A total of 3,776 fires and explosions broke out across Vietnam in the first 10 months of 2018, 91 people were killed and 235 others injured.
The fires and explosions also caused property losses of some 69.5 million U.S. dollars, said the officials of Vietnam’s Fire Prevention and Fight Department on Monday.
In October alone, Vietnam faced 368 fires and explosions which claimed nine human lives, injured 11 people, and left losses of 4.5 million U.S. dollars.
In the first 10 months, the Southeast Asian country suffered 3,464 fires and explosions, which left 85 people dead and 220 others injured, and caused losses of 65.2 million U.S. dollars.
Despite a decreasing global trend, the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam grew by 92.2 percent, surpassing 15 billion dollars in the first 10 months of 2018.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) indicated on Monday that during this period, 2,458 new projects were authorized under this regime, and of the already existing ones, 954 increased their capital or bought shares for 6.543 billion dollars, a year-on-year growth of 35.8 percent.
From January to October of 2018, the bulk of FDI was placed in the processing and manufacturing industry (13.279 billion dollars), real estate (5.714 billion dollars) and wholesale and retail (2.385 billion dollars).
In mid-October, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said that in the first half of the year, FDI flows fell by 41%globally, reaching around 470 billion dollars, far from the 794 billion that circulated in the same period of 2017.
The analysis of the agency associated the decline to factors such as the tax reform in the United States at the end of 2017, which expanded the repatriations carried out by the head offices of U.S. companies of income accumulated abroad by their subsidiaries.
According to James Zhan, Director of the Investment and Enterprise Division of the UNCTAD, the panorama in this sense ‘continues being somber.’
As of August 20, 2018, there were 26,500 FDI projects with a registered capital of 334 billion dollars were activated in Vietnam.
The local authorities attribute the growing flow of foreign capital to the international prestige of the country, its responsible presence in multilateral mechanisms and the superior categorization of its business environment.
Multiple riders took fright when Vietnam’s longest cable car abruptly halted, leaving them trapped in mid-air over water for more than an hour on Saturday.
The incident played out at around 3:00 pm on a sweltering afternoon on the Hon Thom Cable Car in Kien Giang Province, located in southwestern Vietnam.
The passengers, including children and elderly people, felt tired and very worried at the time when they were accompanied by no staff member from the cable car operator.
The Hon Thom Cable Car in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre
A rider called an emergency number and received the news that a switch from one electric generator to another had caused the cable car to stall.
He was reassured that the problem would be handled in only five minutes.
Support towers of the Hon Thom Cable Car in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre
But an hour passed without the situation improving, and passengers began making numerous telephone calls for help.
“That was the first time I had taken a cable car ride, but I found myself dangling in mid-air for over one hour without drinking water while the temperature was really scorching,” Nguyen Ngoc Tan, a 62-year-old passenger, recalled.
“I called my family, and they cried because of anxiety.”
Nguyen Huu Tuynh, deputy director of Sun Group, the Hon Thom Cable Car’s developer, said that all stranded passengers eventually came to the terminal safely.
Sun Group extended apologies to the riders and refunded their cable car fares, Tuynh said.
A power glitch prompted the cars to stop, he confirmed.
The Hon Thom Cable Car in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre
The Hon Thom Cable Car stretches around 7,899 meters from a town on Vietnam’s tourist mecca of Phu Quoc Island to the neighboring smaller islands of Hon Roi and Hon Thom.
The ropeway, launched in February, was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s longest non-stop three-rope cable car.
A terminal of the Hon Thom Cable Car (red marker) in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam, is seen in this Google Maps rendition. Photo: Tuoi Tre
The cable car system has 69 cabins, offering free Wi-Fi, with a capacity of up to 30 passengers each, and they can move at the maximum speed of 8.5 meters per second.
Its largest support tower stands about 174 meters above sea level.
Market grappling with pessimistic sentiment among investors.
Positive signs in Asian stock markets weren’t reflected in Vietnam on the first day of the new week, with the VN-Index losing 9 points at one stage in the morning session.
Trade was relatively quiet. Bottom buying was quite weak and only seen at very low prices, while sellers only accepted selling in the high price range, resulting in low liquidity.
At 10am the VN-Index had fallen 3.19 points (0.35 per cent) to 897.63 points, while both the HNX-Index and UPCoM-Index rose. The matching order value was a low VND550 billion ($23.6 million), with investors remaining cautious.
