Dozens feared trapped in Jharkhand coal mine collapse

At least eight workers were killed and scores more feared trapped on Friday after a massive mound of earth caved in at a coal mine in eastern India.

The collapse buried at least 23 miners and dozens of vehicles under the debris as hundreds of emergency workers battled overnight to rescue the men at the Lalmatia open cast mine in Jharkhand state’s Godda district.

“So far eight dead bodies have been recovered and 15 more remain unaccounted for,” RK Mallick, Jharkhand police spokesman, told AFP.

Some of the workers had escaped the disaster site following the collapse, the officer said, with  unconfirmed media reports putting the number of trapped at 50.

Local police and emergency staff were using earth movers and sniffer dogs to locate the trapped workers under tons of earth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief on Twitter, promising to help the state government in its rescue operations.
“Saddened by the loss of lives at a mine in Jharkhand. My prayers are with those trapped inside,” he said.

The National Disaster Management Authority dispatched more than 200 rescue workers to the site.

The mine is operated by the government-owned Eastern Coalfields Limited. Its top official, Niladri Roy, told AFP that more than 250 metres (820 feet) of the mine collapsed as workers headed towards the exit around 7:30 pm Thursday.


There was no immediate explanation for the collapse.

In a separate incident on Thursday, four miners were injured at a government-run coal mine in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district.

A mine official said the workers were hit after the roof of the Putki Balihari coal mine partially collapsed. Two of the workers were critically injured.

Jharkhand is one of the richest mineral zones in India, accounting for around 29 percent of the country’s coal deposits. However it is also one of India’s poorest areas and the epicentre of a Maoist insurgency.

India has maintained a relatively safe record in mining-related accidents compared to neighbour China, which on average reports around 1,000 fatalities every year.

In 2015, India recorded 38 deaths across 570 mining sites.

The last major mining accident in India occurred in 1975, when 372 workers were killed following the flooding of Chasnala mine in Dhanbad.

WOMEN GRABS R.KELLY'S DICK. (SEE PHOTO)

R.Kelly was performing at a recent concert in Atlanta when he was assaulted by a group of women ..lol. He made the mistake of getting too close to fans, who grabbed and pulled at his groin area. He seemed to like it though, because he didn't pull back..

Chinese club offer Real Madrid £250m for Ronaldo

Real Madrid were offered about £250 million (about N125 billion) by an unnamed Chinese club for Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the Portuguese player’s agent Jorge Mendes.

He however said the 31-year-old forward had no interest in the deal, which included an £85m (about N42bn) annual salary.

“From China, they’ve offered 300m euros (£257m) to Real Madrid and more than 100m euros per year to the player.

“But money is not everything. The Spanish club [Real] is his life.’’

The revelation comes after Carlos Tevez was reportedly made the world’s highest-paid footballer by Shanghai Shenua.

Shanghai, coached by ex-Brighton boss Gus Poyet, are reported to have agreed a deal worth £40m (about N20bn) for Tevez, including a salary in excess of £310,000 (about N155m) a week.

Under the offer claimed by Mendes, Ronaldo would have earned £1.6m (about N800m) a week.

It would have been a deal worth almost treble the world record transfer fee of £89m paid by Manchester United to Juventus for midfielder Paul Pogba.

“The Chinese market is a new market. They can buy a lot of players, but then again it is impossible to go for Ronaldo.

“Cristiano is the best player in the world and best ever. It is normal to have some offers,” said Mendes.

The Portugal captain said he could play for another 10 years after signing a new deal, which ties him to Madrid until June 2021, last month.

LEGENDARY guitar auctioned at N52m

A vintage fender guitar owned by legendary Nigerian musician, King Sunny Adé, was on Sunday, auctioned at N52.1 million in Lagos.

The guitar, which was auctiond by Dr Jogun Onabanjo, Certified Auctioneer and Chief Executive of Onabanjo and Onabanjo & Co, is known to have been designed by Nigerian artist Victor Ehikamenor.

The glittering artistic piece was revealed at the King Sunny Ade‘s 70th birthday concert tagged: ‘Sunny on Sunday’, which had an audience comprising Nigeria’s richest and top celebrities.

