collapses

Video shows part of Rome’s medieval Torre dei Conti collapse for a second time during a restoration near the Colosseum. One seriously injured worker remained trapped Monday evening with firefighters continuing a high-risk rescue as the tower’s stability is assessed.

A residential building floor collapsed as rescue workers were searching through the rubble, following overnight Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Officials said six children were among 13 injured in the strikes.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visits the US as Trump proposes freezing the battle lines in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Indonesian authorities have deployed heavy machinery to shift massive sections of a collapsed school, with approximately 59 teenage students still unaccounted for, three days after the devastating structural failure.

After consulting with families of the missing students and detecting no further signs of life beneath the rubble, officials made the decision to proceed.

“In any case, we will be very, very careful when using the heavy machines,” stated Coordinating Minister Pratikno, emphasising that despite the bleak outlook, operations would continue with extreme caution.

The catastrophe occurred on Monday when the prayer hall at the century-old al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Sidoarjo, eastern Java, collapsed, burying hundreds of people. According to officials, two unauthorised additional floors were under construction above the two-storey building, and the foundation evidently failed during concrete pouring.

Currently, five people are confirmed dead, more than 100 are injured, and more than two dozen hospitalised with serious injuries, including head trauma and fractures. The victims were primarily male students aged between 12 and 19 from grades seven to 12. Female students, who were praying in a different section of the building, escaped.

As the critical 72-hour window – when survival chances significantly diminish – passed, nearly 220 workers continued their efforts at the site with ambulances on standby. The arrival of numerous body bags, however, indicated the increasingly grim situation.

Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, acknowledged, “We are no longer considering the possibility of survivors remaining, but we will still proceed with caution,” while noting uncertainty about the exact number of missing individuals. “We really hope that these 59 people are not there under the rubble.”

Hundreds of family members have maintained a constant vigil at the school since Monday, sleeping on government-provided mattresses in corridors while waiting for updates.

Among them is Hafiah, whose 15-year-old ninth-grade son Muhammad Abdurrohman Nafis is missing. “I can’t give up, I have to believe that my son is still alive, he is a hyperactive boy … he is very strong,” she said, remembering how eagerly he had eaten his favourite satay rice during her visit just one day before the collapse. With his junior high graduation approaching, Nafis had planned to study mechanical engineering in high school.

“I can’t give up as the rescue team is currently trying to help our children out,” Hafiah added, expressing her profound helplessness.

A MAN has been arrested after a town centre building collapsed when a car rammed into it while fleeing the cops.

Heywood Star takeaway in Rochdale came crashing down after a serious collision in the early hours yesterday.

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The terrifying collapse came after a police pursuit which was sparked when cops attended a house in Bury earlier that morning.

A man in his 30s fled the home with officers following in a high speed chase.

Greater Manchester Police said a man has since been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, dangerous driving and threats to kill.

He was raced to hospital to receive urgent medical treatment after the pursuit came to an abrupt end.

The chase was finally ended when a vehicle ploughed into the takeaway, bringing part of the building down in a shower of rubble.

Pictures from the scene on Bridge Street show the front of the building completely caved in as a result of the impact of the car.

The interior of the building is entirely exposed with the front wall brought down by the force of the collision.

The road remained cordoned off yesterday afternoon as workers tried to clear the scene.

A silver car was spotted by witnesses who said it was crushed under a pile of bricks and rubble.

The public has been kept away from the building amid fears that it has been made unstable by the crash.

Heavy machinery, including diggers, was brought in to clear the area of the rubble.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 3.50am this morning, we responded to reports of an ongoing disturbance at an address on Walmersley Road in Bury.

“Upon police arrival a vehicle made off resulting in a pursuit utilising specialist tactics.

“The suspect vehicle travelled towards Heywood where it collided with a building on Bridge Street in Heywood, Rochdale.

“The driver of the vehicle – a man in his 30s – was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, dangerous driving and threats to kill, before being taken to hospital for an injury to his arm.

“Investigations are ongoing. Officers are now appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward and assist their investigation.”

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It was a stressful decision. But it shouldn’t have been so consequential.

In the middle of the fifth inning Tuesday night, Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers’ dugout after a clean inning of work on the mound. Waiting for him at the top step was manager Dave Roberts, who (according to the SportsNet LA television broadcast) wanted to ask how he was feeling.

With any other pitcher, there would have been no such discussion.

Over his five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ohtani had not given up a hit. He had thrown only 68 pitches. And he was flashing the kind of dominance that would have made a no-hitter feel like a real possibility.