Oil and gas stocks were active, with PVS, PVD, PVB, PET and PGS rising. Banking stocks such as ACB, CTG, BID, MBB, SHB, HDB and TCB also gained, helping the market become more active compared to early on.
At the end of morning session the VN-Index was down 7.62 points (0.85 per cent) to 893.2 points, the HNX-Index 0.03 points (0.03 per cent) to 101.76 points, and the UPCoM-Index 0.04 points (0.07 per cent) to 51.09 points. Total matching value was only VND1.4 trillion ($60.1 million).
Many stocks still managed to gain ground, such as BVH, FPT, GMD, HAG, VHC, VRE, PVS, and PVD.
Foreigners net sold overall by VND20 billion ($858,835) – VND35 billion in net selling on HSX and VND15 billion in net buying on HNX and UPCoM.
Bluechips such as VRE, VJC, MWG, PNJ, FPT and GMD rose, with BVH, GAS, HPG, MSN, HSG, VHM and PLX doing particularly well.
Given the existing market trends, Bao Viet Securities (BVSC) said that investor sentiment is quite pessimistic and there has been some level of panic in the short term. The market may need to fall further to create a more balanced supply and demand.
The VN-Index is supported by the SMA100 area of 884-885 points. The mid-term trend in the market is turning negative, so BVSC believes it may soon penetrate the support range in the near future.
In the short term, the Index is falling significantly as the Bollinger Band continues to go down. This may cause the market to break its old bottom of around 885 and retreat to the next support level of 860-870 points.
Dozens of children aged seven to 12 had to be hospitalized with food poisoning Sunday after attending a church service in HCMC.
Preliminary investigation reveals that the kids had been served bread roll sandwich with chicken floss that morning at the Tan Thai Son Church in the suburban Tan Phu District to the west of the city.
Around 11 a.m. many of them started vomiting and had high fever, stomachache and diarrhea. The families immediately took them to a local hospital.
Soon dozens more started having similar symptoms.
As of Sunday night at least 55 children and two adults had been hospitalized with food poisoning.
Health officials inspected the sandwich retailer in Tan Phu and its chicken floss supplier in Cu Chi District, one hour away, on Monday morning and found several hygiene violations.
They are still testing food samples for further conclusions but suspected that the chicken floss had been infected with Staphylococcus, a bacteria genus known as a common cause of food poisoning.
Food poisoning breaks out frequently in Vietnam, mostly after meals at school and factory canteens.
In December last year 142 children at An Phu Primary School in HCMC’s District 2 were hospitalized and diagnosed with gastrointestinal infections after eating food served at the school.
The offenders in such cases are rarely taken to court.
Official data shows 1,300 people were affected in 53 cases of food poisoning in the first half of this year, 11 of them fatally.
A young American woman was killed in a traffic accident Monday morning in the northern province of Ha Nam.
The victim, whose name has not been revealed, was driving on the National Highway 1A from Hanoi to the nearby Ninh Binh Province when her motorbike was hit by a container truck moving in the same direction, the Thanh Nien newspaper reported.
The accident took place at around 7:30 a.m. in Thanh Liem District, around an hour drive to the north of Hanoi.
The 23-year-old woman was killed almost instantly, Nguyen Van Trung, director of Ha Nam Police, told local media.
Some eyewitnesses said the driver of the truck fled the scene after the accident.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident and looking for the truck driver.
Last week, a French woman and a Spanish man were killed in a road accident in Ha Giang Province after a head-on crash with a truck trailer, prompting provincial authorities to issue a document asking local police to clamp down on traffic violations by foreigners and tighten control on motorbike rental service.
Many bike rental services in Vietnam are said to require foreign customers to present passports only, and not driving licenses.
Road crashes are a leading cause of deaths in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour. A total of more than 9,000 traffic accidents occurred in the first half of this year, killing nearly 4,100 people and injuring over 7,000, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.
Vietnamese food platform raises $500,000 in second seed round investment.
Vietnamese homegrown venture capital firm ESP Capital recently announced it has completed a second seed round investment in Vietnamese food recipe portal Cooky, raising $500,000 in a funding round led by an existing backer.
Local venture firm Founders Capital and undisclosed angel investors also participated in the financing round. The food portal previously received seed financing from ESP Capital in 2017.
