Life

17, November 2021

The Global Think-Tank for Africa provides more support to pupils in Mamfe ⁰

The Global Think-Tank for Africa, a not-for-profit organization, on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, disbursed additional more financial resources to support more pupils in schools around Mamfe and its environs.

The supplies, which are expected to enable these pupils have access to much-needed education, are part of the promise the Executive Director of the Global Think-Tank for Africa, Dr. Joachim Arrey, had made during an interview wherein he was calling on the Diaspora to help get many children in the English-speaking parts of the country back to school.

The Global Think Tank’s executive director had promised emergency aid to schools in Mamfe town and the very first disbursement was made on November 17, 2021, and the second disbursement has been delivered on December 8, 2021. To ensure the assistance offered by the not-for-profit organization reaches those who desperately need it, the Global Think Tank for Africa has already established partnerships with schools and educational authorities in Mamfe and the organization’s executive director has stated clearly that the education of the children in the English-speaking parts of Cameroon is a top priority for his organization, adding that such assistance is necessary to help the girl child obtain the education that will enable her to face the future with dignity and confidence.

“I am in touch with some educational authorities in Mamfe, and my organization, the Global Think Tank for Africa, will be offering books and other supplies worth CFAF 500,000 over the next three months to students in various schools in Mamfe town. My organization will also be granting scholarships to young girls in Manyu Division to enable them get an education. The modalities for the scholarships will be released in the days ahead. We need to do things differently if the future has to be bright for many of our children. It is education that opened many huge doors for me and I want other children to enjoy the fruits of a sound education,” he said.

Dr. Joachim Arrey had also called on the fighters and government officials to make things easy for children who want to return to school in the rural areas. These pupils have not been to school for five years and this is compromising their future and that of the country.

“The government like the fighters have to take a look at their strategies to ensure that those children do not get left in the darkness of ignorance because of a conflict they know nothing about. Our children’s education should be decoupled from the struggle to enable our children return to school. Keeping these children at home for a long time only robs them of their future and confidence. I am also urging people of good will to send as much material support as possible to those community schools which are seeking to impart some knowledge to our children. Those schools are not properly equipped to deal with many educational challenges. They need financial support to help the students. Any assistance in this regard will be appreciated,” he said.

Speaking during the December 8 event, the Inspector of Basic Education for Mamfe Central, Mr. Harman Taku Arreyngang, thanked Dr. Joachim Arrey, and his organization for the didactic materials provided to internally displaced children of some schools in Mamfe. He used the occasion to urge other members of the Diaspora to emulate the example of the Global Think-Tank for Africa which has vowed to support educational activities in the English-speaking parts of the country as such activities would enable internally displaced children to have an education.

“I wish to thank Dr. Joachim Arrey, the Executive Director of the Global Think-Tank for Africa, for his gifts of didactic materials to IDPs of some of the schools in Mamfe. I would like to use this opportunity to call on the Diaspora to emulate this action aimed at encouraging children to go to school amid the socio-political problems in the country’s Northwest and Southwest regions,” Mr. Harman Taku Arreyngang, the Inspector of Basic Education for Mamfe Central, who is committed to working with the Global Think-Tank for Africa to grant these children the opportunity to go school, said.

Also speaking over the phone regarding Wednesday’s event, Dr. Joachim Arrey said he was very happy to see those children holding their books. He promised more educational assistance to the IDPs in January 2022, adding that his organization would not relent until more pupils got the education they needed.

“The objective of my organization is to create possibilities for less privileged children to go to school. Without a sound education, the future of our children will be compromised. More assistance will be provided in January. I am also using this opportunity to inform any sons and daughters of Manyu Division who are studying information technology and engineering in Cameroonian universities to contact the Global Think Tank for Africa for a scholarship. The scholarship is in the name of my late father, Mr. Michael Arrey, who underscored the importance of education throughout his life. He loved education and he always told me it was a sure key to a bright future, and he has never been wrong,” Dr. Joachim Arrey said.

By Peter Agbor Nkongho in Mamfe.

17, November 2021

Pfizer to allow generic versions of its Covid pill for poor countries ⁰

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Tuesday announced a deal to make its prospective antiviral Covid-19 pill available more cheaply in the world’s least-wealthy countries.

Pfizer will sub-licence production of its promising Paxlovid pill to generic drug manufacturers for supply in 95 low- and middle-income nations covering around 53 percent of the world’s population.

