials, the plane was traveling from Kunming in the western province of Yunnan to Guangzhou in the coastal province of Guangdong. The flight took off at 1:11 p.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive at 3:05 p.m., but air traffic controllers lost track of the plane around 2:15 p.m., according to China Daily.

Data from the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.com shows the China Eastern Airlines flight traveling at about 30,000 feet before it suddenly dropped. The airplane was traveling at its cruising altitude speed of 523 mph, according to the data.

Hundreds of firefighters and rescue crews from nearby departments were dispatched to the scene, according to the state-run China Daily. Video shared by People's Daily, another state media source, showed smoke billowing from the side of a mountain.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it had appointed an American senior air safety investigator as a U.S. accredited representative to the investigation.

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'Everyone went to the mountains'

China Daily reported that a village official with the surname Zhou told the Chutian Metropolis Daily newspaper that the plane had "completely disintegrated" and that he did not see any remains.

The New York Times reported, citing the state-owned China News Service, that a resident from the village of Molang with the last name Liu rode to the crash site to help with rescue efforts but did not see any remains.

"Everyone went to the mountains," Tang Min, who operates a restaurant near the site, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

Photos at the airport in Guangzhou, where the plane was to arrive, showed a section set aside for relatives of the people aboard the flight. China Daily reported the airline set up special working groups in its response to the crash, including one dedicated to family assistance.

Boeing 737-800 involved in the crash

China, along with North America and Europe, is one of the world's top three air travel markets. China Eastern, based in Shanghai, is one of the country's top airlines, serving 248 destinations domestically and internationally.

"The cause of the plane crash is still under investigation, and the company will actively cooperate with relevant investigations," the airline said in a statement Monday, according to The New York Times. "The company expresses its deep condolences to the passengers and crew members who died in the plane crash."

Boeing said in a statement it was aware of the reports of the crash and "working to gather more information." The company's shares fell more than 4% in afternoon trading in New York.

In an email to employees sent Monday afternoon, Boeing CEO David Calhoun said the company has been in communication with customer and regulatory authorities since the accident, and offered the support of technical experts to the investigation led by Chinese authorities.

"We are deeply saddened by the news of the accident involving a China Eastern Airlines 737-800 airplane. The thoughts of all of us at Boeing are with the passengers and crew members on Flight MU 5735, as well as their families and loved ones," Calhoun said in a statement.

The Boeing 737-800 was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in June 2015 and has flown for more than six years. The aircraft debuted in the 1990s, and Boeing has made more than 5,200 of the commercial planes. The company delivered the last of the series to China Eastern in 2020.

State media reported that all of China Eastern's fleet of 737-800s were ordered grounded. China has more 737-800s than any other country – nearly 1,200 of the planes, and if other Chinese airlines ground the plane, it “could have a significant impact on domestic travel,” said aviation consultant IBA.

In January 2020, Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard accidentally shot down a type of 737-800 flown by Ukraine International Airlines. All 176 people on board were killed.

IRAN PLANE CRASH:History shows shooting down of passenger airplanes were often mistakes

The aircraft is different from the 737 Max model, which was grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes in recent years. China cleared that model of plane to return to service, pending modifications to the aircraft, the South China Morning Post reported. The 737 Max has not flown in China in three years.

China's most recent previous fatal civilian airline accident occurred in 2010 when a Henan Airlines flight crashed while landing in fog in Yichun in Heilongjiang province. Forty-four of the 96 people aboard were killed, and the pilot was sentenced to three years in prison.

In 2004, a China Eastern flight from Baotou in Inner Mongolia crashed into a lake shortly after takeoff, killing 55 people.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Monday it was aware of the reports of the crash. "The agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked," the FAA said.

Contributing: Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

Afghanistan earthquake: More than 1,000 people killed after ...

CNN —

Afghanistan was rocked by its deadliest earthquake in decades on Wednesday when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the country’s east, killing more than 1,000 people and wounding many more, according to a regional official.

The humanitarian disaster comes at a difficult time for the Taliban-ruled country, currently in the throes of hunger and economic crises.

The shocks hit at 1:24 a.m. local time on Wednesday (4:54 p.m. ET on Tuesday) around 46 kilometers (28.5 miles) southwest of the city of Khost, which lies close to the country’s border with Pakistan, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

