Beijing-Hangzhou flight plunges a kilometer in 2 minutes, 2 injured

20:43, August 22, 2020

• 

  Delta to add 2 China-US weekly passenger flights

  File photo: CGTNDelta Air Lines will add two more weekly flights between China and the United States starting from August 24, the airline said Thursday.The move is aimed at meeting increasing customer demand and rebound in the air travel market, said Delta.In late June, Delta became the first U.S. airline to resume passenger flight services between the U.S. and China following a temporary suspension in February due to the COVID-19 outbreak.The newly added flights will depart from Seattle and Detroit, respectively, and arrive in Shanghai, both via Seoul. With the new additions, the airline will be operating four weekly flights between the United States and China.Delta will provide hygienic and safe flight services to passengers by constantly improving quality standards based on advice from medical experts and customer feedback, said the airline.

• 

  China renews orange alert for rainstorms

  BEIJING — China's national observatory on Aug 17 continued to issue an orange alert for rainstorms in several provinces and regions.From 2 pm on Aug 17 to 2 pm on Aug 18, torrential rains and rainstorms are expected to lash parts of the Sichuan Basin, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi

• 

  2 bodies found, 2 missing after explosion in Texas port

  The bodies of two missing crew members of a dredging boat were found Saturday following an explosion a day earlier in the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard crews respond to a dredge on fire in the Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Aug. 21, 2020 in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Photo: AP)Two other crew members of the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd remain missing and the search for them continues, Coast Guard Capt. Jason Gunning said during a Saturday afternoon news conference.The explosion happened at about 8 a.m. Friday when the vessel struck a submerged pipeline, according to the Coast Guard, and Port of Corpus Christi officials said it was a natural gas pipeline."Our thoughts and prayers go out to the impacted crewmen and their families," Sean Strawbridge, CEO, Port of Corpus Christi, said Saturday."A full investigation is underway; however, search and rescue efforts are our first priority. It will not be clear for some time the cause of this accident, and any definitive statements to the contrary would be premature," Strawbridge added.The Waymon L Boyd is owned by Houston-based marine construction contractor Orion Marine Group."We greatly appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and other responders in their efforts to recover our missing crewmen," Orion CEO Mark Stauffer said in the statement.The fire onboard the vessel was first extinguished Friday afternoon, but sparked again and was finally put out at approximately 10 p.m. Friday, shortly before the vessel broke apart and sunk, the Coast Guard said.The vessel carried a maximum of about 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel, said Brent Koza, the regional manager for the Texas General Land Office, which investigates oil spills."We have identified and are preparing for that as our worst case discharge scenario," and diesel is being recovered from the channel and around environmental...