Multiple Fatalities Reported in Separate Incidents Across the Globe
A series of unrelated incidents across the globe resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries on Thursday, February 5, 2026. These incidents ranged from a deadly coal mine explosion in India to a fatal bus crash in Dublin, and highlighted ongoing crises such as preventable deaths in Nigeria.
In northeast India, an explosion at an illicit coal mine claimed the lives of at least 18 people, according to local authorities. The blast occurred in a remote part of East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. Local official Manish Kumar stated that eight others were wounded in the incident. Rescue operations were paused at sundown on Thursday and were scheduled to resume on Friday with additional support, according to Kumar. It remained unclear how many workers were at the site during the explosion, and authorities feared that others may still be trapped.
In Dublin, Ireland, a double-decker Bus Eireann bus, which was not in service at the time, struck pedestrians in the city center. One person died, and three others were injured. Ireland's justice minister confirmed the news to the Irish parliament, adding that the injured were being treated in hospital. The incident occurred in the pedestrianized North Earl Street, at the junction of Talbot Street and Marlborough Street. Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 12:30 pm. The incident is being treated as a road crash, according to Sky News.
Nigeria faced a different tragedy as Ifunanya Nwangene, a 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria, died after being bitten by a snake in her flat in Abuja. Nwangene was in hospital awaiting treatment after being bitten while asleep. The Guardian reported that her death highlighted the crisis of preventable fatalities in the country, raising questions about the availability of effective antivenoms. In a last message to her friends, Nwangene wrote: "Please come."
In other news, 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, considered Maduro's frontman, could be extradited to the US in days. The Guardian also reported that billionaire media mogul Raúl Gorrín was arrested at the same address.
Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia completed a prisoner of war swap, resulting in the return of more than 300 prisoners of war to their respective countries. Al Jazeera reported that several freed prisoners tearfully spoke to their families over the phone immediately after their release.
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