At least 14 people were killed and one child was seriously injured in a horrific accident in the mountains of northern Italy on May 23, 2021. Photo: ANSA The above cable car route reopened last month after the blockade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cabin that crashed on May 23, supposedly carrying 15 people to the top of the Stresa-Mottarone cable line, crashed halfway up the mountain at an altitude of 300 meters while the top of the cable was nearly 1,500 meters above sea level. This is a cable car that serves tourists from the town of Stresa in the Piedmont region to the top of Mount Mottarone, where visitors can enjoy spectacular views of the Alps. Rescuers said two injured children, one 5 years old, one 9 years old, were immediately transferred to a children’s hospital in Turin for treatment, but one child did not survive. The cable car cabin fell and rolled many times on the mountainside. Photo: AFP/ANSA Stress Mayor Marcella Severino said the cable car cabin fell about 20 meters above the ground and rolled several times over the slope before becoming stuck in the branches. Ms Severino added that climbers said they heard a loud hiss shortly before the crash. The National Rescue Service said they received a call shortly after 12 noon (local time) and the cable car was later found “crumbling” in the forest. The accident is believed to have been caused by one of the cables breaking, potentially raising questions about the quality of Italy’s transport infrastructure. Investigators on the same day began identifying the victims, including foreign nationals. Video of the scene of the terrible cable car accident (Source: Daily Mail) The rescue team examines the debris of a cable car belonging to the Stresa-Mottarone cable route. They found some dead people trapped in cabins, others thrown out into the woods. Photo: AP The mayor of Severino told local television that some of the victims were found trapped in vehicles, others were thrown out into the woods. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered condolences to the families of the victims, while Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini described the incident as a “terrible tragedy”. On the same day, May 23, European Council President Charles Michel also offered condolences on Twitter, saying “Europe mourns you”, while European Parliament President David Sassoli appealed on his personal Twitter page. “We must immediately clarify the cause of this absurd tragedy”. The cable car is said to have fallen halfway up a 300 meter high mountain, while the top of the mountain is 1,500 meters high. Emergency services and police were present at the scene of the tragedy. Photo: AP Italy’s National Alpine Rescue Service said on Twitter: ‘Serious accident on the Stresa-Mottarone cable car. The Alpine Rescue Team and other rescue teams were on the spot. Two ambulance helicopters joined the rescue.” Tragedy occurred 20 years after a cable car got stuck in 2001, but 40 tourists were rescued safely. The Mottarone Cable Car was opened in 1970. It reaches an altitude of 1,500 meters and takes tourists from the town of Stresa to the summit in 20 minutes. The side of the mountain where the cable car was thrown and rolled many times before getting stuck in the trees. Photo: AP Map illustrating the area of ​​​​the accident on the cable line leading from the town of Stresa to the top of Mount Mottarone. Mount Mottarone is like a ‘natural balcony’, offering panoramic views from the Po Valley to the Alps. From the top of the mountain, visitors can observe 7 lakes, including Lake Maggiore, Italy’s second largest lake. The area became famous in the early 1900s when it opened its doors for winter sports and skiing. Italian Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini described the crash as a “terrible tragedy”. In the photo, Mr. Giovaanini is at the scene. Photo: AP Italian authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the tragedy. Photo: AP

At the present time, more than 1.25 million tons of contaminated water are stored in tanks at the plant. Pictured is workers involved in cleaning up Japan’s No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant after the 2011 disaster. (Source: AFP) On April 26, during a regular press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Uong Van Ban said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed that it would invite water experts. This group joins the working group on a plan to release treated radioactive wastewater from Japan’s No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. After the 2011 disaster, water pumped into the damaged reactors at the No. 1 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant to cool the fuel rods. Along with contaminated rainwater and groundwater, the reactor’s cooling wastewater is treated with an Advanced Liquid Treatment System (ALPS). ALPS removes most radioactive substances, including strontium and cesium, but cannot remove tritium. At the present time, there are more than 1.25 million tons of wastewater that has been treated but still contains radioactive substances being stored in storage tanks at the plant. On April 13, 2021, more than 10 years after the incident at the factory, the Japanese government decided to discharge this wastewater into the sea. The IAEA expressed support for Japan’s decision to discharge treated wastewater into the sea, and affirmed its readiness to provide technical assistance in monitoring this discharge. (Reuters)