“After working for a long time with the Cooky team, we decided to accompany it for the long term and supplemented capital in order to support its growth in the time to come,” said Ms. Le Hoang Uyen Vy, CEO of ESP Capital. “I recognize that home cooking demand has become more popular among the millennial generation, especially young married couples. The Cooky platform has grown rapidly, as have our expectations, so we fully believe in its development potential in the future.”
“The latest investment will be used to enhance our offerings, enlarge the user base and expand our operations,” said Mr. Vuong Nguyen, founder of Cooky. “Cooky hopes to be the bridge for people’s cooking becoming easier and more interesting.”
Founded in 2015, the food recipe portal now has over 3 million visits per month as well as 40,000 recipes on its online platform and more than 200 offline cooking tutorial sessions. Cooky said it was targeting millennials, who were born between 1980 and 2000 and account for 33 per cent of Vietnam’s population of 100 million and are more inclined towards the do-it-yourself and online sharing lifestyles.
Cooky further said that it plans to deepen its brand name through a series of initiatives, including organizing more tutorial sessions, connecting users with celebrities and chefs, and increasing online interaction between users.
ESP Capital, established in 2017, has $20 million in the kitty to invest in early-stage Vietnamese startups. It is also targeting opportunities across Southeast Asia. It has funded ten companies, including eight Vietnamese startups and two Singapore-based startups. Founders Capital is domiciled in Singapore and has an office in Hanoi. It has backed Vietnamese startups including Netlink, Zmedia, Thethao247, Metub Network, Luxstay and Viralworks.
Two months ago, the Vietnam-based provider of video and livestream cloud API platform Uiza also secured an undisclosed pre-seed funding from ESP Capital and Japanese IT Corporation Framgia Inc.
Vietnam has seen a sharp increase in the number of cancer patients and annual deaths, while diagnosis is often late.
K Hospital in Hanoi launched a ceremony to raise public awareness of cancer on Saturday.
According to the hospital, cancer has become a major burden for many countries, including Vietnam. The Global Cancer Observatory showed that so far this year, 18.1 million people have contracted cancer, resulting in 9.6 million deaths.
Vietnam alone has reported 164,671 new cancer cases since early this year, including 114,871 fatalities.
A report from the Global Cancer Observatory and the National Cancer Institute, Vietnam has around 115,000 new cancer patients per year, including 94,000 deaths.
Doctor Nguyen Tien Quang from K Hospital said that cancer could be completely cured if detected early enough. He added that most cancer patients in Vietnam go to hospital for medical check-up quite late, so the treatment effectiveness is limited.
He warned that people of more than 40 years old usually face a higher risk of cancer. So, it is necessary for them to have regular medical check-ups.
Commercial banks are rushing to provide loans for green energy projects amid a wave of investment in the growing industry, dubbed a landmark for the country’s renewable energy outlook.
Vietcombank has recently approved a VND785 billion (US$33.55 million) loan for the BP Solar 1 project, which has total investment capital of VND1.2 trillion with designed output of 46MW in the south central coast province of Ninh Thuận.
The bank last month also signed a contract with the Dai Hai Power Investment and Development SJC to fund its VND1 trillion Srepok Solar 1, which has a designed output of 50MW.
Another bank – HDBank – has so far also planned to set aside up to VND7 trillion for the construction of green energy projects from now to 2020.
Under HDBank’s plans, it will lend to projects which were approved by the Government and reach their commercial operation date before June 30, 2019.
To qualify for the bank’s loans, borrowers must have a minimum equity of VND150 billion and the equity ratio in their projects must be at least 30 per cent of the projects’ total investment capital. The bank also requires that all proceeds from the projects be transferred to the customers’ accounts at HDBank.
VietinBank has recently financed VND1 trillion for the 68.8 MW TTC 01 solar project in the southern province of Tay Ninh. The project has total investment of VND1.6 trillion.
Early this year, two banks – Agribank and Vietnam Development Bank – signed a contract to co-fund the Phong Dien solar power project in the central province of Thua Thien Hue.
The Phong Dien project, which has a designed output of 35 MW and total investment cost of VND838 billion, was recently inaugurated after just nine months of construction, becoming the first solar power plant to be put in to operation in the country.