Under the deal struck with the global Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), Pfizer — which also produces one of the most widely-used Covid vaccines with German lab BioNTech — will not receive royalties from the generic manufacturers, making the treatment cheaper.

The agreement is subject to the oral antiviral medication passing ongoing trials and regulatory approval.

The Pfizer drug is to be taken with the HIV medicine ritonavir.

Interim data from ongoing trials demonstrated an 89 percent reduction in the risk of Covid-19-related hospitalisation or death compared to a placebo, in non-hospitalised high-risk adults with Covid-19 within three days of symptom onset, said Pfizer.

Similar results were seen within five days of symptom onset, it added.

The Geneva-based MPP is a United Nations-backed international organisation that works to facilitate the development of medicines for low- and middle-income nations.

If approved, the pill could be on the market in “a matter of months”, MPP policy chief Esteban Burrone told AFP.

Pfizer also said Tuesday that it was seeking an emergency use authorisation, or EUA, in the US for the Covid pill.

HIV drug mix

Pfizer will forego royalties on sales in all countries covered by the agreement while Covid-19 remains classified as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.

Last month, the WHO maintained the highest level of alert over the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19.

Paxlovid, or PF-07321332, is an investigational antiviral therapy designed to block the activity of the SARS-CoV-2-3CL protease — an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to replicate.

Taking it together with a low dose of ritonavir helps slow the breakdown of PF-07321332. It therefore remains active in the body for a longer period at a high concentration, to help combat the virus.

The pill could potentially help patients avoid severe illness, which can lead to hospitalisation and death, Pfizer said.

“We believe oral antiviral treatments can play a vital role in reducing the severity of Covid-19 infections, decreasing the strain on our healthcare systems and saving lives,” said Pfizer chairman and chief executive Albert Bourla.

While a multitude of vaccines have been rolled out in the pandemic, the hunt for treatments for those who have already caught the disease has not been as fruitful.

Agreement follows Merck deal

The MPP was founded by Unitaid, which works on innovations to prevent, diagnose and treat major diseases in poorer countries.

“During a pandemic, saving time means saving lives. This agreement could help us to reach more people more quickly as soon as the medicine is approved,” said Unitaid executive director Philippe Duneton.

Potential sublicensees have until December 6 to register an expression of interest.

The announcement comes after the MPP signed a similar voluntary licensing deal with Pfizer’s US rivals Merck & Co last month for its investigational oral antiviral medicine molnupiravir.

Subject to regulatory approval, the deal will help create broad access to molnupiravir in 105 low- and middle-income countries.

Pills are easier to make than vaccines, do not require a cold chain for delivery and can be self-administered by the patient.

In terms of relieving health systems by preventing hospitalisations, “it’s a game changer”, said Burrone.

He said pricing for the Pfizer pill had not yet been set, but said that “in a competitive environment… the prices tend to come down” to a low level.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) meanwhile suggested it might cost around $700 per Pfizer treatment course, in line with molnupiravir.

The medical charity said it was disheartened by the deal, saying restrictive voluntary licences were no substitute for guaranteed global access to Covid tools to bring the pandemic under control.

Source: AFP

15, November 2021

“It is time to let our Southern Cameroons children go back to school” ⁰

Dr. Joachim Arrey, the executive director of the Global Think Tank for Africa, a not-for-profit public relations firm has reacted to the current situation affecting schools in English speaking Cameroon.

In his bid to ensure that Southern Cameroonian children return to school, Dr. Joachim Arrey, the son of a headmaster, has been calling for children to return to school so that the future of both French and English speaking Cameroon can be guaranteed. Our chief political man, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai talked to him and he regretted what was happening to rural kids in Southern Cameroons.

Cameroon Concord News: You seem to make education a key component of life. Why?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: My father, Mr. Michael Arrey, was a teacher who always underscored the importance of education and he told my siblings and me that only education could enable us walk away from poverty and fear and he has never been wrong. That is why throughout the crisis in Southern Cameroons, I have been urging the factions involved to let our children go back to school. It is already more than five years since the conflict began and the rural child is not yet back to school. That is a long time and it is, indeed, inhuman. This is breaking my heart. My father of blessed memory instilled the love of education in me and he always encouraged me to support educational endeavors which could help other children face the future with confidence and happiness. When we rob our kids of education, we rob them of their confidence and future. We must learn to decouple our children’s education from the struggle. Those who control the fighters on the ground should push for school resumption and teachers and students should be protected by the fighters. It is time for our children to go back to school. No nation ever develops without a soundly educated population.