A man sits on the debris of a building after an earthquake in Paktika , Afghanistan on June 22. The magnitude 5.9 quake struck during the early hours of Wednesday near the city of Khost and the death toll has risen to over 1000 people. Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Men stand around the bodies of people killed in an earthquake in Gayan village, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on June 23. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP An Afghan man looks for his belongings amid the ruins of a house damaged by an earthquake in Bernal district, Paktika province, on June 23. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images A man carries supplies in an area affected by the earthquake in Gayan, Afghanistan, on June 23. Ali Khara/Reuters A child stands besides a house damaged by an earthquake in Bernal district, Paktika province, on June 23. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images Afghan people set up tents as a temporary shelters amid the ruins of houses damaged in the earthquake in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on June 23. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images Afghan men search for survivors amidst the debris of a house that was destroyed by an earthquake in Gayan, Afghanistan, on June 23. Ali Khara/Reuters A Taliban fighter stands guard next to a helicopter in Gayan, Afghanistan, on June 23. Ali Khara/Reuters An Afghan man stands besides a door of a house damaged by an earthquake in Bernal district, Paktika province, on June 23. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images Members of a Taliban rescue team return from affected villages following an earthquake in Bernal district, Paktika province, on June 23. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images A man stands near debris of a building after the quake shakes border provinces of Paktika, Afghanistan on June 23. Sayed Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A Taliban military helicopter flies over an earthquake-damaged area in the Paktika province, on June 23. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images Children sit near their home that has been destroyed in an earthquake in the Spera District of southwest of the city of Khost, Afghanistan, on June 22. AP People help in search and rescue operations amid the debris of a building after the earthquake in Afghanistan on June 22. Sardar Shafaq/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A villager collects his belongings from under the rubble of his home that was destroyed in the earthquake in Afghanistan on June 22. AP An injured victim of the earthquake receives treatment at a hospital in Paktia, Afghanistan, on June 22. Stringer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Afghans evacuate wounded people in the province of Paktika, eastern Afghanistan, on June 22. AP Search and rescue operations continue after the earthquake on June 22. Sayed Khodaberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Taliban guards outside the district hospital where victims of the earthquake were brought in Paktia, Afghanistan, on June 22. Stringer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock An old man sits near his house that was destroyed in the earthquake on June 22. AP An ambulance assists earthquake victims on June 22. Stringer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock People queue up in a line to donate blood for the earthquake victims being treated at a hospital in Paktika, Afghanistan, on June 22. Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP/Getty Images A girl stands near a house that was damaged by the earthquake on June 22. AP People sit outside a tent after their house was damaged in the earthquake on June 22. AP In photos: Deadly earthquake hits Afghanistan Prev Next

The quake registered at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to USGS, which designated it at yellow alert level – indicating a relatively localized impact.

Most of the deaths were in Paktika province, in the districts of Giyan, Nika, Barmal and Zirok, according to the State Ministry for Disaster Management.

The death toll stands at more than 1,000 and at least 1,500 people have been injured “in Gayan and Barmal districts of Paktika province alone,” Mohammad Amin Hozaifa, head of Paktika province’s information and culture department, told CNN in a phone call Wednesday.

The official expects the number of casualties to rise as search and effort missions continue.

In this photo released by state-run news agency Bakhtar, Afghans evacuate the wounded following the quake in Paktika province, eastern Afghanistan. AP

In neighboring Khost province, 25 people were killed and several others were injured, and five people were killed in Nangarhar province, the disaster management authority said.

Photos from Paktika province, just south of Khost province, show houses turned to rubble with only a wall or two still standing amid the rubble, and broken roof beams.

Najibullah Sadid, an Afghan water resources management expert, said the earthquake had coincided with heavy monsoon rain in the region – making traditional houses, many made of mud and other natural materials, particularly vulnerable to damage.

“The timing of the earthquake (in the) dark of night … and the shallow depth of 10 kilometers of its epicenter led to higher casualties,” he added.

A team of medics and seven helicopters have been sent to the area to transport injured people to nearby hospitals, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense said in a tweet on Wednesday.

This comes as almost half the country’s population – 20 million people – are experiencing acute hunger, according to a United Nations-backed report in May. It is a situation compounded by the Taliban seizing power in August 2021, which led the United States and its allies freezing about $7 billion of the country’s foreign reserves and cutting off international funding.

The situation has crippled an economy already heavily dependent on aid. Following the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, its economy has gone into freefall with the World Bank forecasting in April that a “combination of declining incomes and increasing prices has driven a severe deterioration in household living standards.”

Many of the areas' traditional houses are made of mud and other natural materials, making them vulnerable to damage. Abdul Wahid Rayan

The earthquake hit at 1.24 a.m. about 46 kilometers southwest of the city of Khost. Pajhwok Afghan News

The Taliban held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to organize providing transportation to the injured and material aid to the victims and their families, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said.

Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund called the meeting at the country’s Presidential Palace to instruct all relevant agencies to send emergency relief teams to the affected area, Mujahid said in a tweet.

“Measures were also taken to provide cash assistance and treatment,” Mujahid said and added that agencies were “instructed to use air and land transport for the delivery of food, clothing, medicine and other necessities and for the transportation of the wounded.”

Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of State for Disaster Management, Mawlawi Sharafuddin Muslim, said Wednesday that “the Islamic Emirate will pay 100,000 AFN ($1,116.19) for the families of those who were killed in the earthquake and 50,000 ($558.10) will be paid to families of those injured.”

The government also highlighted the need for foreign aid.

“Islamic Republic of Afghanistan calls for the generous support of all countries international organizations individuals and foundations to provide and deliver urgent humanitarian aid,” a press statement from the country’s diplomatic missions read.

In a tweet on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said its teams were on the ground for emergency response, including providing medicine, trauma services and conducting needs assessments.

But a WHO official told CNN’s Eleni Giokos that logistics were stretched. “All of the resources have been mobilized, not just from the nearby provinces but also from Kabul including medical supplies, medics, nurses, health workers, ambulances and emergency officers who are trained in dealing with such situations,” said Alaa AbouZeid, emergencies team lead and incident manager at WHO’s Afghanistan office.

“The situation is still evolving, and we are pushing more resources as the situation needs,” he said. “The resources are overstretched here, not just for this region, but we are expecting the situation to evolve in the coming hours.”

According to to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), heavy rain and wind is “hampering efforts with helicopters reportedly unable to land this afternoon.”

“Immediate needs identified include emergency trauma care, emergency shelter and non-food items, food assistance and WASH [water, sanitation and hygiene] support,” said the UNOCHA in a statement published Wednesday.

