European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Release of american hostage imminent . Says in Beirut Beirut Lebanon apr shiite Muslim kidnappers Are expected to release an american hostage by this afternoon and Israel is to free some Arab prisoners in response the United nations said sunday. The announcement from the . Information Center in Beirut did not say which of the five american captives in Lebanon would be freed or where. . Officials refused to elaborate on the Brief statement. If the report proves accurate it would be the fourth Westerner to be released since August As the result of an intensive . Effort to free All of the Western hos tages in Lebanon. In the past released american hostages have been taken to the air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden Germany for a medical examination. The Hospital trip is a Choice left to the freed person but it has always been accepted. From there the freed hostage is flown to the United states. No one was available for comment in Wiesbaden or at Rhein main a Germany where the released hostages first arrive in Europe. The . Announcement came after Israel said sat urday that it had received solid information that one of its five missing servicemen in Lebanon was dead and hinted it would free More Arab prisoners it holds. The hostage holders Are demanding that Israel free All Arab prisoners in Exchange for the release of the hostages but Israel has said it first must know the status of its missing servicemen. The longest held of the nine remaining hostages is american Terry Anderson chief Middle East Corre see release on Page 2 Bentsen plan cuts taxes Dod funds Washington a the chairman of the Senate finance committee on sunday proposed using defense savings to Cut taxes for Middle income families by $72.5 billion Over the next five years. A this Economy is dead in the water and we do have to jump Start it a said sen. Lloyd Bentsen a Texas. A in a written statement and on cd so face the nation Bentsen said his plan would stimulate participation by Middle income americans in the Economy and increase Long term growth through savings. But John h. Sununu president Bush a chief of staff was critical of the plan. A i think what the democrats ought to do is go Back and pass the kind of incentive for investment and Job creation the president has been asking for since 1989,�?� Sununu said on abcs this week with David Brinkley. The administration has said any change in the budget agreement would have to be an economic growth package that includes a capital gains tax Cut and tax incentives for business research and development. Other Senate leaders called for incentives to improve the Economy but said the inducements should be within the boundaries of last years budget agreement which limited use of any savings from reductions in military spending see taxes on Page 2 Joy in Mudville a amps Kan Yoorga some members of the Rhein main rockets just  wait for Dick when it finished but enjoyed a 24-8 Victory Over the Sim the game to Start so they found a Muddy place to practice belly Bach tigers in a Continental sports conference semifinal game flopping before the action got under Way. They were a lot mud at Sembach a Germany. Sec Page 25 for the details. Sailors respond to sos at kuwaiti zoo Kuwait a hundreds of sailors from the submarine tender . Spear began a new Job sunday a operation paws and claws a As they repaired Kuwait a zoo. Volunteer sailors will also install water Heaters and repair air conditioning at a school for disabled children in Kuwait City. The two facilities were damaged by iraqis during their seven month occupation of the emirate. A we normally fix ships but this is the first time we be had a Chance to do some Volunteer Community work Here a said the ships second in command cmdr. John Kubovchik. Kubovchik said about 700 of the ships sailors have started repairing Walls cages and broken fences at the zoo As Well As electrical equipment. A we have carpenters welders and electricians a he said adding that the ship has 12 workshops and a foundry where a any thing could be fixed or even  Kubovchik conceded the sailors could not Complete the jobs in two Days but sail they will leave the places in much better shape than they found them. The sailors also will deliver $5,000 wort i of food Medicine and equipment to the zoo donated by the Virginia zoological society. The ship which arrived in Kuwait on saturday is moored four nautical Miles Oil the coast. Quake rocks Northern India killing 341 Dehra Dun India a a mighty earthquake convulsed the Himalayan Foothills sunday killing at least 341 people crumpling tens of thousands of Homes and triggering major landslides officials said. The earthquake rippled through Northern utter Pravesh state causing massive destruction along the Indian tibetan Border. The 45-second quake was measured at 6.1 on the Richter scale by indians seismology department. In Washington a preliminary Reading by the . Geological Survey put the magnitude at 7.1. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Almora District 135 Miles Southeast of it Takashi. Initial surveys found no damage or casualties in Almora. A the damage is very very severe. We Are getting reports of tens of thousands of houses flattened a said a senior civil official in Dehra Dun the nearest Large town to the worst affected it Takashi District. At least 500 people were feared trapped under buildings that collapsed when the quake struck at 2 53 . Sunday said priya Darshit the Dehra Dun District magistrate. The confirmed death toll had passed 250 in the it Takashi District by sunday night Darshit said. He said the death toll was Likely to Rise but he could not Esti mate by How much. Later the states top police official Prakash Singh said 262 bodies had been recovered in it Takashi according to the United news of India. At least 59 people were killed in the Terri District just South of it Takashi the news Agency said quoting a local official. Another 20 people were killed in the Chamolin District East of it Takashi police said. The victims included 15 pilgrims at a hindu Temple in ked Arnath they said. At least 2,000 people were injured and about 400 villages were affected by the see quake on Page 2