Cameroon Concord News: You seem to have good information on things in rural Southern Cameroons, what is your source of information?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: While my body is out of Cameroon, my soul is in Cameroon. I am in touch with my family members in Mamfe and the picture they paint to me regarding the daily struggles of our people and children’s struggle for education has shattered my mind and heart. Children in rural Mamfe are out of school and those whose parents have relatives in Mamfe town have sent their children there for them to have whatever education they can have. Many government primary schools in Mamfe town are not yet open and some unregulated community schools have emerged with no defined curriculum. Those teaching in these schools have no training and the class sizes are unfortunately not the best. A family member whom I had sent to study the situation of things in those community schools has intimidated that there could be as many as 90 students in each class in those make-shift structures which are unfortunately bereft of good sanitation and ventilation. It breaks my heart that so many years are going by and the children in rural areas of Southern Cameroons are not being given the education that can enable them walk away from ‘perpetual darkness’. It is painful to see six-year-old kids being separated from their parents just because they have to go to school in town. These parents do not even have the means to support themselves because of the war, how can they support their children in town?

I think those living abroad are not aware of the magnitude of the issues facing these rural children. Even those who go to towns to school have to deal with sexual and physical violence. There is nobody to actually supervise and protect these children and unwanted pregnancies are popping up all over the two English-speaking regions of the country, as girls become both financially and physically helpless. Something needs to be done to save the rural child in Southern Cameroons. If violence is on the rise today in that part of the country just after five years, what will it be after ten years? Keeping our children at home is one mistake that will come back to haunt all of us. Those who thought that using children as a bargain chip in the dispute against the government never new they were manufacturing a bomb which will hurt so many people once it goes off. There is a need for a rethink of strategy. What is happening in rural Mamfe is exactly what obtains in the entire Southern Cameroons.

Cameroon Concord News: So what needs to be done?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Like I have said above, there is a need for a rethink of the war strategy. The government like the fighters have to take a look at their strategies to ensure that those children do not get left in the darkness of ignorance because of a conflict they know nothing about. Our children’s education should be decoupled from the struggle to enable our children return to school. Keeping these children at home for a long time only robs them of their future and confidence. I am also urging people of good will to send as much material support as possible to those community schools which are seeking to impart some knowledge to our children. Those schools are not properly equipped to deal with many educational challenges. They need financial support to help the students. Any assistance in this regard will be appreciated. For my part, I am in touch with some education authorities in Mamfe, and my organization, the Global Think Tank for Africa, will be offering books and other supplies worth CFAF 500,000 over the next three months to students in various schools in Mamfe town. My organization will also be granting scholarships to young girls in Manyu Division to enable them get an education. The modalities for the scholarships will be released in the days ahead. We need to do things differently if the future has to be bright for many of our children. It is education that opened many huge doors for me and I want other children to enjoy the fruits of a sound education.

Cameroon Concord News: Do you think your plea will be heard by the government and the fighters?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: I don’t think the government and the fighters will forever be deaf and dumb. The government is aware of the storm that is building as a result of millions of children sitting at home instead of being in school. The fighters, for their part, understand that keeping children at home is not a genuine bargaining chip. After five years, they should understand that the children should be in school and not at home. Some of the fighters have children. What will become of those children if the school boycott remains in place. While I agree that the government has allowed a small disagreement to snowball, I would also like to point out that those who engineered the revolution did not have a long term view of things. It is preposterous to shoot yourself in the foot. Keeping our children at home is like shooting ourselves in the foot.

However, all is not lost. Now that some of the factions have begun talking to each other, we can assume that there is hope in the offing. The Toronto Retreat, which will be followed by many others, holds out a lot of hope. Talking is a very important first step and I am urging the secessionists, the federalists, and the government to walk away from their positions so that a middle ground can be established. While the talks may be holding, the various factions should come out forcefully to underscore their commitment to the education of our children. The government can start putting in place confidence-building measures like granting a general amnesty to all those who have been directly or indirectly involved in the struggle. It can also use diplomatic channels to engage the various factions as a means of facilitating the talks and negotiations. There is a lot to be done, but we have to start somewhere. No war has ever ended without the various factions talking to each other. That is, of course, the best way to ensure that errors of the past do not rear their ugly heads in the future.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, Dr. Joachim Arrey, for your insightful thoughts.