Afghan Red Crescent Society volunteers help people affected by the eartquake in Giyan district. Abdul Wahid Rayan/Twitter

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his condolences and an offer of support in a tweet on Wednesday. “Deeply grieved to learn about the earthquake in Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of innocent lives,” he wrote. “People in Pakistan share the grief and sorrow of their Afghan brethren. Relevant authorities are working to support Afghanistan in this time of need.”

India expressed “sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families,” according to a tweet by the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday.

Pope Francis said he was praying “for those who have lost their lives and for their families,” during his weekly audience on Wednesday. “I hope aid can be sent there to help all the suffering of the dear people of Afghanistan.”

Afghanistan has a long history of earthquakes, many of which happen in the mountainous Hindu Kush region that borders with Pakistan.

In 2015, a quake that shook parts of South Asia killed more than 300 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

More than 1,000 people died in 2002 after two earthquakes in the Nahrin region of northwestern Afghanistan. A powerful earthquake struck the same region in the 1998, killing about 4,700 people, according to records from National Centers for Environmental Information.

Masoud Popalzai Jessie Yeung Ehsan Popalzai Tara John

Pakistan floods: What you need to know | CNN

CNN —

More than one third of Pakistan is underwater, according to satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA), as deadly floodwaters threaten to create secondary disasters.

Video Ad Feedback See volunteers use bedframe to rescue people from deadly floods 01:19 - Source: CNN

Food is in short supply after water covered millions of acres of crops and wiped out hundreds of thousands of livestock. Meanwhile, aid agencies have warned of an uptick in infectious diseases, leaving millions vulnerable to illness caused by what the United Nations has called a “monsoon on steroids.”

More than 1,100 people have died from the floods since mid-June, nearly 400 of them children, while millions have been displaced, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Pakistan, which was already grappling with political and economic turmoil, has been thrown into the front line of the human-induced climate crisis.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why are the floods so bad?

Pakistan’s monsoon season usually brings heavy downpours, but this year’s has been the wettest since records began in 1961, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department

Torrential monsoon rainfall – 10 times heavier than usual – has caused the Indus River to overflow, effectively creating a long lake, tens of kilometers wide, according to images from the ESA on August 30.

In the southern Sindh and Balochistan provinces, rainfall has been 500% above average as of August 30, according to the NDMA, engulfing entire villages and farmland, razing buildings and wiping out crops.

Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of the world’s planet-warming gases, European Union data shows, yet it is the eighth most vulnerable nation to the climate crisis, according to the Global Climate Risk Index.

And it’s paying a hefty price – the South Asian country faced dramatic climate conditions this year, from record heat waves to destructive floods – as the climate crisis exacerbates extreme weather events.

Homes are surrounded by floodwaters in Jaffarabad, a district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, on September 1, 2022. Zahid Hussain/AP

UN Secretary General António Guterres has warned the world is “sleepwalking” into environmental destruction.

“South Asia is one of the world’s global climate crisis hotspots. People living in these hotspots are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts,” Guterres said on August 30.

“As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us – everywhere – in growing danger,” he added.

Pakistan is also home to more glaciers than anywhere outside the polar regions. But as the climate warms, it’s becoming more vulnerable to sudden outbursts of melting glacier water.

What has been the damage so far?

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on August 30 the floods were “the worst in the country’s history” and estimated the calamity had caused more than $10 billion in damages to infrastructure, homes and farms.

More than 33 million people have been affected, or about 15% of the population, according to Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman on August 25. More than 1 million homes have been damaged or destroyed, while at least 5,000 kilometers of roads have been damaged, according to the NDMA.

Video Ad Feedback Deadly flash floods wipe out critical bridge in Pakistan 02:31 - Source: CNN

Floods have impacted 2 million acres of crops and killed more than 794,000 heads of livestock across Pakistan, according to a situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on August 26.

More than 800 health facilities have been damaged in the country, of which 180 are completely damaged, leaving millions of people lacking access to health care and medical treatment, as reported in many affected districts, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

How is it impacting people in Pakistan?

Pakistan is facing twin food and health crises brought by the unprecedented floods.

According to charity Action Against Hunger, 27 million people in the country did not have access to enough food prior the floods, and now the risk of widespread hunger is even more imminent.

The Alkhidmat Foundation distributes food bags at a makeshift camp in Sindh Province, Pakistan on September 1, 2022. Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images

“Our priority right now is to help save and protect lives as waters continue to rise. The scale of these floods has caused a shocking level of destruction – crops have been swept away and livestock killed across huge swathes of the country, which means hunger will follow,” said Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, a United Kingdom-based aid coalition.

Video Ad Feedback Climate crisis doesn't care about caste or creed, says Pakistani diplomat 12:41 - Source: CNN

Prime Minister Sharif said on August 30 that people were facing food shortages and the price of basic items such as tomatoes and onions had “skyrocketed.”

“I have to feed my people. Their stomachs cannot go empty,” Sharif said.

The WHO has also classified Pakistan’s worst floods on record as an emergency of “the highest level,” warning of a rapid spread of disease due to the lack of access to medical assistance.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on August 31 warned of new outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, skin infections, respiratory tract infections, malaria and dengue in the aftermath of the floods, while a litany of waterborne diseases also posed health risks.

Newborn babies lie in their beds after their homes were hit by floods in Sindh Province of Pakistan, on September 1, 2022. Fareed Khan/AP

What is being done?

A National Flood Response and Coordination Center has been set up as the country reels from the flooding, according to Pakistan’s Prime Minister.

