A man has died following a “well involved” house fire in the Auckland suburb of Panmure on Friday night.Emergency services received reports of a house fire in Benghazi Rd, Panmure, just after 10.50pm on Friday.A police spokesperson…

A two-lane snow-covered bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday (Friday night AEDT), prompting rescuers to rappel nearly 46 metres while others formed a human chain to help rescue multiple people from a dangling bus.

The collapse came hours before US President Joe Biden was set to visit the city on a pre-planned trip to press for his $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes bridge maintenance.

There were minor injuries from the collapse but no fatalities, said authorities, who also said they were flying drones to make sure no one is under any collapsed sections.

Fire Chief Darryl Jones said there had been 10 "minor injuries" and three people were transported from the scene. None of the injuries were life-threatening, he said. Three or four vehicles were on the bridge when it fell, Jones said.

Sam Wasserman, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, said a few hours after the collapse that officials were evaluating the scene and an urban search-and-rescue team was still combing the area for any other possible victims.

He said most of the 10 people who were evaluated for injuries were first responders checked for exhaustion or because of the cold and snowy weather. Three people were taken to hospitals and none had critical injuries, Wasserman said.

A two-part, elongated Port Authority of Allegheny County bus was on the bridge when it collapsed, with two passengers aboard in addition to the driver, said Adam Brandolph, spokesperson for the transit agency. All three were taken off safely.

About two hours after the collapse, Brandolph said, one of the passengers was on another bus when the passenger began complaining of injuries and was taken to a hospital. The driver and other passenger were not hurt, according to Brandolph.

The bus had started its route in downtown Pittsburgh and was headed to the suburban community of Braddock.

"Judging by the time of day, had this bus been traveling inbound, toward downtown, there likely would have been more people on the bus and obviously could have been a much, much more dire situation," Brandolph said.

The bus had seven or eight cameras and any footage they captured of the collapse will be part of the investigation.

"We have have not yet been able to review that footage but we certainly hope to very soon," Brandolph said.

A strong smell of natural gas has been reported in the area, police said, later adding that a gas line had been cut in the area.

"Apart from just this abiding noise, we could begin to smell gas and that was the truly frightening thing, then with that smell we both said, let's get dressed and get out of here," said Lyn Krynski, whose home is nearest the bridge.

"It sounded like a weather phenomenon more than anything," said Douglas Gwilym, who was shovelling about an inch of snow when he heard the noise. "It was all I had to compare it to — it was this odd, whooshing sound."

At the site of the collapse, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman called it "just an awful, surreal scene."

"I hope it's a wake-up call to the nation that we need to make these infrastructure investments," Fetterman said.

The scene was reminiscent of the aftermath of an earthquake. There was a large crack on the end where the bus was, he said. There was also a car upside down in front of the bus.

The Red Cross has been contacted to assist victims, and residents are asked to avoid the area.

The Allegheny County Police Department was notified about a partial bridge collapse sometime after 6am on Friday (10pm AEDT), according to Amie Downs, a spokesperson for the county.

Four vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, Downs said, and only minor injuries had been reported, among them the driver of an articulated bus and two passengers.

Jeremy Habowski told CNN he feels lucky to be alive after surviving the collapse. He and other drivers were unable to stop in time after the bridge gave way, he said.

"The scariest part was definitely going over the edge because there was a gap and my car left the ground," he told CNN. His car and others are now sitting on top of what remains of the bridge.

Once things settled, Habowski checked on another driver, he said. Then he climbed up the hill to try and stop other drivers from driving into the debris.

"It was a lot to take in," he told CNN.

Greg Barnhisel lives about a quarter-mile from where the bridge collapse, so he and his wife went to see it on foot, he told CNN.

"We didn't hear it collapse," he said. "When we got to the site of the collapse, the roaring sound and the smell of the broken gas line were overwhelming."

Another nearby resident, Wendy Stroh, told CNN affiliate KDKA that she heard the collapse, but thought it sounded like "a huge snow plow pushing along a raw tarmac surface with no snow."

"It's very frightening," she said. "My goodness, all these ambulances and fire trucks and what not. Just the thought of the bridge collapsing is a very scary prospect. I cross that bridge all the time."

"Thankfully, schools were on a two-hour delay for weather," Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman told CNN's New Day.

"So the traffic was less than it would have been normally on a normal day, but it's surreal to see this bridge."

Asked about the collapse coming the same day of the President's visit, Fetterman, a Democrat, said, "This is a horrible way to underscore just how critical our infrastructure needs are in this country."

Biden is aware of the collapse, the White House said in a statement, and plans to proceed with his trip.

"The President is grateful to the first responders who rushed to assist the drivers who were on the bridge at the time," the statement reads.