Ohtani, however, is not like any other pitcher.

He is a two-way star, coming off a second career Tommy John surgery, who has been managed with kid gloves and Bubble Wrap in his return to pitching duties this year. He started his comeback by pitching one inning, then two, then so on until he built up to five. Weeks ago, the team — in consultation with the reigning MVP — decided to avoid pushing him past the five-inning mark until at least October.

His health, both on the bump and at the plate, remains the priority.

Thus, while Ohtani reportedly told Roberts he still felt good, he laughed and said it was up to the veteran manager to decide whether or not to extend his pitching outing.

Roberts, in a continuation of the team’s careful handling of Ohtani this year, decided against it.

The result, in a continuation of the struggles from the team’s beleaguered bullpen, was disastrous.

After pulling Ohtani with a four-run lead, the Dodgers watched their relief corps melt down in predictable, reminiscent fashion. Justin Wrobleski gave up five consecutive hits with one out in the sixth, including a three-run home run to Brandon Marsh that broke open the inning. Edgardo Henriquez made matters worse, replacing Wrobleski — amid a chorus of boos directed at Roberts — later in the inning only to give up another long ball to Max Kepler.

By the time it was over, the Phillies had scored six runs to take the lead. And though the Dodgers would battle back to tie the score in the eighth, the bullpen faltered again in the ninth, when Blake Treinen gave up a decisive three-run, two-out home run to Rafael Marchán in the Phillies’ eventual 9-6 win.

For the five innings Tuesday, Ohtani displayed utter dominance against the only team to have already clinched a division title.

His fastball was playing up, eclipsing 100 mph seven times and topping out at 101.7 mph. His secondary stuff was electric, a mix of sliders and sweepers and curveballs and splitters that kept the Phillies off balance and able to make only benign contact.

After a two-out walk to Bryce Harper in the first inning, Ohtani retired the final 13 he faced. He got only six total whiffs, but was more pitch-efficient because of it, with his 68 throws coming in 19 shy of his previous season-high (he threw 87 pitches in his only other full five-inning start on Aug. 27).

That’s why, once Ohtani raced back toward the dugout to transition from pitcher to hitter in the middle of the fifth, his removal wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Why, after Roberts conversed with Ohtani from the top step, he found first baseman Freddie Freeman laughing at him back on the bench, sensing the stressfulness of his manager’s decision (which represented the ninth time in Roberts’ Dodgers tenure he had pulled a pitcher from a no-hitter in the fifth inning or later).

By that point, of course, the game shouldn’t have been in danger either way.

The Dodgers had scored three runs in the second inning on home runs from Alex Call and Kiké Hernández. They added another in the fourth off Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, handing the Cy Young contender just his fourth start this season of more than three earned runs.

But then, a bullpen that had been burned repeatedly in recent weeks (including in a 10-inning loss in the opening game of this series Monday night) played with fire again.

Wrobleski, a rookie left-hander who had been one of the Dodgers’ better relievers of late, had Rafael Marchán break up the no-no with a one-out single, Harrison Bader and Kyle Schwarber to load the bases with two more hits after that, Harper to gap a double that brought two runs across, and Marsh to go deep on a hanging 0-2 slider for a go-ahead three-run shot.

Henriquez, another rookie who had been sharp in limited action this year, yielded another home run to Kepler two batters later.

Just like that, it was 6-4 Phillies.

Ohtani helped the Dodgers get back in the game with his bat. In the eighth, he clobbered a leadoff home run deep to right field for his 50th long ball of the season, making him just the sixth player in MLB history with consecutive 50-homer campaigns.

The Dodgers kept the rally going after that, loading the bases for Call to hit a tying sacrifice fly.

Alas, the Dodgers’ bullpen did what it does best once more in the ninth, coming unglued at the worst possible moment.

After getting two quick outs to start the inning, Treinen gave up a double to Weston Wilson (the No. 7 hitter who entered with a .202 average). He fell behind 3-and-0 to Bryson Stott (the No. 8 hitter) to trigger an intentional walk. Then, in a 3-and-1 count to Marchán (the No. 9 hitter and backup catcher for the Phillies), he served up an inside cutter that Marchán pulled down the line, getting just enough behind it to send it bouncing off the top of the short right-field wall.

Nine painful runs, in four miserable innings of Dodgers relief.

Another loss, that wasted Ohtani’s no-hit (but short-lived) masterpiece.