The United Nations has launched a $160 million appeal aiming to reach 5.2 million of the most vulnerable people in the country, while the WHO also released $10 million to treat the injured, deliver supplies to health facilities, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

The Pakistan Army rescues people affected by the floods in the hard-hit Sindh Province on September 1, 2022. Adeel Abbasi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Two Chinese military planes carrying tents and other flood aid landed in Karachi on August 30, according to the Consul General of China to Karachi. China has pledged $14.5 million in aid to Pakistan, while the UK government also announced a contribution of 1.5 million pounds ($1.73 million) for relief efforts.

Prime Minister Sharif told CNN on August 30 the country was in talks with Moscow over importing wheat without breaching Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sharif said that while Pakistan had secured 1 million metric tons of wheat amid the global shortage, the country will now need more due to the impact of the floods on the agriculture sector – which accounts for almost 40% of employment, according to World Bank data.

China Eastern Airlines plane crash: No survivors found after air ...

CNN —

No survivors of a China Eastern Airlines plane crash have been found after a second day of search efforts, Chinese investigators said late Tuesday.

In China’s worst air disaster in more than a decade, the Boeing 737-800 – carrying 132 people – crashed Monday afternoon in a remote, mountainous region in the south of the country as it flew from Kunming to Guangzhou.

Communications with the crew could not be established in the final moments before the airliner crashed, Chinese air crash investigators said at a Tuesday news conference.

“The flight took off from Kunming at 1:16 p.m. and was flying normally. At around 2:21 p.m., it arrived over Wuzhou city of Guangxi province. The ground station noticed that the plane had a sudden altitude change, and then it lost communication with the plane, before the plane eventually crashed,” said Sun Shiying, a representative for China Eastern Airlines.

The aircraft had passed pre-flight checks and the nine crew members were qualified and healthy, added Sun.

The cause of the crash is not yet clear, an official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said. “The investigation team will spare no effort to collect evidence from all parties and focus on search,” said the CAAC official.

Investigators still haven’t located the plane’s black boxes, state broadcaster CCTV reported Tuesday, and are facing difficult terrain and poor weather.

Rescuers head to the site of a plane crash on March 21 in China's Tengxian County. Jiang Hui/VCG/Getty Images

The black boxes are flight data and cockpit voice recorders which could hold crucial clues to how the disaster unfolded.

The probe into the cause of the crash will be “very difficult,” warned investigators, due to how severely damaged the plane is.

Photos and videos posted by state media show giant plumes of smoke rising above the mountains following the crash. Search and rescue crews wade through the thicket, scattered with debris and plane parts. Wallets, ID cards and fragments of a phone were among personal belongings strewn on the ground, China Youth Daily reported.

In the minutes before the disaster, the plane had been at a cruising altitude of 29,000 feet (about 8,900 meters), according to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24. Then, the jet nosedived so quickly that it plunged more than 25,000 feet (7,600 meters) in under two minutes.

Security footage from a mining company near the crash site shows what appears to be a plane hurtling toward the forest, nearly vertical in its rapid fall. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the video, or that the aircraft is China Eastern Flight 5735 – but the steep decline matches the flight tracking data.

Witnesses reported seeing a fiery explosion, airplane parts and clothing tangled in the trees, and swathes of the woods aflame.

One item retrieved from the crash site, a handwritten note describing the significance of traditional jade jewelry, was photographed and spread widely online. The jewelry signifies “a complete life, a smooth career, family happiness, inner peace … which outlines people’s expectations of life,” the note read – prompting messages of mourning on Chinese social media.

Relatives of passengers on China Eastern flight MU5375 at the holding area of Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on March 22. NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images

On Monday evening, relatives of the passengers gathered in the Guangzhou airport, waiting for any news of their loved ones as authorities launched an investigation into the crash.

Due to the apparent speed of the crash, there is little chance anyone on board survived or that there will be clear remains left to identify, said David Soucie, a former safety inspector at the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Investigation and search operation

Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a rare statement within hours of the crash, ordering the country’s emergency services to organize a search and rescue operation, and to identify the cause of the crash.

“The fact that the President made such a pronounced and quick response to this tells me that they’re taking it very, very seriously,” Soucie said.

After several plane crashes in the 1990s and 2000s, China made a series of sweeping safety improvements. Monday’s disaster is the country’s first deadly commercial air crash since the 2010 Henan Airlines disaster, which killed 44 of the 96 people on board.

Hundreds of rescuers were deployed to the China Eastern crash site on Monday, and continued their work through the night. Footage showed police and emergency workers making their way through mountain paths in the dark, wielding flashlights. Other teams, including medical staff and firefighters, are seen working under tents, preparing supplies and surveillance drones.

Rescuers set up lighting equipment at the site of a plane crash on March 21 in China's Tengxian County. He Huawen/VCG/Getty Images

But they face numerous challenges. The crash site is flanked by mountains on three sides, with only one narrow path in and no electricity in the area, according to state media. Heavy rescue equipment was unable to reach the scene on Monday, with videos showing search teams scrambling uphill through the trees.

A cold front is also expected to arrive soon, which could see heavy rainfall in the coming days, according to the Guangxi Meteorological Bureau.

It’s not yet clear what caused the plane to begin dropping – and we won’t know more until authorities can retrieve and analyze the plane’s cockpit voice recorder, black box and other essential pieces of data, said Soucie, the former FAA inspector.

