In our news wrap Saturday, the U.S. completed the first land evacuation of private American citizens from Sudan’s capital, Russia says Ukrainian drones struck a fuel depot in Crimea, a manhunt is underway for a suspect in the fatal shooting of five people in Texas, and the Mississippi River is threatening communities along its banks as it rises to its highest level in decades.
News Wrap: Hundreds of Americans evacuated from Khartoum amid fighting in Sudan
World
Apr 29, 2023 05:50 PM EDT
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John Yang:
Good evening, I'm John Yang. The pace of the mass departures from the unrelenting fighting and Sudan is stepping up. Tonight the State Department says the first overland convoy organized by the U.S. government has safely delivered about 300 Americans from Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
It took about 24 hours for the convoy of buses to make the 525-mile journey. Armed American drones hovered high overhead on the lookout for threats. The Americans will not have traveled to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia where other nations have already evacuated their citizens.
The United States airlifted diplomats out of the country last weekend and has helped some Americans get seats on flights organized by allied nations.
In Khartoum smoked out of the skyline and gun and artillery fire was heard. A shaky 72-hour ceasefire expected to end Sunday night has done little to interrupt the fighting. Those remaining in the capital city are sheltering with water and supplies running low as the violent conflict between two rival generals enters a third week. More than 500 people are dead, nearly 5000 wounded.
Russia says Ukrainian drone struck a fuel depot and the illegally annexed territory of Crimea today. It ignited a massive blaze that was visible for miles. Ukraine wouldn't claim responsibility for the attack but an official said the strike was God's punishment for a Russian missile strike on Ukrainian apartment complex just a day ago. At least 23 people including several children died in that attack.
A man on his underway in Texas for a suspect police believe used an AR-15 style rifle late last night to kill five of his neighbors including an eight-year-old child in a community outside of Houston.
Authority say the family had asked the suspect their next-door neighbor to stop firing a gun in his yard because they were trying to sleep. According to the gun violence archive the United States is on a record pace in 2023 for shootings with four or more deaths. There have been 17 so far this year. That's an average of one every week.
The Mississippi River is threatening communities along expanse this weekend rising to the highest levels in decades as the giant snowpack up river in Minnesota melts. Across Iowa from the Quad Cities down to Dubuque. Residents are preparing for the worst as the river spills into communities. It's forecast to crest by Monday morning.
In California much of the eastern part of the Yosemite National Park is closed at least until next week, due to flooding. The Merced River which cuts through the park will rise to dangerous levels as their record mountain snowpack melts.
Still to come on "PBS News Weekend," Montana's plan to ease teacher shortages in rural America and the science behind this particularly bad allergy season.
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