February 8, 2009

Plane crash kills 24 in Brazil

Per the Voice of America, a plane crash in the Amazon basin this weekend has resulted in the death of 24 people, including seven children. Brazilian authorities are still trying to determine the cause.

Though the crash occurred Saturday, some in the region didn't know until Sunday, when the news dominated international wires.

@rodrigotape (Manaus, Brazil): Em que mundo eu estou? só agora fui saber da queda do avião no Am. http://is.gd/iQkd (In what world am I? only now I know of the fall of the plane. http://is.gd/iQkd)

@pedreco noticed that the crash didn't get the same attention on Twitter as the Hudson River crash.

@pedreco (Rio de Janeiro): Quer dizer: se cai avião no Hudson, tem um monte de gente pra twittar. Mas se cai no MANACAPURU, quedê? (I mean, if the plane falls Hudson, has a lot of people on Twitter. But if it falls in Manacapuru, then?)

One woman nearby the scene offered a prayer.

@tatyamaral (Manaus, Brazil): Mais 24..em acidente aéreo.:( Como diz um prece irlandesa: "(...)que Deus os guarde nas palmas de Suas mãos..." (24 crash in plane accident.:( From an Irish prayer: "(...) that the God save the palms of his hands ... ")

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Australia fires rage on

Per The Courier-Mail, "The death toll in Australia's worst ever bushfires has risen to 108 and is likely to rise as Kevin Rudd calls the arsonists who lit the fires 'mass murderers.'" Entire towns have been wiped out and 750 homes lost, but Australia's prime minister said the full impact of the fires is yet to be seen.

A huge outreach effort is underway on Twitter, and it has been spreading quickly under #bushfires.

@ShayneT (Melbourne): RT @DrCris: Via (@774melbourne) Donations of money and blood for #bushfires needed at this stage. (Via local banks and red cross).


@TunaCrust (Glen Waverley): Australians rock. Check out http://tinyurl.com/aussiesrock Victorians asking/offering (mostly offering) for help re bushfire #bushfire


@sagart relayed personal accounts.

@sagart (Melbourne): A friend in hurstbridge who's husband is fighting St Andrew's fires says to prepare for #bushfires toll to sky rocket; days of fighting


@sagart (Melbourne): Another friend is now crying (with some relief) because rain has come to St Andrews where they live #bushfires


Some twitterers posted pictures, like @ben and @coliwilso.

@ben (Melbourne): I took a photo of the sky over #Melbourne after the #bushfire. Looks apocalyptic: http://is.gd/iNYm


@coliwilso has been posting a series of pictures from Kinglake, Victoria to his TwitPic account.

One twitterer lamented the death of longtime Australian journalist Brian Naylor.

@lukeii (Melbourne): #bushfires Brian's death makes it more personal, a man I grew up seeing on TV has had their life cut short But never forget all we have lost

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A Day in Moscow

Every now and then, Breaking Tweets will highlight tweets from a specific city on a specific day. Those picked will tell a story of some sort, giving you a glimpse into life in that city.

First is Moscow, Russia. Here's some interesting Moscow tweets on Sat., Feb. 7, 2009:

@george68: Today, take a walk with my child, go to the sledge, painted and updated the theme for my tweeter.Well, saturday was successful :-), and your?


@sunset_heat: сегодня в институте 10-летний корейский мальчик упал в пролет между лестницами с высоты 5ого этажа, на кафель. крики до сих пор стоят в ушах ... (Today at the institute 10-year-old Korean boy fell into the passage between the staircases to the height of the 5th floor, on the tiles. screams are still standing in the ears ...)

@sunset_heat: на момент приезда скорой он был жив. (at the time of first arrival, he was still alive.)



@rfilippov:Прогуливаюсь как арестант вокруг катка, пока все развлекаются http://twitpic.com/1detg (Walking around as a prisoner roller, until all the fun http://twitpic.com/1detg)


@Phil_Meyer: My wife's returning from Ukraine today. Whooohoo! Uh - I suppose I'd better get things tidied up a bit around here


@ksenofontova: wanna be a student again (((so hard want it ... but no one else want it of course ... maybe after working years ... poor.


@prostophotos: iPhone pic of the day: Billboard in snow http://twitpic.com/1dail


Note: If popular, this may become a daily feature.

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