Aviation expert Peter Goelz, a former managing director of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told CNN that it might not be possible to do so.

“The biggest thing they can do right now is try and recover the flight data recorder and the voice recorder but with that kind of impact, those recorders could be damaged,” said Goelz.

The investigation will be led by the CAAC. Boeing, the engine manufacturer, CFM, and the FAA will also be involved in the probe.

Investigators taking part in Tuesday’s press conference did not comment on whether representatives from the NTSB would take part in the investigation.

This arrangement is standard for aviation incidents involving a US-designed aircraft that occur overseas.

Rescuers at the crash site on March 21. Jiang Hui/VCG/Getty Images

Piecing together all the information and evidence in an investigation into the crash of a modern jetliner could take months or longer. The final report for the 2010 Henan Airlines crash wasn’t released until almost two years later.

Meanwhile, China Eastern Airlines is contacting all families of the victims, according to CCTV. Wuzhou authorities have sent dozens of buses and taxis to pick up family members.

“That’s the most difficult part about being an accident investigator, is dealing with the families,” Soucie said. “What the families want at this point is to obtain whatever remains they can from the victims of the accident. In this case, there won’t be much for them to get.”

Boeing troubles

Though Boeing’s 737 has faced extraordinarily high-profile safety concerns over the past three years, the plane that crashed Monday was a different version of the aircraft than the embattled 737 Max, crashes of which shook Boeing to its core.

The China Eastern Airlines plane was a Boeing 737-800, the most popular version of Boeing’s jets now in service and the workhorse of many airlines’ fleets. The plane that crashed Monday had been in service since 2015.

The airline will ground all its Boeing 737-800 flights, CCTV reported. But other Chinese carriers will continue to operate the same aircraft type, according to state media.

The 737-800 is part of a class of Boeing jets known as 737-NG, standing for “Next Generation.” These planes have had safety issues cited by US regulators, although none of those rose to the level of requiring the planes to be grounded.

Boeing has sold more than 7,000 737-NG airliners worldwide and, until Monday, the type had seen only a dozen fatal accidents in its 25-year history.

Boeing came under international scrutiny after its 737 Max, which succeeded the 737-800, suffered two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. Those crashes were shown to be caused by a flaw in the design of a new stabilization system, which the 737-800 does not have.

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Seoul Halloween crush: South Korean authorities say they had no ...

Seoul, South Korea CNN —

South Korean authorities said Monday they had no guidelines to handle the huge crowds that gathered for Halloween festivities in Seoul, as families in the country and around the world mourn the 156 victims of Saturday night’s crowd crush.

The crush took place in the narrow neon-lit alleyways of the popular nightlife district Itaewon, where witnesses described being unable to move or breathe as thousands of revelers stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a street no more than 4 meters (13 feet) wide.

Frantic families spent much of Sunday gathering at information centers where authorities compiled details of the dead and wounded, and contacting morgues and hospitals in a desperate attempt to locate missing relatives.

With all of the victims now identified, the panic has transformed to national grief as the country grapples with one of its worst-ever disasters – while parents overseas make arrangements for their deceased children in a foreign land.

A woman pays tribute at a memorial altar on October 31 in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Official memorial altars were set up in central Seoul Monday, with photos showing crowds visiting to pay their respects. Many were in tears and holding white flowers; others knelt and bowed deeply to the altar.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, his wife, Kim Keon-hee, and top officials including the prime minister and Seoul mayor joined the mourners.

Many shops and businesses were closed to observe a week-long national period of mourning. Parts of central Seoul were nearly deserted – a highly unusual sight in the usually bustling capital that’s home to about 10 million people.

People also paid respects at a makeshift memorial in Itaewon, outside a subway station near the alley where the crush occurred. The station entrance is adorned with rows of flowers, and offerings such as handwritten notes, bottles of the Korean liquor soju and paper cups filled with drinks.

Among the mourners was a civic group of the bereaved families of the Sewol Ferry disaster, which killed 304 people – mostly teens on a school trip – when the vessel sank in 2014.

“As one who had suffered the same pain, my heart is torn and I’m rendered speechless,” one of the group’s members told reporters at the memorial, saying the families were saddened to see “a major disaster like this repeated.”

Questions about police numbers

Just down the street, the entrance to the alley had been cordoned off, with security personnel standing guard as forensic teams clad in white protective suits scoured the area, still littered with trash and debris.

Amid the grief, questions have emerged about the government’s handling of the incident and an apparent lack of crowd control before the tragedy.

One survivor, 22-year-old French exchange student Anne-Lou Chevalier, told CNN she passed out in the crowd after being “crushed” by fellow revelers. “At some point I had no air, and we were so crushed to other people that I couldn’t breathe at all. So, I just passed out,” Chevalier said.

Several eyewitnesses and survivors said they had seen few or no police officers in the area before the situation deteriorated.

Earlier on Sunday, the minister of the interior and safety said only a “normal” level of security personnel had been deployed to Itaewon because the crowd there did not seem unusually large – whereas a “considerable number” of police had been sent to another part of Seoul in response to expected protests.

Mourners pay tribute for victims of the deadly Halloween crowd surge in Seoul on October 31, 2022. Rebecca Wright/CNN

But – facing a backlash from Korean politicians and on social media – authorities seemed to change tack on Monday, saying they had deployed about 137 personnel to Itaewon that night, compared to about 30 to 70 personnel in previous years before the pandemic.