Treated contaminated wastewater tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Photo: AFP / VNA Mr. Aso ensures that wastewater discharged into the sea will be treated according to the plan announced by the Government, whereby the concentration of radioactive tritium in wastewater will be diluted to 1,500 becquerel / liter, equivalent to 1/40 of the permitted concentrations are according to Japanese safety standards and 1/7 of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water, before being released into the sea. The discharge of this wastewater into the sea will be implemented in about 2 years. After the 2011 disaster, water pumped into the damaged reactors at the No. 1 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant to cool the fuel rods. Along with contaminated rainwater and groundwater, the reactor’s cooling wastewater is treated with an Advanced Liquid Treatment System (ALPS). ALPS removes most radioactive substances, including strontium and cesium, but cannot remove tritium. At the present time, there are more than 1.25 million tons of wastewater that has been treated but still contains radioactive substances being stored in storage tanks at the plant. On April 13, more than 10 years after the factory incident, the Japanese government decided to discharge this wastewater into the sea. The IAEA expressed support for Japan’s decision to discharge treated wastewater into the sea, and affirmed its readiness to provide technical assistance in monitoring this discharge. Before the Japanese decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 15 expressed concern about this issue, at the same time urged Japan to approach the issue of wastewater treatment from the Fukushima nuclear power plant with all responsibility. responsibility. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed her expectation that the Japanese government would show transparency and inform all countries concerned about Tokyo’s actions. In addition, Ms. Zakharova added that Russia is waiting for Japan to have more detailed explanations, while calling on Tokyo not to make economic activities of other countries difficult, including in the fishing industry. fish. On the same day, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jiang Hao (Wu Jianghao) summoned the Japanese Ambassador to the country Tarumi Hideo to present a note protesting the decision to discharge treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. Stored at the No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Waste water storage tank inside the Fukushima nuclear power plant No. 1 The purpose of the move is to allay concerns about Tokyo’s plan to release the treated water of the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The wastewater generated from the aforementioned damaged nuclear power plant is stored in tanks located on the plant’s premises, and is expected to have no storage space next year. According to Japan’s NHK Radio, wastewater has been treated with the Advanced Liquid Treatment System (ALPS) to remove most of the radioactive material, but radioactive tritium remains. Before being discharged into the sea, water will be diluted so that the concentration of tritium is much lower than the national standard and will be about one-seventh of the World Health Organization’s drinking water standard. However, this plan of the Japanese government has met with fierce opposition from the local fishing community, anti-nuclear activists as well as neighboring China and South Korea. In an interview with NHK Radio, Mr. Grossi said that the Japanese Government has officially requested the IAEA to cooperate in relation to this plan. The agency may send a team of experts from various countries to help alleviate concerns by verifying that the treated water discharge is safe, said the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. full. “We may be receiving experts from different fields from different countries and regions. Any serious concerns will have the opportunity to be discussed and analyzed technically, ”said Grossi, emphasizing, cannot ignore the concerns of some local residents and neighboring countries such as Korea and China. “Regarding these concerns, we can either agree or disagree, but all must be taken seriously. We have a shared responsibility, ”added Grossi.

Copyright: Randonnée dans le Parc National du Mercantour

Travel destination: France

Cloud Tour Highlights: National Parks

France has 11 national parks and nature reserves, accounting for about 10% of the country’s total area. They are home to many rare plants and animals. The two national parks in the Alps in eastern France are the Vanoise National Park and the Ecrins National Park.

The Vanoise National Park was established in 1963 and is the first national park in France. It is a sister park with the Grand Paradiso National Park in Italy, sharing a 14-kilometer border. Vanoise National Park is located in the province of Savoie, with a diverse geological environment, including mountains with an altitude of more than 3,000 meters and open river valleys. The original glaciers are still preserved. Due to the special terrain and climatic environment, there are about 2,000 animal species and more than 2,400 plant species in the Vanoise National Park.

The Ecoland National Park in the southern Alps was awarded the title of “European Alpine Park” by the European Commission. There are 150 mountains above 3000 meters above sea level and about 10,000 hectares of glaciers. Traveling here, you can see the vast mountain pastures and distinctive valleys. The charming pastoral scenery softens the wild beauty of the mountains and brings shocking visual effects.

Photo/Emparis Paric National des Ecrins official website copyright: Carlo Ayesta

These two parks in the Alps are a paradise for hikers. The park has launched a series of hiking routes in accordance with the four seasons, age groups and different exercise intensities. From hiking for the whole family for children to high-intensity training for outdoor sports enthusiasts, you can find a suitable route here to enjoy the Alps. Close contact.

What is rare is that these two parks are very close to famous ski resorts, such as Chamonix, Courchevel, Megeve, Meribel, etc. The snow season of higher altitude ski resorts can last until the end of March or even later . Come here in summer. June to July is when the lavender is in full bloom in the southern part of the French Oroa region, where the park is located, and the vast sea of ​​purple flowers covers the entire valley.

Every November, step on the squeaky leaves from the park and drive 40 minutes to the Beaujolais area. Don’t forget to taste a glass of new wine before heading to Peruges to experience the authentic medieval French town .

Beijing News reporter Qu Xiaoyi

Editor Li Zheng proofreads Liu Jun

Photo courtesy of French Tourist Office