Dr. Joachim Arrey: It is always a pleasure to share my thoughts with your readers

11, November 2021

Buea University: More scandals are emerging ⁰

Many people thought the sex-for-marks scandal that shook the University of Buea to its core a few months ago was the only scar on the University’s face. But it is emerging that the sex scandal, engineered by Prof. Agborbechem and Prof. Molua, is simply the tip of a massive iceberg that is gradually melting and will certainly drown the university if higher education authorities do not step in to hem in the forces of evil that are determined to undermine efforts at making the University of Buea a real citadel of learning.

While Agborbechem and Ernest Molua are keeping a low profile, it must be pointed out that these dangerous elements will continue to spread pain and suffering among female students if they are allowed to operate within the same environment when the rules are still the same.

Agborbechem, in particular, is a satyr who sees casual sex as a ritual and last week he was caught looking at a young female student lustfully not far from the University. Agborbechem is still in the business of women and it is clear that he will not be retiring anytime soon from this nasty trade. He may be a dormant vulcano for now, but it will not be long for him to erupt, and when he erupts, the young girls will feel his wrath and frustration resulting from months of abstinence.

If the fear of being caught in a hotel or in his office is still stalking him like a stubborn shadow, the learned professor is not relenting and is still having visual sex. It will not be long before he returns to his old ways. Old habits diehard. His sex syndicate is still active and it will stop at nothing to give the university a bad name.

But today, the enemies of the University of Buea are not Ernest Molua and Peter Agborbechem. The University of Buea is facing a new challenge and this seems to be receiving the blessing of some university dons who are putting their parochial interest above the university’s best interest.

The political science department has decided to organize a closed-door master’s degree defense for some student fradulently admitted into the department’s Ph.D programme without a master’s degree.

This appears to be a face-saving measure given that the department of political science has come under massive pressure from the university’s senate.

The Dean of the Faculty of Laws and Political Science had been instructed to regularize the situation of 13 students admitted into the Ph.D. program under the Department of Political Science and Comparative Politics without meeting the requirements.

The Dean had reportedly asked the Head of the political science department to dismiss students admitted into the Ph.D. without a master’s degree in line with the university’s policies.

But Dr. Abangma, who seems to have a vested interest in the fake defense and who also doubles as the president of SYNES-UB, has stood his ground, opting instead to organize illegal defenses for the students.

The University of Buea is really facing major challenges. Under the new vice chancellor, things are really falling apart. His best efforts are not delivering the best results. There are many crime syndicates within the system and this is posing a huge challenge to university authorities.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

7, November 2021

Researcher in Cameroon develops plant-based leukemia treatment ⁰

Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from leukemia in all parts of the world, and many ultimately lose their fight against the disease. While there is currently no cure for leukemia, it is possible to treat the cancer to prevent it from coming back.

A biochemistry researcher at the University of Yaounde Medical School in Cameroon’s capital said she developed a plant-based solution to fight leukemia.

“My solution is to make xenografts by administering an aqueous extract of plant bark powder to mice capable of developing tumors,” Francine Tankeu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We make them leukemic beforehand and then we follow their evolution.”

The next step is to arrange the remedy in a final physical aspect of the drug as it will be used in a patient and according to its compatibility.

“This other step includes several aspects such as toxicological studies to ensure its safety before moving to the human stage (of trials),” said Tankeu.

She noted results on animals show a significant regression of tumor volume after 30 days.

“The survival rate is good, but the test has not yet been performed on a human patient. The steps to be taken before clinical testing, like human trials, are not complete and I don’t have enough funds,” she said.

The idea to use plants came from her daily life, where she noticed a majority of the population uses traditional plant-based medicine for diseases.

“The beneficial effects of Syzygium Guineense, the plant I use, are not negligible because its activity is anti-leukemic. Beyond being used as a spice for local dishes, it is also used for the treatment of certain cancers,” she said.

‘Improved traditional medicine’

She figured if she could establish a scientific basis for the traditional use and formulate an improved traditional medicine, it would be “very useful.”

The methodology is “in tune with African socio-cultural realities” she said.

Tankeu wants to formulate “an improved traditional medicine” and to study the effects of the leafy forest plant when it is administered in conjunction with anti-cancer drugs to see if there would be a synergistic effect or a reduction in side effects from chemotherapy.

She received the Young Talent Award In 2020 from the For Women in Science in Sub-Saharan Africa program at the L’Oreal Foundation and UNESCO.

This prize allowed her to realize her work is “an effective contribution to the problem of cancer,” she said.

But the fight remains “vast, long and far from being won in view of the growing number of patients in the world as well as the obstacles to scientific research,” said Tankeu.

It is “very complicated in my country” for several reasons she told the Turkish news agency.