Video shows the moment a building collapsed into an overflowing river in Kullu in northern India, where heavy rains have caused severe flooding and landslides. The floods have damaged roads, swept away bridges and disrupted water and power supplies in several areas.

BBC/Spencer Stokes

PA Media

‘We just want to start producing steel again’

Chris Williamson

Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on court in sweltering conditions before retiring from his Cincinnati Open third-round match with Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Rinderknech lost the first set 7-6 (7-4) but was level at 2-2 in the second before collapsing near the baseline as Canada’s Auger-Aliassime prepared to serve.

Auger-Aliassime and the umpire ran over to check on the Frenchman, before medical staff arrived on court.

The 30-year-old, who had been playing for nearly two hours, had a cooling break with ice packs on his neck and legs before declaring he was able to continue.

However, he lasted just two more games before retiring to send Auger-Aliassime through to the last 16.

Players have been struggling with the heat during the tournament, with temperatures regularly exceeding 30C.

British number two Cameron Norrie looked unwell and was often drenched in sweat during his second-round loss to veteran Roberto Bautista Agut on Sunday.

Wimbledon experienced its hottest opening day in June, with temperatures reaching 32.3C. Carlos Alcaraz’s five-set first-round win over Fabio Fognini was completed following a 15-minute pause in the deciding set, when a spectator sitting in the sun was taken ill.

January’s Australian Open also had sweltering temperatures approaching 34C.

Organisers introduced the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale in 2019 to monitor conditions and minimise risk to players’ health.

A COCKTAIL chain has fallen into administration, with four sites shutting their doors for good.

Simmons has appointed advisory firm Kroll to oversee the administration, company filings show.

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In its most recent audited account the company posted a loss of £749,000 for the year to end March 2024, reversing a profit of just under £2million the previous year.

Last week Simmons revealed plans to close at least four sites to focus on its best performing venues.

The chain has venues across London and one in Manchester and offers cocktails, brunches and karaoke at its 21 locations.

Last week Nick Campbell, who founded the company in 2021, said the move would “streamline its portfolio and strengthen its financial position”.

He said: “As part of the process, we’ve taken the tough decision to exit four leases, allowing management to focus resources on our strongest performing venues.

“Alongside this, we’ve secured additional investment to support future expansion and operational improvements across the estate.”

Tough times for UK pubs

Many of Britain’s pub and bar chains are feeling the impact of the pandemic and cost of living crisis.

The hike in costs of every day goods has meant that punters have less money to part with at the till.

Meanwhile, hikes to employers’ National Insurance Contributions that were introduced in April have piled further pressure onto businesses that are already struggling.

Last month The Coconut Tree  announced that it would be wound down after defaulting on its Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA).

The Sri Lankan restaurant group entered into the agreement last July, according to a report in Restaurant Online.

As a result, the group was required to initially repay £27,000 a month for the first three months.

Meanwhile, Oakman Inns & Restaurants fell into administration, with six sites shutting their doors for good.

It will see a total of 19 sites either sold or closed for good.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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At least 100 people are involved in search operations at the world’s largest underground copper mine.

Rescue teams in Chile are searching for five miners trapped after a partial collapse triggered by a tremor killed one colleague and halted operations at the world’s largest underground copper mine.

At least 100 people were involved in the perilous search effort, said Andres Music, general manager of El Teniente mine in Rancagua, some 100km (62 miles) south of Santiago.

“So far, we have not been able to communicate with them. The tunnels are closed, they are collapsed,” he told reporters on Friday.

The miners had been working at a depth of more than 900 metres when the collapse happened. Their exact location has been pinpointed with specialised equipment.

“We will do everything that is humanly possible to rescue the five trapped workers,” Maximo Pacheco, the president of Chile’s state-owned mining company Codelco, told a news conference on Friday afternoon.

“All of our experience, all of our knowledge, all of our energy and all of our strength are dedicated to this cause and to seeing this through,” he added.

Codelco cancelled a presentation of its first-half financial results, set for Friday morning, due to the rescue efforts.

Temporary closure

Mining minister Aurora Williams earlier announced the temporary cessation of activity at the mine, which began operating in the early 1900s and boasts more than 4,500km (some 2,800 miles) of underground tunnels.

Last year, El Teniente produced 356,000 tonnes of copper – nearly 7 percent of the total for Chile.

The cave-in happened after a “seismic event” on Thursday afternoon, of which the origin – natural or caused by drilling – is not yet known, according to authorities. The tremor registered a magnitude of 4.2.

