About 100 pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins have died in a mass stranding on the remote Chatham Islands, about 800km (497 miles) off New Zealand’s east coast, officials said. Most of them were stranded during the weekend but rescue efforts have been hampered by the island’s remote location. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation on Wednesday said a total of 97 pilot whales and three dolphins died in the stranding, adding they were notified of the incident on Sunday. “Only 26 of the whales were still alive at this point, the majority of them appearing very weak, and were euthanised due to the rough sea conditions and almost certainty of there being great white sharks in the water which are brought in by a stranding like this,” said DOC Biodiversity Ranger Jemma Welch. Mass strandings a...
The Federal Government on Thursday announced a two-day total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State for a concrete work on some sections. The Federal Controller of Works in the state, Olukayode Popoola, revealed this to newsmen in Lagos. Popoola said the closure would begin from midnight of October 30 and end at midnight of November 1. “We are planning to cast two number expansion joints, and we shall close the Third Mainland Bridge from midnight of October 30 until midnight of November 1,” he said. The Controller said that there was the need to shut both bounds of the bridge – from Adeniji Adele to Adekunle – in addition to the closed bound of the bridge, to complete the work. According to him, the closure is to ensure that there is no vibration on the bridge during casting i...