Multiple Fatalities Reported in Separate Incidents Across Globe
Several unrelated incidents across the globe resulted in fatalities and injuries on Thursday, February 5, 2026, highlighting a range of challenges from public safety to healthcare access.
In India, an explosion at an illicit coal mine in the East Jaintia Hills district killed at least 18 people, according to local authorities. Police reported recovering the bodies from the blast site and indicated that eight others were wounded. Local official Manish Kumar stated that rescue operations were paused at sundown on Thursday and were scheduled to resume on Friday with additional support, with the number of workers trapped still unclear, according to Al Jazeera.
In Dublin, Ireland, a double-decker Bus Eireann bus, not in service at the time, struck pedestrians in the city center, resulting in one death and injuries to three others. The incident occurred near the junction of Talbot Street and Marlborough Street. Ireland's justice minister confirmed the news to the Irish parliament, adding that the injured were being treated in hospital, according to Sky News. The incident is being treated as a road crash.
Nigeria mourned the death of Ifunanya Nwangene, a 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria, who died after being bitten by a snake in her flat in Abuja. Nwangene was awaiting treatment in the hospital after the incident. Her death has raised concerns about the availability of effective antivenoms in the country, according to The Guardian. In a final message to her friends, Nwangene wrote: "Please come."
In other news, Ukraine and Russia completed a prisoner of war swap, resulting in the return of more than 300 prisoners of war to their respective home countries. Several freed prisoners were seen speaking to their families over the phone, according to Al Jazeera.
Also on Thursday, Alex Saab, a Colombian-Venezuelan businessman considered a close ally of deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was reportedly detained in Caracas during a joint operation by Venezuela's intelligence agency and the FBI, according to The Guardian. Saab could be extradited to the US in days. The Guardian also reported that billionaire media mogul Raúl Gorrín was arrested at the same address.
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