The steel bridge, which was built in 1970, carries about 14,500 vehicles a day, according to a 2005 estimate.

Wasserman said the most recent inspection occurred in September but the report was not immediately available.

But a September 2019 inspection of the city-owned bridge revealed the deck and superstructure to be in poor condition, according to the US Department of Transportation's National Bridge Inventory.

A spreadsheet on the state Department of Transportation website listed the bridge's overall condition as poor, which, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, means "deterioration of primary structural elements has advanced."

A leading epidemiologist says Kiwi journalist Charlotte Bellis’ battle to return to New Zealand to give birth highlights the delicate balancing act governments face in a pandemic.Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael…

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A great white shark has leapt into the air just metres from a tourist boat off the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.

Calypso Charters tour guide Andrew Wright said he was pulling in a bait line on Thursday when the three-metre shark jumped out of the ocean near Port Lincoln.

"There was lots of cheering and excitement, so everyone was certainly impressed," Mr Wright said.

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People in the shark cage below the water's surface also got an up-close view of the great white.

"It's good viewing from the boat but also in the cage. So, all in all, it was a good day," Mr Wright said.

He said the sight was a rare one.

READ MORE: More wild weather hitting Victoria after flooding and power outages experienced overnight

"Seeing them jump out of the water like that, particularly at close range, is certainly not a normal occurrence."

Victoria is experiencing more wild weather, with flooding in multiple Melbourne suburbs, after storms caused damage across the state yesterday, leading to flash flooding and thousands losing power.

As many as 18,000 Victorian homes powered by PowerCorp lost power across the state last night while the city of Geelong was left partly underwater and areas felt cyclone-strength wind gusts.

The Bureau of Meteorology this morning warned more severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy rainfall were headed for the centre and east of the state, with the peak risk in Melbourne predicted to be in the early to mid-afternoon.

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https://twitter.com/vicsesnews/status/1486907621550473216

Melbourne began being lashed by heavy rain and winds shortly after lunchtime, soon after dark skies set in and the temperature has dropped from in the 30s to about 22C.

Shortly after the SES has issued a Watch and Act warning for Greater Melbourne.

The city's west is being hit the hardest, with particular warnings issued for the suburbs of Werribee and Lara.

https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1486850025380626433

However, flash flooding has been seen occurring right across Melbourne, from Werribee to Mentone in the south-east and McKinnon.

Closer to Melbourne's centre, the rain has seeped inside Chadstone Shopping Centre, with an area outside Myer seen under inches of water.

Wheelie bins have been seen floating down a street in one part of Melbourne, while a man has filmed himself kayaking down a street, claiming he "needed to get to the shops".

https://twitter.com/VicTraffic/status/1486952852039868418

A number of Melbourne roads have been closed due to the rain.

The Burke Road offramp is one of several sections of road that have been closed due to flooding.

Closures are also in place on the Maroondah Highway in Healesville, Manningham Road in Bulleen, Glenferrie Road in Toorak, North Road in Murrumbeena and on the Princes Freeway in Pakenham.

https://twitter.com/reid_butler9/status/1486944161324756992

An Uber became stuck under a bridge in an Elwood canal filled with floodwaters.

Water was seen getting almost up the four-wheel-drive's door handles.

The driver and passenger had to climb out the car's windows and onto the roof before they were pulled to safety on the overhead bridge by passersby.

https://twitter.com/shanemcinnes/status/1486901906857365510

The SES responded to 384 calls for help overnight, predominantly for flooding, fallen trees and building damage mainly around the Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula areas in the state's south-west.

The SES has had more than 899 calls for help since storms began at 9pm on Wednesday.

Heavy rain in Geelong caused the roof of a Belmont Ten Pin Bowling centre to collapse.

No one was injured.

Geelong experienced a massive 38mm of rain in just 20 minutes at one point in the evening, according to Weatherzone.

Meanwhile, a wind gust of 139km/h ripped through Horsham in the state's west and a gust of 133km/h hit Swan Hill just after 8.30pm, which are equivalent to the wind gusts experienced in a Category Two cyclone.

Vivid lightning strikes were seen across the state, particularly Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, with two houses struck by bolts of lightning.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today announce a record $1 billion funding package to help save the Great Barrier Reef.

Mr Morrison will announce the largest single investment into the coral reef ecosystem during a visit to Cairns in Far North Queensland.

The cash injection will be spread over nine years and fund projects and research aimed at protecting the reef.

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Over the past nine years, it has significantly declined and huge slabs of coral have been wiped out from severe bleaching.

The Federal Government plans to spend $580 million on water management to rectify contaminated run-offs and erosion.

The plan also aims to tackle the threats of invasive species and prevent illegal fishing.