“For this time’s Halloween festival, because it was expected that many people would gather in Itaewon, I understand that it was prepared by putting in more police force than other years,” said Oh Seung-jin, director of the violent crime investigation division at the National Police Agency.

However, he admitted, “currently there is no separate preparation manual for such a situation where there is no organizer and a gathering of a crowd is expected.” Moreover, the police had been deployed not for crowd control – but for crime prevention and to prevent “various illegal activities.”

Kim Seong-ho, director of the disaster and safety management division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, echoed these comments, saying they did not have “guidelines or a manual” for such an “unprecedented situation.”

Victims emerge

The victims were mostly young people who had gone to Itaewon Saturday night, eager for South Korea’s first Halloween celebrations in years without Covid restrictions.

The death toll rose to 156 on Tuesday following the death of a critically injured woman in her 20s, Seoul police said. In total, 101 women and 55 men were killed.

Twelve of the victims were teenagers and more than 100 were in their 20s, according to authorities.

Among their number were 26 foreign nationals from countries including the United States, China, Iran, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia, Norway, France, Russia, Austria, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

A further 149 people were injured, 33 seriously, including 15 foreign nationals.

Six students who attended schools in Seoul – one middle schooler and five high schoolers – were among the dead, as well as three teachers, said the Korean Ministry of Education.

Three South Korean military personnel were also among those killed, said a Korean Defense Ministry official.

Shin Ae-jin was a 24-year-old graduate killed in the crowd surge on Saturday, her father told CNN.

She had started working at McKinsey & Company in September. Ahead of this new phase of her life the family took a trip to Europe in July, he said.

“I traveled much with her from when she was young. We took many family trips together. We are a very happy family,” her father, Shin Jung-seob, a retired venture capitalist, told CNN.

“It’s sad that I won’t see her again but I feel I had a fulfilled life with her … She lived in happiness,” he said while receiving mourners at the Samsung Seoul Hospital’s funeral home in the capital.

“My daughter was always bright, had many dreams, and didn’t shy away from challenges. She lived as a high achiever.”

The father said that he plans to bury his daughter next to a tree, a practice called Sumokjang where the ashes of the deceased are put in a degradable container and buried, often in a cemetery plot. The family can then visit the tree and commemorate their loved one.

When asked why he’s choosing this type of burial, Shin said: “We wanted to remember her. A tree has life, so it grows on.”

Steven Blesi, 20, a college student from Marietta, Georgia. Courtesy family of Steven Blesi

Two American college students were identified – Steven Blesi from Georgia, and Anne Gieske from Kentucky – both in their junior year.

Blesi’s father, Steve Blesi, said his son had “always been an adventurer.” He was an Eagle Scout, liked basketball and wanted to learn multiple languages, he said.

“Maybe in a half hour before this tragedy event took place, I texted him in WhatsApp … ‘I know you’re out and about. Stay safe. I love you.’ And I never got a response back,” Steve said. “He had an incredibly bright future that is now gone.”

Dan Gieske, Anne’s father, said in a statement Sunday evening that the family was “completely devastated and heartbroken,” calling Anne “a bright light loved by all.”

Anne had been a nursing student studying abroad in Seoul this semester, said the president of the University of Kentucky.

Anne Gieske, a student at the University of Kentucky who died in the crowd crush in Seoul. Courtesy Beechwood Schools

The father of Mei Tomikawa, a 26-year-old Japanese exchange student who was killed in the crush, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK he was “prepared for the worst” when he couldn’t reach her.

She was studying Korean before starting school in Seoul, he said, speaking before traveling from Japan to South Korea on Monday.

“I tried calling her to warn her to be careful, but she never answered her phone,” he said, according to NHK. “She was a great daughter … I want to see my daughter as soon as possible.”

Grace Rached, an Australian woman killed in the crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea. Australia DFAT

The family of an Australian victim, Grace Rached, also released a statement on Monday describing her as “a talented film producer who was passionate about making a difference.”

“We are missing our gorgeous angel Grace who lit up a room with her infectious smile. Grace always made others feel important and her kindness left an impression on everyone she ever met. Grace always cared about others and she was loved by all,” the family wrote.

Authorities are now working with foreign embassies and families overseas, offering support with funeral arrangements. As the week goes on, more names and faces of those who died are likely to emerge, as the nation searches for answers as to how such a disaster – in an area known to be crowded on Halloween, with festivities weeks in the planning – could have unfolded.

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Tanzania plane crash: Precision Air flight crashes into Lake Victoria ...

CNN —

A Tanzanian commercial flight operated by Precision Air crash-landed in bad weather in Lake Victoria on Sunday, killing 19 people.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said officials believe all bodies have been recovered from the airplane.

“We’re starting to pull out the luggage and personal items from the aircraft. A team of doctors and security agencies have started the process of identifying the dead and notifying the families,” Majaliwa said.

The airline confirmed the death toll and amended the number of survivors down to 24 in an updated statement on Sunday evening. Earlier, the carrier as well as local officials had said that 26 of the 43 people on board had been rescued.

The Precision Air plane is seen partially submerged in Lake Victoria. Sitide Protase/AFP/Getty Images

“Precision Air extends its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the passenger and crew involved in this tragic incident. The company will strive to provide them with information and whatever assistance they will require in their difficult time,” the airline said.

“The names of passengers and crew on board the aircraft will not be released until all next-of-kin have been notified,” it added.

The flight, including 39 passengers and four crew members, had taken off from Tanzania’s commercial capital of Dar es Salaam and was headed to the town of Bukoba before it plunged into Lake Victoria as it was preparing to land.