The starting bid of nine million naira was followed by a very competitive bid by the well-heeled audience comprising influential businessmen like Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr Femi Otedola, and more, closing at N52.1 million.

While the bid was in progress, the asking price for the guitar doubled to N17 million under two minutes before exceeding the N50 million benchmark in 15 minutes.

The winner of the auction is yet to be revealed.

The concert held at the Temple Balmoral Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Rivers Rerun: Corps Members Refusing To Participate In Elections

corps members in Rivers State, have refused to take part in this Saturday’s legislative rerun election.

According to The Punch, the corps members have refused to show any interest, because of fear of possible violence during the election.

A source told the paper: “Corps members being contacted by INEC to participate in the Rivers rerun election are showing reluctance to serve in the election.

“A good number of them are afraid that there could be violence during the election, and these are young men and women who don’t want to get killed because of some election.”

Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers, Aniedi Ikoiwak, said the decision on whether to participate or not was up to the corps members to make.

Ikoiwak added that INEC will get ad hoc staff from other government agencies, if they don’t have enough personnel for the job on Saturday.

“From the beginning, the NYSC work is on a voluntary basis. We know that some of them might have been told by their parents not to be part of it (election),” he added.

“But if we have problem of shortage of manpower, we will complete them with workers from other government agencies and institutions.”

Couple found dead inside a car filled with toxic substances

A young couple was found dead, their lips blue, inside a car in Chelmsford, Essex after neighbours said they heard a loud bang which sounded like a can exploding.

 23-year-old Nikki Willis, who works for CeX and Tom Putt, who is believed to be her boyfriend, were seen by neighbours just moments earlier chatting in a car parked outside Miss Willis’ house, while the engine was running.

Police said they discovered a ‘noxious substance’ in the car, but their death is still being treated as ‘unexplained’. According to a police spokesperson, 

'Their deaths are being treated as unexplained at this time. Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding their deaths and police remain at the scene.' 

Meanwhile, friends and relatives of the couple have taken to Facebook to mourn their deaths.  Claire Watts, a cousin of Miss Willis wrote;

 "My beautiful baby cousin. There are no words to describe how I'm feeling right now. I still can't believe you have been taken from us – it's a bitter reminder of how cruel life can be. I will never forget you."

Moses wins another award

Chelsea’s Victor Moses has been named the English Premier League African Player of the Month of November by organisers New African Soccer, AfricanFootball.com reports.

The Super Eagles winger  edged Kenya’s Victor Wanyama of  Tottenham and fellow Nigerian Victor Anichebe of Sunderland to win a second straight award in two consecutive months.

Moses has flourished in a new  right wing-back role under Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and has been instrumental in  his team being top of the Premier League.

New African Soccer in a statement, congratulated the Nigeria winger but also mentioned the competitiveness of the November award, especially in the votes.

‘Victor Wanyama, also a one-time winner of the award, put up a strong showing and this was rightly justified, considering his role in Tottenham Hotspur’s early surge which made them the last to be beaten in the League. His move from Southampton was a positive one,” Tunde Adelakun, CEO of New African Soccer noted.

Tottenham transfer news: Juventus and Inter Milan monitoring £30m flop Moussa Sissoko

  

The France international moved to Spurs from Newcastle in the summer after they shelled out £30million.

However since the switch the 27-year-old has failed to hit the ground running and he was let out of Tottenham's squad for their match with Chelsea last weekend.

It has led to speculation that Sissoko could be shown the door as early as January after just four months at Tottenham.

As a result Juventus and Inter Milan, according to Corriere dello Sport, are monitoring the situation in case a shock deal can be struck.

The Italian pair reportedly looked at the Frenchman in the summer and still hold an interest now.

Biafra: Court refuses Kanu’s bail application

A Federal High Court in Abuja today refused the bail application by the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu an three others.

NAIJAGOSSIPINFO

Justice Binta Nyako ruled that the offences for which the defendants are being charged border on treasonable felony and attempted terrorism.

Kanu was charged alongside Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi on charges of treasonable felony and terrorism.

In the fresh 11-count charges, they were also accused of belonging to an illegal society and operating an unlicensed radio station.
Details later....