Notably, the lack of financial avenues, absence of technical platforms and prejudice against female scientists.

She noted that teachers prefer to work with male researchers because of perceptions that family responsibilities of women present obstacles.

In addition, “many children die before they are even put on treatment because the standard of living of the inhabitants is lower than the cost of examinations for an accurate diagnosis,” she said.

The number of cancer cases is increasing annually in Cameroon and diagnosis times are long – more than 60% of patients arrive at an advanced stage and treatment is expensive – according to the Health Ministry.

Tankeu also lamented about erroneous beliefs and perceptions

“It is a real barrier,” she said.

Despite the situation, the young biochemist said she views the future of her solution with “a lot of optimism, especially given the previous results.”

Source: Daily Sabah

4, November 2021

Europe could see ‘another half million Covid-19 deaths’ by February, WHO warns ⁰

The rising number of cases of Covid-19 in Europe is of “grave concern” and the region could see another half a million deaths by early next year, the World Health Organization warned on Thursday.

With 78 million cases in the WHO’s European region—which spans 53 countries and territories and includes several nations in Central Asia—the cumulative toll now exceeded that of South East Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean region, the Western Pacific, and Africa combined, the organisation said.

“We are, once again, at the epicentre,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told a press conference.

Kluge noted that the “current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of the European Region is of grave concern”.

According to “one reliable projection” the current trajectory would mean “another half a million Covid-19 deaths” by February, Kluge added.

The increases were observed “across all age groups”, he said.

Kluge blamed the soaring caseload on “insufficient vaccination coverage” and “the relaxation of public health and social measures”.

Hospital admission rates were higher in countries with lower vaccination rates, he said.

Measures like testing, tracing, physical distancing and the use of face masks were still part of the “arsenal” in fighting the virus.

“We must change our tactics, from reacting to surges of Covid-19, to preventing them from happening in the first place,” Kluge said.

The number of new cases per day has been rising for nearly six consecutive weeks in Europe and the number of new deaths per day has been rising for just over seven consecutive weeks, with about 250,000 cases and 3,600 deaths per day, according to official country data compiled by AFP.

Over the past seven days, Russia has led the rise with 8,162 deaths, followed by Ukraine with 3,819 deaths and Romania with 3,100 deaths, according to the data.

Source: AFP

3, November 2021

ABBA halts promotion of new show after two die at tribute concert ⁰

Swedish pop sensation ABBA announced Wednesday that they were pausing promotion of an upcoming show for 24 hours, after two died in a dramatic fall at a tribute concert.

The world-famous quartet is preparing to release a new album, “Voyage”, on Friday, 40 years after the group split up.

But on Tuesday night, an 80-year-old man fell seven storeys to his death at a concert hall in Uppsala in a presumed accident, killing another attendee.

The venue north of Swedish capital Stockholm was to host a tribute show for an audience of around 1,000 called “Thank you for the music”, honouring the works of Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, the two male members of ABBA.

“In the light of the tragic news at the tribute concert in Sweden last night, we have decided to hold off on releasing our concert trailer until tomorrow,” a post from the ABBA Voyage Twitter account said.

In addition to the release of its new album announced in early September, the Swedish cult band is currently building a venue in London that will host a show which includes digitised “avatars” of the four band members, scheduled for May 2022.

The exact form of these avatars, designed by a special effects company that worked on the Star Wars films, is still shrouded in mystery, but the band insists that they will not be mere holograms.

The “ABBAtars” will represent Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad as they looked in 1979.

Source: AFP

27, October 2021

Revisiting SOBA UK 2021 Stellar Convention At St George’s Park ⁰

This year, SOBA:UK pulled all the stops to host a memorable come-together which not only met all the standard health guidelines, but provided entertainment worthy of St George’s Park. Home of the England’s national football teams.

In line with the limitations and innovations of the Covid era, the General Assembly deliberations occurred virtually a week before the convention; thereby setting the stage for a convention weekend free from the usual intensity that accompanies AGMs.

This was an innovative approach that was effective, focused, and rewarding for all members.

Sobans with their families and guests had a wonderful time on Saturday morning as they enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of St George’s Park built on 330-acres in the stunning Staffordshire countryside, a couple of hours away from London.

It was a great opportunity for visitors to explore the Park, including its 14 outdoor pitches and one of them with a replica of the Wembley surface.

The convention gala was equally memorable with the official 4:30 pm kickoff time, and 6:00 pm dinner strictly enforced and respected.