The wave of investment in the renewable energy industry was spurred by the Government’s incentives and the country’s strong potential for solar and wind energy generation. Investors are also racing against time so their projects enjoy the Government’s preferential feed-in tariff (FiT).
According to the Government, only solar energy projects which reach commercial operation dates (COD) before June 30, 2019 qualify to enjoy the FiT of 9.35 US cents per kWh. The deadline for onshore and offshore wind power projects to get the FiT of VND1,928 (8.5 US cents) and VND2,223 (9.8 US cents) per kWh, respectively, is November 1, 2021.
With such prices, if they meet the deadline, renewable power projects will make significant profits as the power retail price currently averages at only VND1,720.65 per kWh (7.54 US cents).
The financial and business information corporation Stoxplus said that foreign and local investors are excited about renewable energy in Viet Nam, which is expected to grow at 23.2 per cent annually during 2020-30.
There are some 245 renewable energy projects in Viet Nam, including wind and solar power as well as biomass electricity, which are being deployed at different stages. If all these projects begin operation, the total capacity of the country’s renewable energy should reach 23.2GW, which is nearly 10 times higher than the target of 2.65GW by 2020 as indicated in the country’s Revised National Master Power Plan VII.
The third Coffee Expo Vietnam 2018 will be held in HCM City next week, attracting 250 brands from 10 nations.
The event, which is slated from November 1-3 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), will display and introduce equipment and materials for coffee making, as well as bakery tools and materials from domestic and international brands.
The annual expo also offers coffee and confectionary business and shop owners to seek sources of high-quality materials as well as learn about business and investment activities.
A highlight of the event will be the Việt Nam Super Barista Championship with prizes worth up to VNĐ200 million (US$8,584).
Coffee was first cultivated in Việt Nam in 1857. To date, Việt Nam’s coffee plantations cover 20,000ha. The country exports 1.8 million tonnes of coffee beans, raking in $3.2 billion per year. Việt Nam is currently the world’s second largest coffee exporter, after Brazil.
Việt Nam exported 1.46 million tonnes of coffee worth $2.77 billion in the first nine months of 2018, an increase of 20.1 per cent in volume and 0.4 per cent in value compared to the same period last year.
Vietnam Mattress Market is Expected to reach USD 291 million by 2021: Ken Research
Vietnam Mattress Market by size (King Size, Queen Size, Single Size and Others), type (Latex, spring and others), local and international players, urban and rural demand, region (Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong and Others), distribution channels (Retail, Direct and online) and sectors (Residential, Hotels, Hospitals and Others), by Market Share of Major Companies (KYMDAN, Hava’s Mattress Vietnam, Lien A Mattress, Dunlopillo, Far East Foam, Van Than Mousse & Foam Company, Lotus Mattress, Kim Cuong Mattress, Everpia JSC, BVD Wonders)
Rising number of online players to foster growth for Vietnam mattress market.
Growing tourism in the country will surge the demand for hotels which will have a positive impact in the sales volume of mattress in the country in coming years.
Ken Research in its latest study, “Vietnam Mattress Market by Type (spring, Latex, Hybrid, Foam), Size (King, Queen, Single Size), By End Users (Residential and Non-Residential and Region–Outlook to 2021” suggests that KYMDAN, Lien A Mattress, Hava’s Mattress and Far East Foam Mattress will remain the major Mattress players in this space.
The residential units in Vietnam have been increasing over the past few years owing to the Housing law and law of Real Estate Business which has been effective from July 2015. It allows the foreigners to legally own, sell or transfer real estate properties. Increasing consumer spending, urbanization, rising awareness among the people regarding the relationship between sound sleep and good quality mattress are few other factors that will foster growth in the mattress market. Rising income levels of the individuals will raise their standard of living, which increases the consumer spending on home furnishings such as mattresses.
The mattress market has been evolving over the years and presently consists of both offline and online players. Online players consist of online retail shopping sites and apps offering various verticals and players exclusive to bedding and mattress. The leading online players selling mattresses in Vietnam are Alibaba, Tiki, Lazada and Vatgia. The mattress players started their online websites for enhancing the consumer base and revenue generation including companies such as Hava’s mattress, KYMDAN, Lien-A Mattress and others. The international players such as Dunlopillo have also joined the online platform.
