h4 children, 2 adults die in Indiana house fire

h4 children, 2 adultsdie in Indiana house fire
GARY, Ind. -- Heather Smith, above right, is consoled at the scene of a fire that claimed the life of her sister. Fire gutted the small house early Wednesday, killing four children and two adults, as intense heat drove back relatives and neighbors who tried to break windows to get them out, authorities said. Two adults and three children ages 1 to 12 were pronounced dead of burns and smoke inhalation shortly after the blaze. An 11-year-old boy died Wednesday afternoon at a hospital. A 7-year-old boy and an adult female remained hospitalized. Neighbor Michael Dukes said he ran across the street to the burning house after hearing a woman screaming about 3 a.m. He pulled a young boy from the home's living room, where flames were rolling up the ceiling from a couch. The blaze was sparked by the misuse of smoking materials, said Gary fire investigator Norman Roby. Initial rescue attempts were hampered by burglar bars on the home's windows, and the smoke detector that firefighters found did not have a battery. Laura Smith, 37, was dead at the scene. Kenneth Andrews, 35, and the couple's 1-year-old son, Malik Smith, as well as Andrews' sons, Darriontae Andrews, 9, and Andre Andrews, 12, died at a local hospital shortly after the fire. The 11-year-old boy, who officials said was also related to Kenneth Andrews, died at the University of Chicago Hospital. Seven-year-old Eric Andrews was in critical condition, spokeswoman Kristin O'Neill said. State Fire Marshal Roger Johnson said that even though the window bars could have blocked an escape route, the smoke inside would have "rendered the victims helpless."
Top Mexican officialdies in helicopter crash
MEXICO CITY -- A helicopter carrying a Cabinet minister who plays a top role in Mexico's anti-drug fight crashed in cloud-shrouded mountains outside Mexico City on Wednesday, killing him and all eight others on board. The burned wreckage of the Bell helicopter was found in a mountainous, wooded area about 20 miles outside Mexico City several hours after it was reported missing. The aircraft was carrying Public Safety Secretary Ramon Martin Huerta -- a trusted ally of President Vicente Fox whose ministry heads the federal police force -- Federal Preventive Police Chief Tomas Valencia, five other passengers and a crew of two. It had taken off from a military base in Mexico City and was headed to a ceremony at the maximum-security La Palma prison, 35 miles west of Mexico City, when it was crashed in mountains surrounded by dense clouds. "They all died in the line of duty," Fox said in a televised address, his voice cracking with emotion. "They are heroes ... I have lost not just a co-worker, but a close friend, Ramon." Fox offered no explanation of why the helicopter crashed. But Mario Martinez, a pilot who was following in another helicopter, told local media that Huerta's craft had disappeared into a dense bank of clouds and was lost to view.
Flu shots not as effectivein elderly, researchers say
LONDON -- A new analysis of 40 years of research provides more evidence that flu shots are not as effective in the elderly as commonly believed. But health officials said older people should still be vaccinated. The research, done by an international collaboration of scientists known as the Cochrane Review Group, found the vaccine is only about 28 percent effective when given to people over 65. Older people are particularly vulnerable to influenza. The findings are similar to those of a study done by U.S. National Institutes of Health that found flu shots for the elderly in the United States had not saved lives. However, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the findings, published today on the Web site of the Lancet medical journal, do not change their recommendation that elderly people get the shots. "There are a number of studies published that report on varying degrees of effectiveness. But there are also a lot of studies that point to the fact that the vaccines are effective in preventing the serious complications that lead to hospitalizations and death, and that's an important note that we should never lose sight of," said Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman.
Cindy Sheehan travelsto D.C. for anti-war rally
WASHINGTON -- Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan pledged Wednesday to "force change to happen" during protest speeches outside the White House and Capitol. Sheehan arrived in Washington after a three-week cross-country bus tour that began near President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. She is expected to participate in an anti-Iraq war rally Saturday that organizers hope could draw tens of thousands of people. Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed last year in Iraq, wants Bush to explain why he sent the United States to war and say what steps he will take to end the conflict. Later, Bush paid tribute to the mothers of military men and women who have died in the line of duty. He proclaimed Sunday as Gold Star Mother's Day and instructed that the U.S. flag be flown over government buildings. He also urged Americans to display the flag as well.
Associated Press