Dinner was personally handled by none other than the Head Chef of the England National Football teams, Tim Barker.

The gala went on until 2:00 am. D.J Take Away was awesome and he definitely took away the two hundred plus guests with his non-stop musical output.

The gala was graced by the presence of Mr, Albert Fotabong Njoteh, High Commissioner for the Republic of Cameroon in the United Kingdom, who was happy to be amongst Cameroonians in such numbers.

Our hearty congratulations goes out to Franklin Egbe, President of SOBA:UK, Atem Akoh Arrey, Vice President, Obale Ebai, Chairman of the convention and to the entire exco and the management teams. Of course, we cannot forget the good-spirited members of SOBA:UK who were wonderful hosts.

We are already looking forward to the 2022 convention.

Thanks

Soban

Edwin Daniel Ndoko

23, October 2021

Biya regime to vaccinate civil servants against COVID-19 ⁰

Cameroon will inoculate all personnel on state payroll against COVID-19 next month as part of its nationwide vaccination program, a government minister has said.

The civil servants will be vaccinated from Nov. 6 to 30, Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform Joseph Le said Thursday.

“The preservation of the health of personnel at the service of the state is both a major concern and a duty of public authorities,” he said. “We must ensure that the work environment is not a place where the virus spreads, but a framework for professional development and health promotion for all.”

Le said vaccination will not be compulsory but urged all civil servants to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Cameroon, quoting government statistics, said the central African nation reported 4,024 positive cases from Sept. 21 to 28, the highest weekly count since March, and raised an alert on the presence of the Delta variant.

Cameroon wants to vaccinate 60 percent of the target population by January 2023, but as of Sept. 22, only 0.9 percent had been vaccinated, according to figures from the Expanded Program on Immunization.

Source: Xinhuanet

22, October 2021

Prop gun fired by actor Alec Baldwin kills cinematographer on movie set ⁰

US actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun that killed a cinematographer and wounded the director on a film set in New Mexico, US law enforcement officers said on Thursday.

The incident happened on the set of ‘Rust’ in the southwestern US state, where Baldwin is playing the lead in a 19th-century western.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and director Joel Souza “were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin,” the sheriff in Santa Fe said in a statement.

Hutchins, 42, was transported to hospital by helicopter but died of her wounds, while Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance and is receiving treatment.

“Mr. Baldwin was interviewed by detectives,” Santa Fe sheriff spokesman Juan Rios told AFP.

“He provided statements and answered their questions. He came in voluntarily and he left the building after he finished his interviews. No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made.”

The Santa Fe New Mexican published pictures of a distraught-looking Baldwin which it said were taken in the parking lot of the set after the tragedy.

The paper said its reporter had seen the actor in tears after he had been quizzed by investigators.

One photograph shows a man, presumed to be Baldwin, doubled over.

A spokesperson from the production told The Hollywood Reporter the “accident” involved the misfire of a prop gun with blanks.

The incident took place at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a production location near Santa Fe which is popular with Hollywood filmmakers.

Movie sets usually have stringent rules over the use of prop weapons, but accidents have happened.

Most famously, Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, died during filming of “The Crow” after being shot by a gun that was supposed to fire blanks.

Baldwin co-produces the film and stars as Harland Rust, an outlaw whose grandson is convicted of murder, and who goes on the run with him when the boy is sentenced to hang for the crime.

The 63-year-old posted a photograph earlier Thursday on Instagram showing him apparently on set, dressed in a period costume and with fake blood on his shirt.

“Back to in-person at the office. Blimey… it’s exhausting,” he captioned the picture, which went online several hours before the incident.

A joint statement by John Lindley and Rebecca Rhine of the International Cinematographers Guild said news of Hutchins’ death was “devastating”.

“The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family,” the statement, reported by Variety, said.

Baldwin has been on television and in films since the 1980s.

He starred in a number of high profile movies, including in ‘The Hunt for Red October’ and two iterations of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, and has also voiced animated characters in hits like “The Boss Baby”.

He garnered new fans with his long-running portrayal of Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live”, a character that irritated the former president, but won Baldwin a Primetime Emmy.

“Rust” also stars Jensen Ackles (“Supernaturals”) and Travis Fimmel, best known for playing Ragnar Lothbrok in “Vikings”.

The Bonanza Creek Ranch where Thursday’s incident took place has hosted productions including ‘Hostiles,’ ‘Cowboys & Aliens,’ ‘3:10 to Yuma,’ ‘Appaloosa’ and ‘Longmire.’

Source: AFP