Though, the major players have their websites but the purchasing and payment feature on the online platform is still not present in these sites such as KYMDAN. Online bookings have increased over the years with the rising number of smart phone users and internet penetration. Online channels have several benefits over purchasing from physical store including more convenience, discounts and offers, time and money saving and others.
Tourism industry is growing in Vietnam which has made a positive impact on the mattress industry in the country. Few trends that have led to increase in Vietnam tourism include rise in Chinese and Koreans travelers to the country, 15-day visa-free policy for France, Germany, UK, Spain, Italy and Belarus increased investment in air travel infrastructure and others. Tourist destinations in Vietnam including Saigo Notre Dame Cathedral, Temple of Literature, Hoan Kiem Lake, My Khe Beach, Khai Dinh Tomb, Imperial Citadel and others attract visitors leading a positive impact on the hospitality industry in the country. This has increased the demand for hotels in the country which has directly impacted the sales of mattresses in Vietnam.
“Vietnam Mattress Market by Type (Spring, Latex, Hybrid, Foam), Size (King, Queen, Single Size), by End Users (Residential and Non Residential) and Region – Outlook to 2021”
Vietnam Mattress Market is projected to register a positive CAGR during the period 2016-2021. Increase in number of households, hotels and hospitals, changing consumer preferences and rise in demand for therapeutic mattress is expected to drive the Vietnam Mattress Market in the future.
The report provides information on market size of the Vietnam Mattress Market, market segmentation on the basis of size of mattress, type of mattress, local and international players, urban and rural demand, region, distribution channels and sectors.
Vietnam’s movie business is growing quickly. New theaters are being built across the country. Young filmmakers are entering the market.
In the past, movies about Vietnam centered on Hollywood’s ideas about the Vietnam War. They starred American actors with Vietnamese playing background parts. But this is changing.
Academy Awards submission
Ngo Thanh Van became an international movie star with her part in the latest version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Now she has turned to directing. Her newest film is called The Tailor. It will be Vietnam’s official entry for next year’s Academy Awards in the foreign language category.
“Making movies in the Vietnamese market is a risky business, not just for me,” Van told the internet news site Zing. “But it is because it is difficult that I want to put all my heart into doing it.”
Movie poster for the Vietnamese film Co Ba Saigon, or The Tailor.
Increasing demand
Increasing interest is coming from both Vietnamese filmmakers and Vietnamese movie-goers. The theater group CGV reported a 30 percent increase in profits for 2017 compared to the year before. CGV is just one company that shows movies, but it controls nearly half the movie theaters in the Southeast Asian country.
Critics call it a monopoly, but its market position shows the industry’s growth. Besides the South Korean-owned CGV, other movie theater companies in Vietnam include BHD, Galaxy, Skyline, Cinestar, Cinebox and Lotte.
The theaters are trying to meet demand for movies in an economy that is expanding at a rate of nearly 7 percent every year.
Vietnam’s growth has caused companies like Netflix, and another streaming service, iflix, to get into the Vietnamese market.
The investment advice company Investar wrote in an analysis of the film industry: “When a country develops, the next developmental need will be entertainment, so it is important to capture this demand.” It also said that money is being invested in the business.
Diaspora comes home
The growth of Vietnamese movies comes as more Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American actors appear in international films. The Netflix movie To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before stars a Vietnamese-American born in the Mekong Delta area. In Downsizing, actor Matt Damon performs with Hong Chau, who uses a thick Vietnamese accent but earned a Golden Globe nomination.
And people with Vietnamese ancestry are returning. American actors, directors, producers and film editors have returned to Vietnam in recent years, like Johnny Tri and Charlie Nguyen.
Filmmakers from France, a former colonial ruler of Vietnam, have also arrived, such as two French-Vietnamese who set up an animation business in Ho Chi Minh City.
Performer Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen said on her Facebook page, “If you support Vietnamese movies, the movies will be profitable, and investors will put in more money.”
She added that Vietnam has plenty of beautiful areas to film movies.
Hong Chau and Matt Damon in the film “Downsizing.” (Paramount Pictures)
A good place for movie-making
Kong: Skull Island is a good example of a successful movie filmed in Vietnam. It is the latest version of the famous King Kong movies. It includes pictures of the green waters of Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage place.
The film also signaled an important change in movies in Vietnam. The film takes place during the Vietnam War. But, it celebrates the performances of Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson and the natural beauty of the country.
