Disaster

Storm Frank has been hindering pilots trying to land their jets at Birmingham Airport during 50mph cross winds. collegefreaks2000 YouTube video: Coventry Telegraph reports: Crews faced nightmare conditions as they battled to bring planes down in the blustery conditions which swept across the West Midlands on Wednesday. No flights were cancelled despite the gusts and all jets landed safely, according to a spokeswoman from the airport. But some pilots laboured to keep jets on track as they touched down in the winds, which came from the tail end of Storm Frank.

What was until a few days a gorgeous, balmy (and GDP boosting, pre-triple seasonal adjustment) winter, rapidly turned into something ugly, violent and deadly, with the sudden arrival of winter weather over the past week killing at least 43 people this weekend, leading to the first winter storm of the season which has also threatened to unleash more flooding in the Midwest and icy conditions in parts of the Northeast.

The owner of the collapsed gypsum mine in China apparently committed suicide by jumping down a mine well, as rescuers were trying to reach 17 trapped miners from Friday’s accident. One person died and four miners escaped when the mine collapsed in China’s eastern Shandong province. The owner of the mine drowned after he jumped into a well. He killed himself in an apparent suicide, as more than 700 rescuers battled to save workers trapped for two days underground.

A massive explosion has occurred at an industrial gas plant (owned by Inter Corp Oil) in the southeastern Nigeria town of Nnewi. Local media reports the blast occurred while a truck was discharging its contents, and the ensuing fireball has left over 100 people burned to death.

Explosion at chicason gas plant Nnewi pic.twitter.com/O3a9IjlzFE

— Mcdonald ezenwa (@makavelli49) December 24, 2015