You might think a shooting range could be a slightly dangerous place to visit on vacation because there's that small chance you could get shot. Unfortunately, eight Japanese tourists were killed at a Busan indoor shooting range in South Korea on the weekend, but ironically, because a fire burned the place down.

So far there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire, although they seem to think it started in a sofa near the entrance (cigarette butt, anyone?). The Japanese group was on a two-day trip to Busan, which is one of the closest parts of South Korea to Japan.]]> amandak 2009-11-16T09:19:28-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/9/8102/03376

Earlier this year we learned all about the potential for disaster when it comes to airplanes flying with loose screws over densely populated areas. Well we’ve got another piece of airplane shrapnel to add to the list.

Over the weekend, Delta Flight 799 was on its way to Tokyo from JFK when it lost a pretty big piece. Thankfully the Boeing 777 made it to Japan without any difficulties, and the issue was actually only discovered when it had landed. Apparently the part wasn’t essential, but we doubt that Boeing felt that way when they designed the airplane. ]]> kjb 2009-11-09T08:59:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/28/11241/230

Where you perhaps planning on driving over to Oakland from San Francisco to check out why we named Oakland as one of the Five Cities With A Bad Rap worth visiting? It's too bad you'll be cut off from the goodness for who knows how long, after steel cables snapped last night, hitting three cars on the roadway below and stopping up traffic for over two hours.

There were no injuries when the bridge cracked its metal whip, but repairs and general safety issues will keep the region's busiest bridge shut down at least through tonight. Granted, the pieces that snapped were themselves an emergency repair made over Labor Day weekend, but now we're generally worried about bridge fatigue; perhaps we should be putting pennies into boxes for "Save The Steel Bridges" instead of Ronald McDonald House?

Public transporation options, after the jump. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-10-28T08:49:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/7/95512/51752

Well we made it through a very hectic Labor Day weekend for travelers without any major mishaps, that is, unless you were spending your three-day weekend in The Philippines, where a Superferry sunk on Sunday after a mysterious clunk was heard and the ferry began listing. As a result of the tragedy, nine people lost their lives although 957 others were saved—you can even see them heading down the ladders on the side of the ship in the picture above.

As if we weren't already wary about boarding vintage-looking vessels, The Guardian UK has this to say:

Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of tropical storms, badly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations. Last year, a ferry overturned after sailing towards a powerful typhoon, killing more than 800 people on board.

]]> JetSetCD 2009-09-08T08:44:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/2/737/17273

Remember how your parents pestered you about getting travel insurance before you headed off on spring break or to Europe? We admit that our own insurance coverage over the years has been hit-or-miss, but every now and again we remember why we pay for it.

This is one of those times. Recently, an Aussie tourist took an unlucky fall off a steep mountain track in India and ended up paralyzed in a hospital in New Delhi. And yes, you guessed it, this guy was traveling without any insurance, even though he was 64 years old and should have known better. ]]> amandak 2009-09-02T10:24:45-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/5/8561/36675

Note to self: never fly into Thailand's Koh Samui island during heavy tropical rainstorms. Way back in 1990, bad weather caused a Bangkok Air plane to crash into a coconut grove, killing all 37 people on board. Yesterday it was again a Bangkok Air plane that crashed on Koh Samui, but this time the only fatality was the pilot.

The flight, from resort island Krabi to the Koh Samui, another resort island, landed during heavy rains and failed to brake hard enough to stop the plane from skidding into an unused airport control tower.

Onboard were many tourists, including a British couple on their honeymoon who suffered injuries, yet only 7 of the 72 people on board needed to be transported to a hospital for treatment. Although the pilot died, the co-pilot survived with only leg injuries.

Related Stories:
· Life Fears Of Plane Crash Briton [BBC]
· Four Britons Hurt In Fatal Thai Air Crash [Times UK]
· Accidents Coverage [Jaunted]

[Video: ITN]]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-05T09:12:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/20/11332/0829

After weeks of grieving for various celebrity deaths, a nation was finally able to laugh again this weekend when we learned of a Wienermobile crashing into a Wisconsin home.

The 22-year-old driver of the iconic Oscar Mayer promotional car, one of six such vehicles nationwide, was trying to turn around in a private driveway and accidentally shifted into drive, according to the Associated Press. No one was hurt and the owners weren't home, which isn't to say they didn't have a massive shock at seeing their home turned into a bun.

Twelve Weinermobile drivers are chosen yearly from a pool of over a thousand applicants, but the job requirements don't specify that would-be hotdoggers know how to drive at all, let alone handle a 27-foot-long, 7000-pound fiberglass lunch. The Hotdoggers write on their official blog that they are back on the highway, which means homeowners in St. Louis should put down the portcullis before leaving for work.

This is the second recent Wienermobile accident to make the national news, following a 2008 mishap on a snowy highway in Pennsylvania (albeit, again, with no casualties). Ironically, former chairman Oscar G. Mayer (the grandson of the founder) died two weeks ago in Wisconsin at the age of 95. His main request for the funeral? No Wienermobile.

Related Stories:
· Wienermobile crashes into Racine County home [JS Online]
· Franks For Your Concern [Hotdogger Blog]
· The Troubling History of Wienermobile Traffic Incidents [Wizbang Pop]
· Retired chairman of Oscar Mayer Foods dead at 95 [Jaunted]

[Photo: JS Online]]]> egw 2009-07-20T13:59:21-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/