Sewage 'tsunami' kills 5

Associated Press by way of the Winnipeg Sun ^ | 28MAR07 | Associated Press

[familyop]

UMM NASER, Gaza Strip -- A huge sewage reservoir in the northern Gaza Strip collapsed Tuesday, killing five people in a frothing cascade of waste and mud that swamped a village and highlighted the desperate need to upgrade Gaza's overburdened infrastructure.

Rescue crews and Hamas gunmen rushed to the area to search for people feared buried under the sewage and mud. Dressed in wetsuits, they paddled boats through the layer of foam floating on the green and brown rivers of waste. Others waded up to their hips into the sewage.

The noxious smell of waste and dead animals hung in the air. Ziad Abu Farya, head of the village council, described the scene as "our tsunami."

'IT'S A DISASTER'

"We lost everything. Everything was covered by the flood. It's a disaster," said Amina Afif, 65, whose shack was destroyed.

The wave killed two women in their 70s, two toddlers and a teenage girl and injured 35 other people, hospital officials said. More than 200 homes were destroyed, health officials said. The Gaza City mayor blamed the collapse on local people digging dirt from the structure and selling it to building contractors.

A local Palestinian official blamed the disaster on shoddy infrastructure, and UN officials said they had been warning of a catastrophe since a 2004 UN report warned that the sewage facility was at maximum capacity and flooding was inevitable unless a new waste treatment plant was constructed.

[fortheDeclaration]

Looks like they need Jewish help-their Arab 'friends' aren't doing much for them.

[Izzy Dunne]

Yesterday's report on this said that the money for fixing it had long been there, they were just waiting for the violence to die down.

Somehow, AP let that little detail slip out of their story...

[Farmer Dean]

The victims sound like those least able to help themselves in a crisis.Did all the able-bodied men run away or try to save their guns and bomb vests and ignore the screams of the helpless?

[familyop]

Ping to a Gaza social event. For some reason, a Beach Boys song comes to mind.

"Ziad Abu Farya, head of the village council, described the scene as 'our tsunami.'"

[stefanbatory]

They just didn't have the money to fix it...what with all the weapons they need to buy so they can destroy the infidel Israelis...and the great satan wouldn't give them any money either...so look what happened to the poor poor Palestinians.../sarc

[SlowBoat407]

Ziad Abu Farya, head of the village council, described the scene as "our tsunami."

No, 200,000 dead and your entire community wiped off the face of the earth would be "your tsunami". This is more like what happens when one of your suicide bombers gets loose.

[mtbopfuyn]

The Gaza City mayor blamed the collapse on local people digging dirt from the structure and selling it to building contractors

If the mayor knew this was happening, why didn't he stop the digging and fix the holes? Or was this Katrina II where it was only a matter of time before the obvious happened?

[Robe]

Somehow this looks like Darwinism at work

[DainBramage]

"Abu...are you okay?....your looking flushed!...har har harrr!" joked the always hilarious Akbar.

[twonie]

Well, they spend all their time and money making vicious war on people (Israel) who mean them no harm, so when the #### hits the fan they should not be surprized. They seem, however, to be.

[Fierce Allegiance]

This really stinks for all involved.

[Safetgiver]

What do they expect when their last technological breakthrough was putting a handle on a shovel?

[yankeedame]

Looks like they need Jewish help-their Arab 'friends' aren't doing much for them.

Touché!

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Sewage 'tsunami'?

Sounds like a real sh*tstorm.

[Condor 63]

UN officials said they had been warning of a catastrophe since a 2004 UN report warned that the sewage facility was at maximum capacity and flooding was inevitable unless a new waste treatment plant was constructed.

Well, there is the problem. If anyone knows about raw sewage it is the UN. Better listen.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

The reason the US "target" our aid, over $400 million last year to the palestinians, is to prevent them from stealing it, prevent them from using it for terror, I'm sure they do none of that, and to be certain it benefits the populace.

Twenty projects in 2003 and 2004 alone. I guess we're just not giving them enough money.

 

More Mission Headlines

September 15, 2004

Rafah Sewage Treatment Plant Back in Business

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	RELATED PROGRAMS • Water Resource Development RELATED ITEMS • Water for 72,500 Scholars • Palestinian Officials Celebrate Completion of 70 Kilometers of Road Repairs RELATED SITES • Camp Dresser and McKee International Inc. (CDM)

RAFAH, Gaza -- United States Agency for International Development (USAID) this week completed the renovation of the aging Rafah Wastewater Treatment Plant, eliminating the danger of sewage flooding in this densely populated area.

USAID provided the sewage treatment facility with a permanent power supply, two new pumps and assorted electrical equipment, which will allow it to function continuously and efficiently. More than 50,000 people, whose health and welfare had been seriously endangered by the regular flooding of raw sewage, benefited from the project.

Since October 2003, USAID has funded 20 emergency and quick impact water projects designed to respond to water and sewage emergencies in the Gaza Strip. The projects cost a total of $2.3 million and benefited five Gaza municipalities with 385,000 people.

The projects included the laying of 15,000 meters of sewer pipes and 21,700 meters of water lines in Gaza, the installation of six pumps in wells and treatment plants, the provision of excavators, generators, transformers and tools to five municipalities.

	The United States Agency for International Development

[Thinkin' Gal]

a frothing cascade of waste and mud

Gaza's new waterpark, where locals line up to be oxtered to (or is that from?) the loo ping.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

A huge sewage reservoir in the northern Gaza Strip collapsed Tuesday, killing five people in a frothing cascade of waste and mud that

... resulted in several million dollars worth of civic improvements.

[yankeedame]

Yesterday's report on this said that the money for fixing it had long been there...

That the money was still there, resting nice and safe, just waiting to be used? Right. And I'll take vanilla.