“It is one of the biggest events, if not the biggest, that the El Teniente deposit has experienced in decades,” said Music, adding: “We are making every effort to try to rescue these five miners.”

“The next 48 hours are crucial,” the manager said.

The search team included several of the rescuers who participated in successfully surfacing 33 miners trapped in a mine for more than two months in the Atacama Desert in 2010, attracting a whirlwind of global media attention.

Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, responsible for nearly a quarter of global supply with about 5.3 million tonnes in 2024. Its mining industry is one of the safest on the planet, with a death rate of 0.02 percent last year, according to the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile.

It also lies in the seismically active “Ring of Fire” that surrounds the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Travel company Great Little Escapes has been removed from the ATOL scheme and ceased trading, leaving Brits with holidays booked through the firm in chaos

UK-based travel agency Great Little Escapes, also operating as Our Holidays and Tunisia First, has abruptly ceased trading, casting uncertainty for many travellers.

British holidaymakers are faced with turmoil as bookings fall through following Great Little Escapes being stripped of its ATOL scheme membership and halting its operations.

The Berkshire-based firm touted itself as a provider of the ‘best cheap breaks in the UK’, focusing on city breaks, while Your Holidays boasted a varied offering, including deals for hen and stag dos, LGBT getaways and bespoke packages.

Falling into financial difficulty, the company’s latest figures reveal a near £77,000 loss last year and a hefty £186,000 deficit reported for 2023, says TTG, the travel industry’s news outlet.

READ MORE: Brits face £1,700 fine if caught in popular European holiday spots with prohibited item

In the UK, it’s mandatory for any business selling holidays and flights to possess an ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing), providing a safety net for consumers’ finances. The ATOL protection ensures that customers can either continue their planned trip or claim a full refund if a travel operator collapses, reports Wales Online.

Following the company’s sudden downfall, ATOL stated they are “currently collating information from the company” and will issue guidance promptly.

Those potentially impacted have been instructed not to submit claims yet, with warnings that premature attempts will be turned down.

But now hundreds of summer breaks are in jeopardy and holidaymakers are desperate for clarity.

The authority also issued explicit guidance for associated travel agents, noting: “If you are a travel agent of Great Little Escapes LLP and you are currently holding consumer payments which you have not yet paid to Great Little Escapes LLP, you must not use these funds to refund consumers until you have received instructions from the Air Travel Trust.”

The collapse of this latest travel agency is sure to unsettle those thrifty holiday-seekers keen on saving on their bookings to have more spending money for beachside cocktails and souvenirs during their getaway.

What to do if your holiday company goes bankrupt

So, what’s the next step if your travel firm goes under? What rights do you have, and how can you reclaim your hard-earned cash?

Discovering that your holiday provider has folded is every traveller’s worst fear, especially when you’re yearning for that essential escape. Thankfully, various laws and regulations exist to aid you in getting a refund should things take a turn for the worse.

Your first port of call should be to touch base with your travel agent if you arranged your trip through them, to confirm your booking is still valid.

All providers offering services within the EU are bound by consumer protection legislation. According to the European Consumer Centres Network: “If you book a holiday, rental car, accommodation or a flight in the EU, Norway or Iceland and run into problems, rest assured that consumer rights are in place to support you.

“If your flight is cancelled, your baggage is lost, your cruise doesn’t go smoothly, or you miss your train connection, EU legislation will ensure you obtain redress.”

In the UK, travel companies that provide packages, including a flight, and sell them to customers must protect your money through the ATOL scheme.

As the Post Office notes, this means that if you booked your overseas holiday with an ATOL member and it goes bust before you travel, you can apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a full refund. If you’re already on holiday when the company goes bankrupt, the CAA will arrange for you to return home.

ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, also provides financial protection for UK consumers who book holidays through ABTA members. This protection ensures that consumers receive refunds or assistance if their travel company goes out of business.

Package holidays and agency booking can also offer travellers extra reassurance and customer service. “Booking through a professional agent gives you the peace of mind that you are protected in the event of any changes to your travel,” said Sarah Davies, a travel advisor from Life Begins with Travel. “Even if just to have someone on the end of the phone to guide you through the process.”

Davies explained that many online travel companies weren’t members of ABTA, though, so it was important to ensure you choose a company with both ABTA and ATOL protection “so you don’t end up out of pocket and that you’re well looked after.”

Look for the ATOL logo when booking, and you should receive an ATOL certificate immediately after booking. You can also check a company’s ATOL status on the CAA website.