Video circulating on social media taken by onlookers on the shores of Lake Victoria showed the aircraft submerged in the water with emergency responders coordinating rescue efforts from nearby boats.

Precision Air CEO Patrick Mwanri appeared visibly distressed while speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam Sunday.

Mwanri’s voice broke and he had to pause to wipe away tears as he said the plane had departed around 6 a.m. local and had been expected in the northwestern lakeside town of Bukoba at 8.30 a.m.

“But at 8.53 a.m. our Operations Control Center got a report that that aircraft had not arrived,” he said in a televised statement.

The crash killed 19 people, while 24 survived. Sitide Protase/AFP/Getty Images

The accident is believed to have happened on the final approach to the airport whose runway begins right next to Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake.

Local officials suggested bad weather may have played a part in the accident, saying the area had been under heavy rainfall and strong winds at the time.

“Preliminary reports showed the weather conditions at 8 a.m. yesterday morning was good,” Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa said during a funeral service for victims of the crash in Bukoba on Monday.

“However, at 8:25 a.m. there was a sudden change of weather conditions – at the time the precision airline pilot was on the final descent towards Bukoba airport, there were heavy rains and strong winds i.e. down drafts,” he added.

The airline has opened a Crisis Management Center and established information areas in Bukoba and Dar es Salaam to communicate with families of the passengers.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called for calm while rescuers worked at the site of the crash. “I have received with sadness the information of the crash of the Precision Air flight at Lake Victoria, in the Kagera region,” she tweeted Sunday. “I send my condolences to all those affected by this incident. Let’s continue to be calm as the rescue operation continues and we pray to God to help us.”

On Monday, Prime Minister Majaliwa sought to reassure the public about his country’s air safety record during the funeral service in Bukoba.

“I want to ensure to everyone that [our] air transport is the safest,” he said on Monday in Bukoba, Tanzania. “Yesterday is a tragic accident that we believe will never happen again.”

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Pakistan floods caused by 'monsoon on steroids,' says UN chief | CNN

Karachi, Pakistan CNN —

UN Secretary General António Guterres on Tuesday warned that the world is “sleepwalking” into environmental destruction, as he launched a flash $160 million appeal for flood-ravaged Pakistan.

More than 1,100 people have been killed and 33 million others impacted in one of the country’s worst monsoon seasons in over a decade.

“The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids – the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” Guterres said during the appeal’s launch.

“As we continue to see more and more extreme weather events around the world, it is outrageous that climate action is being put on the back burner as global emissions of greenhouse gases are still rising, putting all of us – everywhere – in growing danger,” he said.

“Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change,” Guterres, who is scheduled to travel to Pakistan on September 9 for a “solidarity visit,” said. “Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”

Images of water gushing down streets, swallowing villages and destroying bridges serve as a stark reminder of the inequities of the climate crisis, which impacts the developing world disproportionately. Richer countries also bear a much larger historical responsibility for the crisis in the first place.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday the current flooding in Pakistan has been “the worst in the country’s history.”

In his first time speaking with international media since becoming prime minister in April, he warned that Pakistan was facing a food shortage due to the crop damage caused by the floods, and that the price of tomatoes and onions had “skyrocketed.”

“Every penny of aid” sent to Pakistan “will reach the needy,” Sharif added.

At the same briefing, planning minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the global north should step up its responsibility to countries affected by climate change.

“All the quality of life that people are enjoying in the west, someone is paying the price in the developing world,” he said.

Video Ad Feedback Deadly flash floods wipe out critical bridge in Pakistan 02:31 - Source: CNN

Pakistan last year ranked as the eighth most affected nation by climate change from 2000 to 2019, in the Global Climate Risk Index by non-profit group Germanwatch. People living in hotspots like South Asia are 15 times more likely to die from climate crisis impacts.

“This is a climate crisis,” Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF’s representative in Pakistan told CNN. “A climate that has been mostly done by richer countries, contributing to the crisis, and I think it is time that the world responded to support Pakistan in this time of need.”