Vietnamese-language films are being watched around the world. They include films like Cyclo and The White Silk Dress. Local people hope those are just the start of a growing trend.
“We know that Vietnamese movies are not yet equal with neighboring countries, because we are still in a period of opening up,” said Ky Duyen. “But that does not mean that we will not catch up.”
India has Bollywood. Nigeria has Nollywood. Vietnam may soon develop its own version: Vollywood.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner of the English Premier League soccer club Leicester City, was killed Saturday night when his helicopter crashed in a ball of flames outside the stadium, the team confirmed on Sunday.
The soccer club announced late Sunday “with the deepest regret and a collective broken heart” that none of the five on board survived.
The helicopter crashed about 8:30 p.m. outside King Power Stadium following Leicester City’s game against West Ham United. One of Mr. Vichai’s two daughters, Voramas Srivaddhanaprabha; two pilots; and an unidentified fifth person were also believed to have been on board, news media reports said.
With little official information released by Mr. Vichai’s family, the soccer club or the police for more than 24 hours after the crash, fans had filled the void with hope and expressions of gratitude.
On Sunday, a steady stream of fans — first dozens and then hundreds — headed toward the King Power Stadium, bearing flowers, scarves and Leicester’s Royal Blue jerseys, and laying their tributes carefully at an impromptu shrine outside the stadium.
Against the wall rested an image of Ganesha — a testament to the substantial Hindu population in the city, about 102 miles northwest of London — and a small statue of Buddha — a tribute to Mr. Vichai’s faith.
Rosemary Page said she couldn’t stay at home on Sunday. Since she and her husband, Andrew, heard reports of the crash, she had been unable to sleep.
“You just want to get more and more information,” Ms. Page, 61, said outside the stadium. “It doesn’t feel real. He was the best owner this club has ever had.”
To many, the crash felt personal. Mr. Vichai, a Thai billionaire who founded the duty-free retail giant King Power International and controls part of AirAsia, the region’s biggest discount carrier, has been cherished by fans ever since he bought the team in 2010 for 39 million pounds.
It had languished in the second-tier Championship. He then turned it into a Premier League champion by 2016 — the first title in its 132-year history.
Among the tributes at the King Power Stadium were photos of Mr. Vichai at the victory parade and a T-shirt, printed in the aftermath of the 2016 victory, reading: “Champions of England, we know what we are.”
His popularity was not simply rooted in his success, however.
“He did so much in the community of the city, gave so much to charity,” said Nick Orr, 58, who came to the stadium to pay tribute with his family. “He was just such a nice man. I don’t say it lightly, but it feels like losing a member of your family.”
As the bouquets and mementos kept arriving on Sunday, staff members cordoned off more of the area outside the stadium as a shrine, as fans awaited word on Mr. Vichai, who had endeared himself to the crowds by giving away beer, scarves, pies, hot dogs and doughnuts at the stadium around his birthday.
After Leicester City tied the game, 1-1, against West Ham on Saturday, many witnesses said they saw the chopper clear the stadium before it spiraled out of control. An investigation is underway to establish what, precisely, brought the helicopter down.
The city felt as if it were already in mourning, as many feared the worst even before Mr. Vichai’s death was confirmed.
“Everybody waiting up to hear an update about a man we’ve either never met or met a few time, but adore and love,” Hayley Sanderson wrote on Twitter. “That’s the true meaning of football. Hearts breaking all over the city right now.”
The wreckage of the helicopter outside the stadium on Saturday.
“Absolutely devastating news about the #LCFC helicopter crash,” Neil Harris wrote on Twitter. “Aside from bankrolling the club for a decade, these guys have thrown millions at hospitals and local charities.”
“You can’t put into words the love and respect for them in this city,” Mr. Harris said.
“He’s the man that allowed us to live the dream. There’s not an owner in the country that comes close to how connected with a city like he became,” Kristopher Warder, who describes himself as a “massive #LCFC fan,” wrote on Twitter on Saturday.
The Leicester City players Harry Maguire and Wilfred Ndidi shared prayer emojis on Twitter, as did the former team member Islam Slimani. “Speechless,” wrote Ben Chilwell, a defender for Leicester City and the English national team.
Gary Lineker, one of England’s most celebrated former professional soccer players and host of the popular BBC program “Match of the Day,” began his career with Leicester City. He called the events “a terrible tragedy” and “heartbreaking.”