The reef supports 64,000 jobs and is a major tourism attraction that pumps about $6.4 billion into the Australian economy every year.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley told Today that the government had been planning the package for months.

"It's involved close consultation with our scientific community and it continues the programs with our traditional owner … and our scientists who are breeding IVF coral with spawn captured across the reef."

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With climate change driving a rise in ocean temperatures, the reef is at high risk of further destruction including large-scale coral bleaching.

Ms Ley said the extra funding would help the reef maintain its UNESCO world heritage status.

"We know the reef is threatened by climate change, as are every single other coral reefs in the world.

"So what we are doing is building the most healthy, resilient reef possible."

Convicted serial killer Regina Arthurell has been charged with sexually touching a man in crisis accommodation in Sydney's south-west.

Arthurell once known as Reginald but began transitioning after serving almost 24 years behind bars for the murder of her fiancee Venet Mulhall at Coonabarabran in 1995.

Last Thursday, a man, 55, went to police and told them that on several occasions he had been sexually touched by a woman he knew.

The matter was referred to officers from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad's Extended Supervision Order Investigation Team (ESOIT), who commenced an investigation.

This morning, Arthurell was arrested at a recovery residence in Campbelltown.

She was taken to Campbelltown Police Station, where she was charged with four counts of sexually touching another person without consent.

She was refused bail and is due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court later today.

Arthurell, 75, was placed under an extended supervision order last year after a Supreme Court judge found it would put the community at risk to set her free.

"In light of the established pattern of fatal harm being repeatedly inflicted by the defendant that began approaching 50 years ago, for her to be completely at liberty in the community would simply be far too dangerous," Justice Richard Button ruled.

She is subject to 47 conditions, which include electronic monitoring and alcohol rehabilitation.

Ahead of that decision, Arthurell had pleaded for more freedoms, saying she had trouble making friends or using a mobile phone after spending more than two decades behind bars.

Former television host Andrew O'Keefe has been refused bail after he was charged with the alleged assault of a woman earlier this week.

Today a Sydney court heard about his history of mental health issues and ice addiction, and more details about the alleged assault in his apartment were revealed.

O'Keefe – who appeared on Weekend Sunrise, hosted Deal or No Deal, and was an ambassador for White Ribbon, a charity that aims to end violence against women – was charged with six offences yesterday.

His lawyer Sharon Ramsden told Central Local Court the woman he allegedly choked had come to his house in Sydney's CBD uninvited.

She said O'Keefe had sustained significant injuries while acting in self-defence and argued he had never been criminally convicted of anything.

His lawyer also tended medical reports about his mental health and drug addictions, including ice.

The police prosecutor said there are photos of the alleged victim's injuries, including significant marks to her face and legs, and that she had to bite O'Keefe to break free.

O'Keefe was on the brink of tears and shaking his head during the hearing today.

He rolled his eyes and sighed loudly when hearing the case against him.

At one stage he said: "Oh god, this is ridiculous" and "there was no choke".

He complained it was an "injustice" when he was refused bail.

Despite his significant mental health problems, a magistrate refused his application to be released and found the prosecution case was relatively strong.

He said O'Keefe would likely be jailed if found guilty.

O'Keefe's lawyer hopes he will be released later so he can go to rehab.

E-scooter-related injuries are on the rise in Queensland, and the state government is considering new ways to combat dangerous riding.

With the rise in popularity of the eco-friendly transport alternative, hospitalisations of scooter-related injuries have steadily increased.

At least 3 per cent of Queenslanders say they use e-scooter regularly, double the national average.

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Last year, at least 529 people were hospitalised due to scooter crashes, with 68 hospitalised due to falls on the Gold Coast this holiday period alone.

People have been captured waving in and out of traffic, riding through torrential rain, or driving with children without helmets, behaviour transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey says must change.

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"There's no doubt we'd like to see less injuries and less crashes," Mr Bailey said.

"It's still a new form of tech and so the rules need to evolve to make it safe."

New rules in consideration include cracking down on drink driving, lowering speed limits and increasing awareness of safe driving through education campaigns.

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The Brisbane Electric Scooter Association's Brendan Hemmings said as the popularity of e-scooters continue to rise, certain rule changes were a necessary step forward.

"In the last year I've done as many kilometres on my scooter as in my car," he said.

"The three main things we're looking for are better education, better awareness and access to better footpaths and terrain."

Improper use of e-scooters also poses a risk to the elderly and people with a disability, with penalties considered for those who leave parked scooters lying on footpaths.

Harsher penalties for drink-riding, mandatory bells and horns and a revision of the current 25 km/hour speed limit are also on the cards.

"With scooters becoming more capable and safer you'll see more opportunity to use them on roads and dedicated bike lanes," Mr Hemmings said.