A motorcycle rider was tragically killed in a collision with a car on the British highway A4112 near Kinnersley, Herefordshire, on Sunday. The fatal crash occurred around Monday, leaving one person dead. The video of the tragic accident has gone viral on social media.

The viral video shows a motorcyclist travelling at dangerously high speed crashing into a car that was making a slow right turn. Despite the motorcyclist’s attempt to brake sharply upon realising the imminent collision, he lost control, causing the bike to flip. The impact triggered a devastating fire that engulfed both the rider and the motorcycle.

According to a release by the National Health Service of the UK, West Midlands Ambulance Service received calls from police and fire colleagues reporting a road traffic collision involving a motorcycle and a car on the A4112 in Kinnersley, Hereford, at 11.05am yesterday (26th August 2024). Two ambulances and a paramedic officer responded to the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “On arrival, ambulance staff found a motorcyclist, a man, who was in a critical condition being cared for by an off-duty doctor. Sadly, nothing could be done to save the man, and he was confirmed dead on scene. No one else was injured in the collision.”

Representational image of a fisherman raising a Philippine flag on his boat in the South China Sea
| Photo Credit: AP

A Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship collided near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Monday, China’s coast guard said.

The coast guard said a Philippine supply ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands that’s part of territory claimed by several nations.

ALSO READ | China says U.S. plays ‘dishonourable role’ supporting Philippines in South China Sea

The Chinese coast guard said in a statement on the social media platform WeChat the Philippine supply ship “ignored China’s repeated solemn warnings… and dangerously approached a Chinese vessel in normal navigation in an unprofessional manner, resulting in a collision”.

“The Philippines is entirely responsible for this,” it added.

The Philippines says the shoal, which lies less than 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast, falls within its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone and often cites a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea based on historical grounds.

Several incidents have happened in recent months near the shoal, where the Philippines maintains a post aboard the BRP Sierra Madre ship.

ALSO READ |South China Sea: Asia’s disputed waters

The territorial disputes have strained relations and sparked fears the conflict could bring China and the United States, a longtime treaty ally of the Philippines, into a military confrontation.

Washington lays no territorial claims to the busy seaway, a key global trade route, but has warned that it’s obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also involved in the long-seething territorial disputes, which are regarded as a flashpoint in Asia and a delicate fault line in the longstanding U.S.-China rivalry in the region.