POPE FRANCIS DOOM NOVENA! PRAYS FOR VICTIMS OF IRAQ FERRY ACCIDENT NEXT DAY 47 DIE IN CHINA PLANT EXPLOSION!

Pope Francis has expressed his grief for the loss of life caused by the sinking of a ferry in the Tigris River near the Iraqi city of Mosul. In a telegramme signed on his behalf by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope said he is deeply saddened to learn of the accident and expressed his prayerful solidarity with those who mourn. At least 94 people, including many families, died Thursday when a ferry overloaded with passengers celebrating the Kurdish New Year and Mother’s Day, capsized in the Tigris River near Mosul. In his message, the Pope said he “commends the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty, and prays for the local authorities and emergency personnel.” He concluded invoking the divine blessings of healing, strength and consolation upon the whole Iraqi nation. Source

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Death toll in China chemical plant explosion increases

The death toll in an explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China has risen to 47, with hundreds of others injured. Thursday’s blast at the Tianjiayi chemical plant in the city of Yancheng is one of China’s worst industrial accidents in years, and has left 90 people in a serious condition in hospital. Nearly 1,000 area residents have been moved to safety as a precaution against leaks and additional explosions, the city government said. Windows in buildings as far as three miles away were blown out by the force of the blast.  The city government statement said 3,500 medical workers at 16 hospitals had been mobilised to treat the injured, dozens of whom remain in critical condition.  The blast created a crater and more than 900 firefighters were deployed to extinguish a fire that burned into the night.  The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.  Chinese president Xi Jinping, on a state visit to Italy, demanded “all-out efforts” to find and rescue victims, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Source