If you can’t reach the travel company, contact your airline and accommodation provider directly to confirm your booking and check that they’ve received your payment. If everything checks out, you should be all set to go on your hols.

However, if the booking doesn’t exist or you can’t get through to those companies, possibly because they’ve gone out of business, check your paperwork to determine whether you’ve ABTA or ATOL protection.

Making a claim

The Civil Aviation Authority notes that the refund process is quite straightforward. ATOL-protected consumers complete an ATOL Claim Form, and it then requests the documentation from the ATOL holder issued to the customer.

They will request evidence of payment to the ATOL holder or overseas supplier, depending on your claim type.

In some cases where you’ve paid by credit card, they may direct you to contact your card issuer for a refund. For more details, visit their website.

How to make a claim

1. Check your ATOL certificate or invoice to confirm that the trip was ATOL-protected and lists the ATOL holder.
2. Visit the CAA ATOL Claims Portal to submit your case as the Lead Passenger
3. You’ll need to provide an ATOL certificate/reference, booking and payment details, receipts for any extra costs
4. The CAA then processes the claim and may seek reimbursement through a credit card provider (Section 75), in some cases.

Will Travel insurance cover me?

Travel insurance doesn’t usually cover you if your holiday company goes bust — but some policies do include cover for things like “end supplier failure” or “scheduled airline failure.” It’s definitely worth having a quick look at the fine print to see if you’re protected.

Do I have Credit card protection?

If you haven’t got travel insurance in place at the point when your holiday company goes bust, you may be able to claim back your money through your credit card company.

To be eligible, you need to have paid more than £100 for your holiday or flights and booked directly with the holiday company or airline.

Next steps

• Do not apply for CAA claims before they publish details about a failed ATOL holder
• If you’re overseas, the CAA will inform you of the repatriation plan.
• Upon failure, the CAA list is updated; find it on the ATOL portal .
• Gather all documents: receipts, bookings, and communications; this will support your claim

At a glance:

If a travel company with an ATOL goes bust:

• You’ll get a refund if you haven’t travelled yet.
• If you’re already abroad, ATOL ensures you’re not stranded and helps bring you home.
• It applies to package holidays and some flight-only deals sold by UK companies.

If something goes wrong:

• First, go to the travel company.
• If unresolved, and it’s financial or related to collapse, go to ATOL via the CAA.
• For complaints not involving insolvency (e.g. poor service), escalate to an ombudsman or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body.

Rescuers have already pulled a dozen injured people from the debris during a gruelling search effort at the site.

At least 10 people have been killed after a stone quarry collapsed in Indonesia’s West Java province, with the country’s disaster agency saying search efforts are ongoing to find missing people buried beneath the rubble.

The collapse took place early on Friday at Gunung Kuda mining site in Cirebon, West Java. Footage from the scene of the accident shows excavators moving large rocks and emergency workers placing victims in body bags in an ambulance.

Footage circulating online showed rescuers struggling to retrieve a body from the devastated area. Another showed people scrambling for safety as thick dust rose from a pile of rocks and soil that had collapsed.

Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) said at least 10 people had been killed, but gave no estimate on the number of people missing. It said heavy machinery – including three excavators – were buried and rescue operations would continue throughout Saturday.

Rescue teams have already pulled a dozen injured people from the debris during a gruelling search effort, according to Cirebon district police chief, Sumarni, who uses a single name.

Sumarni said authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse, adding that the owner and quarry workers have been summoned for questioning. He said police, emergency personnel, soldiers and volunteers – supported by five excavators – are trying to locate any further trapped workers. Rescue efforts are being hampered by unstable soil, risking further slides, he added.

On his Instagram account, West Java governor Dedi Mulyadi said the site was “very dangerous” and did not “meet safety standards for workers”. The governor added that the mine was opened before he was elected and he “didn’t have any capacity to stop it”.

Mulyadi said he has taken action to close the Gunung Kuda mine and four others in West Java considered to be endangering lives and the environment.

Illegal mining operations are commonplace across Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to low-wage workers while coming with a high risk of injury or death due to landslides, flooding and tunnel collapses. Much of the processing of sand, rock or gold ore also involves workers using highly toxic materials like mercury and cyanide with little or no protection.

In May, torrential rain triggered a landslide and floods near a small mine run by local residents in the Arfak Mountains in Indonesia’s West Papua province, killing at least six people.

Last year, a landslide also triggered by torrential rain struck an unauthorised gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, killing at least 15 people.