News of the helicopter crash was breaking as Mr. Lineker’s show began on Saturday night. “That was the most difficult @BBCMOTD I’ve ever hosted,” he wrote on Twitter.
There was so much public interest in the crash that the Leicestershire police released a statement asking the public to be “patient, understanding and resist speculating on the detail and the circumstances.”
Emergency workers remained on the scene Sunday afternoon, and the police said they expected the inquiry to continue over the coming days.
Lion Air flight JT 610 crashed into the sea off the capital, Jakarta, Monday morning with 189 people on board, Indonesian investigators are examining debris.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying 181 passengers, including one child and two infants, as well as six crew members and two pilots, when it disappeared from radar during a short flight from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang, according to Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (SAR).
The plane took off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Greater Jakarta at 6.21 a.m. local time, and had been due to land at around 7:30 a.m. in Pangkal Pinan, the largest city on the Indonesian island of Bangka.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said there were 20 ministry officials on board, who were returning to their posts in Pangkal Pinang after spending the weekend with their families in Jakarta for a public holiday.
Debris, life vests and a cellphone have been discovered in the water two nautical miles from the coordinates given as the crash site, SAR officials said. The fuselage has not yet been located.
Boats, a helicopter and 250 rescuers, including divers, were working at the crash site, some 34 nautical miles off the coast near Jakarta in the Java Sea. The frogmen are searching in water up to 35 meters (114 feet) deep.
Officials examine debris suspected to be from a crashed Lion Air flight.
Images have been released by Indonesia Disaster Mitigation Agency showing officials examining what appears to be debris from the plane. Video shows an oil slick at the presumed site of the crash.
Authorities said they are still trying to locate the Emergency Locator Transmitter which is currently not transmitting.
‘Everything is on the table’
Former accident investigator Alan Diehl told CNN it looks like the accident occurred after a “sudden departure from controlled flight.”
“Air safety investigators will be looking at four broad categories — mechanical, human, weather and criminal. It appears now that weather was not a factor but other than that, everything is on the table.
“Clearly if you’re having an emergency you have to focus on troubleshooting first of all, and solving the problem, so you probably don’t have a lot of time to talk to the controllers. The fact that they had enough time to tell them that they wanted to return, that is significant.
“The fragmented floating debris suggests that there’s probably not going to be a rescue effort but they should certainly be able to recover the black boxes fairly expeditiously.”
Serpihan pesawat Lion Air JT 610 yang jatuh di perairan Karawang. Beberapa kapal tug boad membantu menangani evakuasi. Video diambil petugas tug boad yang ada di perairan Karawang. pic.twitter.com/4GhKcRYkpG
The aircraft was seen last on the radar at 6.22 a.m. at 2,500 to 3,000 feet, Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of the National Transport Safety Committee (NTSC) said. Australian air traffic controllers were asked for assistance but could not detect the aircraft.
A spokesman for the low-cost carrier confirmed to CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia that it had lost contact with the flight soon after take-off. The flight was last recorded in the Thousand Islands regency, an archipelago north of Jakarta.
Crash-site
Search teams are working on the assumption that the plane has sunk and were expected to use equipment to try to detect an underwater locator beacon.
Lion Air acquired the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in August 2018 and it had only flown 800 hours, Tjahjono said.
Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, released a statement saying the company was “deeply saddened” by the loss of flight JT 610.
“We express our concern for those on board, and extend heartfelt sympathies to their families and loved ones,” the statement said.
The 737 MAX 8 is one of the latest versions of a jet that was introduced in 1967. More than 10,000 737s have been produced, making it the best-selling jetliner of all time.
The MAX versions of the 737s are touted for their LEAP jet engines which Boeing says “redefine the future of efficient and environmentally friendly air travel.”
In its statement, Boeing said it was ready to provide technical assistance to accident investigators, and that all questions about the incident should be directed to Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC).
An image released by Indonesian rescue officials of debris pulled from the water.
Lion Air said the captain of JT 610, Bhavye Suneja, had more than 6,000 flight hours, and his copilot, named Harvino, more than 5,000. It said the plane had been declared “operationally feasible.”
Three of the crew were undergoing training, the statement said.
According to the Aviation Safety Network, the airline was added to the European Union’s blacklist of banned carriers in July 2007, and removed from the list in June 2016.
Source CNN | Edi Amin in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
