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63-year-old mother accepts blame for deadly inferno at zoo

<p>A fire broke out in a zoo in Western Germany just minutes into the new year, killing more than 30 animals.</p> <p>A 60-year-old woman and her two adult daughters have turned themselves in after hearing that the blaze killed five orangutans, two gorillas and a chimpanzee as well as many more monkeys, birds and bats.</p> <p>The women bought five Chinese lanterns, which are banned locally and in most of Germany for over a decade. The trio believed that they were allowed on New Year’s Eve and had inscribed good wishes for the new year in the lanterns, according to chief investigator<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://10daily.com.au/news/world/a200102ezmoj/grandmother-turns-herself-in-after-new-years-zoo-tragedy-that-killed-30-animals-20200102" target="_blank">Gerd Hoppmann.</a></p> <p>Only two chimpanzees were able to be rescued from the flames by firefighters. They suffered burns but are in a stable condition.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vevaBqXVp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vevaBqXVp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Wir wünschen euch einen guten Rutsch in ein hoffentlich erfolgreiches Jahr 2020. Kommt gut 'rein und feiert fleißig! 🎉 Wir freuen uns auf ein tolles neues Jahr mit Euch! Euer Team vom #ZooKrefeld Fotos: Magnus Neuhaus #silvester #silvester2019 #jahresende #jahreswende #kommtgutrein #jahresübergang #orangutan #orangutans #orangutanborneo #wildlifephotography #zooborn #monkeys #monkey #primate #animal #animals #wild #wildlife #nature #naturelovers #zoophotography #zoo #zoolife #zoolove #zoolovers #zoozeit #krefeld #krefelderzoo</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/zookrefeld/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Zoo Krefeld</a> (@zookrefeld) on Dec 31, 2019 at 7:30am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"It's close to a miracle that Bally, a 40-year-old female chimpanzee, and Limbo, a younger male, survived this inferno," Mr Dressen said, adding that many of the zoo's animal handlers were in shock at the devastation.</p> <p>"We have to seriously work through the mourning process," Mr Dressen said. "This is an unfathomable tragedy."</p> <p>The Krefeld zoo opened in 1975 and attracts over 400,000 visitors each year.</p>

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"Everything is burning": Thousands watch in horror as iconic Notre Dame cathedral blazes

<p>A fire has engulfed the roof of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral and has toppled its spire as thousands of people watch on in horror at the iconic landmark’s destruction.</p> <p>Notre Dame spokesman Andre Finot told French Media that “everything is burning, nothing will remain of the frame.”</p> <p>The famous cathedral is one of France’s most popular tourist attractions and draws 13 million visitors each year.</p> <p>French President Emmanuel Macron has said that this is a “terrible tragedy” but the cathedral will be rebuilt.</p> <p>“I’m telling you all tonight — we will rebuild this cathedral together. This is probably part of the French destiny. And we will do it in the next years. Starting tomorrow, a national donation scheme will be started that will extend beyond our borders,” Mr Macron said.</p> <p>The cause of the blaze is unknown, and earlier on Monday, there were fears that the great bells could fall.</p> <p>Paris Fire Department commander general, Jean-Claude Gallet, told reporters about the worry:</p> <p>“There’s a risk that the great bells fall. If the bells fall, it’s the tower that collapses,” Mr Gallet explained.</p> <p>“There are firefighters inside and outside.</p> <p>“We need to win this battle and block the spreading of the flames. The most efficient action is from the inside. We are not sure if we will be able to stop the spreading of the flames to the North Tower.”</p> <p>A crowd of hundreds has gathered outside the cathedral in shocked silence as they watched the 850-year-old building burn. Australian Divya Bala told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/world/europe/thousands-watch-iconic-notre-dame-cathedral-burn-in-the-heart-of-paris/news-story/aaeb7c0d39a3e7867b0afcbf6b230762" target="_blank">news.com.au </a>that watching the scene unfold was “shocking”.</p> <p>“Everyone just stayed out watching, very calmly, very quietly,” she said.</p> <p>“Some people were in tears, one older gentleman was holding himself up by the railing on the bridge and people were comforting him.</p> <p>“But I was really struck by how calm everyone was.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the devastating before and after shots of the Notre Dame Cathedral.</p>

Travel Trouble

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London tower inferno: what we know so far

<p>Early yesterday morning in London, residents of North Kensington’s Grenfell Tower awoke to what authorities are referring to as the worst residential fire in decades. Flames engulfed the 24-storey building, which is home to between 400 and 600 people.</p> <p>Now, nearly 24 hours later, parts of the tower are still ablaze and the death toll stands at 12 people – though this number is sadly expected to rise. 68 others have been taken to hospitals around the city, 18 of whom remain critical.</p> <p>Stories are emerging of incredible acts of heroism as well as horrifying acts of desperation. Witnesses have described a <a href="http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/witnesses-describe-horror-of-grenfell-tower-building-inferno-in-north-kensington/news-story/14c9e6a667f386d2e2bfcb826fec78d6" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">baby being thrown out of a window</span></strong></a> to safety, while one resident — a mother of two — who documented the fire via a live video on Facebook while trapped in her apartment <a href="http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/mother-posts-harrowing-videos-before-flames-engulf-tower/news-story/488ca5e1321541ceeebedfcfbc92d04e" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">has not been heard from</span></strong></a> since.</p> <p>As the community comes to terms with the horrifying inferno and the lives it has claimed, questions are now being raised as to whether the blaze could have been avoided. The Grenfell Action Group has slammed management for its failure to provide adequate fire training, advice and supplies. One long-time resident described the fire as a “mass murder”, claiming he and his neighbours had complained about the tower’s safety for years.</p> <p>The building had recently undergone an $11 million refurbishment to modernise its exterior, and Rydon construction, the group behind the renovations, has stated that all the new cladding and windows “met all required building control, fire regulation, and health and safety standards.”</p> <p>In what has been a horror few weeks for the UK, and London in particular, once again, the community has rallied around those affected by the tragic events. The Kensington and Chelsea council has been inundated with donations of food and supplies, and celebrities have also come out with offers of food and shelter.</p> <p>Jamie Oliver took to Instagram to invite those affected to his nearby Jamie’s Italian restaurant, where they’ll receive free shelter, food and drink. Lily Allen also offered to take victims into her own home and provide them with beds and tea.</p> <p>Others, including former <em>Top Gear</em> host Jeremy Clarkson, New Zealand supermodel Rachel Hunter, singer Rita Ora and many more have also offered their love and support.</p> <p><em>Video c<span>redit: Twitter/Natalie_Oxford via Storyful.</span></em></p>

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