Homes are surrounded by floodwaters in Jaffarabad, Pakistan, on Thursday, September 1. Zahid Hussain/AP An 18-year-old woman displaced by the flooding looks after her 1-day-old baby boy at a hospital in Sehwan, Pakistan, on Wednesday, September 7. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters A herd of sheep passes through floodwaters in Nowshera, Pakistan, on Tuesday, September 6. Fayaz Aziz/Reuters Children sit on a charpai in the Jaffarabad district on August 31. Fida Hussain/AFP/Getty Images People wade through floodwaters in Charsadda, Pakistan, on August 31. Muhammad Sajjad/AP Displaced people take refuge in a school in Jacobabad, Pakistan, on August 30. Akhtar Soomro/Reuters Residents of Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa gather beside a road damaged by flooding on August 29. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images A displaced child sleeps under a mosquito net at a makeshift camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 29. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images This satellite image shows the scale of the flooding along the banks of the Indus River in Rajanpur, Pakistan, on August 28. Maxar Technologies/Reuters People wade through floodwaters in Pakistan's Mirpur Khas district on August 28. Ahmed Ali/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Pakistani Army soldiers distribute food following a flash flood in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on August 28. Ahmed Ali/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Flooded land is seen in Mingora, a town in Pakistan's northern Swat Valley, on August 28. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images Volunteers load relief food bags on a truck in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 28. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images Displaced people take refuge along a highway after fleeing from their flood-hit homes in Pakistan's Charsadda district on August 28. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images Displaced people wade through a flooded area in Peshawar, Pakistan, on August 27. Hussain Ali/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A man carries his sick daughter along a road damaged by floodwaters in Pakistan's northern Swat Valley on August 27. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images A man swims in floodwaters while heading for higher ground in Charsadda on August 27. Fayaz Aziz/Reuters Flood-affected people stand in a long line for food distributed by Pakistani Army troops in Rajanpur on August 27. Asim Tanveer/AP A flooded area is seen from atop a bridge in the Charsadda district on August 27. Abdul Majeed/AFP/Getty Images A man helps children navigate floodwaters using a satellite dish in Balochistan, Pakistan, on August 26. Fida Hussain/AFP/Getty Images Volunteers prepare food boxes to distribute to flood victims in Peshawar on August 26. Fayaz Aziz/Reuters A family carries their belongings through floodwaters in Jamshoro, Pakistan, on August 26. Yasir Rajput/Reuters People walk through floodwaters in Dagai Mukram Khan, Pakistan, on August 26. Hussain Ali/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A woman cooks food for her flood-affected family at a makeshift camp in Nawabshah, Pakistan, on August 25. Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Imagse Rescue workers carry out an evacuation operation for stranded people in Rajanpur on August 25. Shahid Saeed Mirza/AFP/Getty Images Villagers take shelter at a makeshift camp in Pakistan's Jaffarabad district on August 24. Fida Hussain/AFP/Getty Images Workers load sacks of relief goods for flood victims in Balochistan on August 5. Fayaz Aziz/Reuters A boy wades through his flooded house in Karachi on July 26. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: 'Unprecedented' flooding in Pakistan Prev Next

The deadly floods are threatening to engulf up to a third of the nation by the end of the monsoon season, taking a high toll on lives but also infrastructure, and wreaking havoc on crops across farmland in the middle of a food crisis.

In a statement Monday, IRC’s Pakistan country director Shabnam Baloch said that Pakistan produced less than 1% of the world’s carbon footprint.

A lack of hygiene facilities and clean drinking water has exacerbated the risk of diseases spreading in flooded areas, with nearly 20,000 people in need of critical food supplies and medical support, Baloch added.

“Our needs assessment showed that we are already seeing a major increase in cases of diarrhea, skin infections, malaria and other illnesses,” she said. “We are urgently requesting donors to step up their support and help us save lives.”

On Tuesday, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will provide $30 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the flooding in Pakistan.

“With these funds, USAID partners will prioritize urgently needed support for food, nutrition, multi-purpose cash, safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene, and shelter assistance,” the agency said in a press release, adding that a USAID disaster management specialist has already arrived in Islamabad to assess the impact of the floods and to coordinate with partners on the ground.

One-third of Pakistan could be under water soon

In a statement Tuesday, Pakistan’s military said rescue missions were ongoing and international aid was beginning to arrive in the country, including seven military aircraft from Turkey and three from the United Arab Emirates.

Helicopters had evacuated more than 300 stranded people and distributed over 23 metric tons of relief items, while more than 50 medical camps have been established with over 33,000 patients being treated, the statement said.

Also on Tuesday, China will send two aircraft carrying 3,000 tents and Japan will send tarpaulins and shelters, the statement said, adding that the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Azerbaijan have announced financial assistance.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided another lifeline Monday, releasing $1.17 billion in bailout funds to avert a default on the South Asian nation’s debt obligations as it grapples with political and economic turmoil worsened by the unprecedented floods.

Peter Ophoff, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Pakistan told CNN he had not seen anything on the scale of the floods in nearly three decades working for the aid agency. The country was, however, hit with similarly devastating floods in 2010.

“Pakistan is in dire need and the damages are here and we will be in this a very long time,” Ophoff said. “It’s not months but years we are talking about.”

The 33 million people impacted by the floods and rain represent 15% of the population.

Among 1,136 people killed since mid-June were 386 children, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) said Monday, as the unrelenting rain raised fears of more fatalities to come. Nearly half a million homes have been destroyed, according to NDMA.

“By the time this is over, we could well have one quarter or one third of Pakistan under water,” Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman told Turkish news outlet TRT World last week.

‘Water gushed in’

Dramatic scenes of disaster have unfolded in Pakistan as floods inundated the country.

It was raining but not heavily, Ali Jan told Reuters Monday, as he stood surrounded by water in Chadsadda in northern Pakistan. But that quickly changed.

“Suddenly the outer wall of the compound collapsed and water gushed in,” Jan said. “We barely managed to save ourselves. By the time the women were leaving the house, the water had become almost waist-deep. We evacuated the women and the cattle. The rest is there for you to see. Crops have also been destroyed.”

Families sit near their belongings inundated by flood waters in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on August 28, 2022. Zahid Hussain/AP

In videos shared by the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, its volunteers used a bed frame and makeshift pulley system to help a child and elderly man cross rushing floodwaters, according to the NGO’s digital media manager Ihtisham Khaliq Waseer.

More than 3,000 volunteers from the NGO are distributing aid across the country, he said.

“We are getting aid but it’s not enough with what we need on the ground, because the damages are very much higher than expected,” he said, adding that volunteer teams have been stretched thin delivering supplies to hard-to-reach areas for weeks.

Waseer said he hopes that as rains weaken and flood waters recede in the coming week based on weather forecasts, his team would be able to deliver food rations and set up medical centers in remote areas.

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