Page 13 - Death Toll

Heatwave tragedy for Hajj pilgrims: Saudi Arabia reports 1,301 deaths

The Saudi government's statement highlighted that 83 per cent of the deceased were 'unauthorised pilgrims', facing extreme conditions without adequate shelter or amenities

More than 1,300 died during Hajj, many after walking in intense heat

More than 1,300 people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, Saudi authorities announced Sunday. Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said that 83% of the 1,301 fatalities were unauthorized pilgrims who walked long distances in soaring temperatures to perform the Hajj rituals in and around the holy city of Mecca. Speaking with the state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV, the minister said 95 pilgrims were being treated in hospitals, some of whom were airlifted for treatment in the capital, Riyadh. He said the identification process was delayed because there were no identification documents with many of the dead pilgrims. He said the dead were buried in Mecca, without giving a breakdown. The fatalities included more than 660 Egyptians. All but 31 of them were unauthorized pilgrims, according to two officials in Cairo. Egypt has revoked the licenses of 16 travel agencie

Flooding forces people from homes in Iowa as much of US broils in heat

Floodwaters forced people out of their homes in parts of Iowa, the result of weeks of rain, while much of the United States longed for relief Saturday from yet another round of extraordinary heat. Sirens blared at 2 a.m. in Rock Valley, Iowa, population 4,200, where people in hundreds of homes were told to get out as the Rock River could no longer take rain that has slammed the region. The city lacked running water because wells were unusable. Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo said a state helicopter was on its way to help but was called off when boats were able to reach stranded residents. We've had so much rain here, he said. We had 4 inches last night in an hour and a half time. Our ground just cannot take anymore. Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a disaster for 21 counties in northern Iowa, including Sioux County, which includes Rock Valley. In drone video posted by the local sheriff, no streets were visible, just roofs and treetops poking above the water. Elsewhere in the U.S., the miserabl

Death toll rises to 53, seven people arrested in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy

District Collector MS Prasanth said that out of the total 193 patients, who consumed illicit liquor, 140 are currently safe

Death toll rises to 19 as torrential rains continue in El Salvador

The torrential rains hitting El Salvador caused the deaths of another six people on Friday when two girls and four adults were killed after being buried in their homes. Wall collapses and landslides on the outskirts of the capital brought a total of 19 dead. Two weather systems one along Guatemala's Pacific coast and the other in the Gulf of Mexico that developed Tropical Storm Alberto have brought saturating rains to southern Mexico and Central America. The Civil Protection authorities of El Salvador issued a red alert and the country's Congress declared a state of national emergency for 15 days because of the severity of the rains. The death of the two girls, ages 5 and 7, was confirmed by the country's Rescue Commands and the Civil Protection, which alerted residents to the danger of landslides because of the accumulation of water that can cause walls to collapse. According to the official report, a wall collapsed on the girls' house and after several hours of work, they ...

WB train accident: Probe blames lapses by goods train crew, operating dept

The initial probe into the June 17 Kanchanjunga Express accident has suggested there were lapses by the operating department of the New Jalpaiguri Rail Division and the crew of the goods train that hit the passenger train. At least 10 people were killed, including the passenger train's guard and the pilot of the goods train after it rammed into the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal's Darjeeling district on Monday. The collision occurred near Rangapani station, 30 km from New Jalpaiguri station, causing four rear compartments of Kanchanjunga Express to derail due to the impact by the goods train's locomotive at 8.55 am, the official said. Soon after the accident, Railway Board chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha had said the collision took place because the goods train disregarded the signal. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has started a probe into the cause of the accident. The railways also set up a probe team of six senior officials who have filed the

Assam floods claim 26 lives so far, 161K people affected in 15 districts

According to the flood reports of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person died in Hailakandi district on Tuesday after drowning in flood waters

Two killed, 6 wounded in shooting during a Juneteenth celebration in Texas

A weekend shooting in a Texas park left two people dead and six wounded, including two children, authorities said. The victims were shot shortly before 11 pm Saturday during a Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, about 19 miles (30 kilometers) north of Austin. An altercation began between two groups during a concert at the event and someone started shooting, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said during a news conference at the scene. The two victims who were pronounced dead at the scene were not involved in the argument, Allen said. The shooting occurred near a vendor area away from the stage set up for the concert, Allen said. Police officers and fire department personnel present at the event immediately began providing emergency medical care to the wounded, who were then taken to hospitals, Allen said. Six people four adults and two children were taken to local trauma facilities, all with potentially serious injuries, according to a post on X by ...

Rudraprayag accident prompts officials to check hill endorsement of licence

A day after fifteen tourists died in a road accident in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, officials said on Sunday that there was a need for greater focus on 'hill endorsement' in drivers' licences accompanied by a physical test. Joint Transport Commissioner Sanat Singh said this checking was required for all tourist vehicles, including those part of the Chardham Yatra and the Hemkund Sahib Yatra, to reduce road accidents in hilly regions. Many tourist vehicles come to Uttarakhand, but due to a greater volume of cars of Chardham Yatra, checking of other vehicles is ignored, Singh said. "Now we will need to focus on tourism apart from Chardham Yatra. We will now focus on hill endorsement of driving license," the official said. 'Hill endorsement' of a driver's license is necessary for driving in mountainous roads, he said. Singh said earlier the state did not have the facility for physical tests of 'hill endorsement', so the test was offered online. Now, driving tracks for such tests have

Rudraprayag accident: Another victim succumbs to injuries, toll rises to 15

A person injured in the tempo traveller accident in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag succumbed to his injuries, taking the toll to 15, while the condition of four of the 11 injured is still critical, officials said on Sunday. A person who was brought to AIIMS, Rishikesh by air ambulance after the accident on Saturday died late at night, trauma surgeon Ruby Kataria said. A tempo traveller carrying tourists skidded off the Badrinath national highway, rolled 200 metres down a gorge and fell into Alaknanda river, killing or injuring all 26 people present in it. Ten people died on the spot near Raitoli village, about four kilometres from Rudraprayag district headquarters. Kataria said the patient was brought to the hospital in a "brain dead" condition after which he was put on life support but he could not be saved. The doctor said that the remaining four injured at the hospital are also in critical condition and it will take a lot of time to shift them to the ward. Seven persons seriously ..

Rajkot game zone fire: Two civic staffers held for tampering with documents

Two employees of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) have been arrested for allegedly making certain changes in documents pertaining to a game zone after a fire there last month claimed 27 lives, police said on Sunday. With this, 12 persons, including six government employees, have so been arrested in connection with the May 25 incident at the TRP game zone in Gujarat's Rajkot city, they said The city crime branch on Saturday arrested RMC's assistant town planning officer Rajesh Makwana and assistant engineer Jaideep Chaudhary for their alleged involvement in making changes in an official register after the fire incident, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Parthrajsinh Gohil said. "They made certain changes in government documents related to the TRP game zone after the fire incident. They also forged documents," he said. "So far we have arrested six government employees and six other persons in connection with the TRP game zone fire," Gohil said. The four government employee

Quake of 4.8 magnitude in South Korea cracks walls, leaves minor damage

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake cracked walls, spilled items from store shelves and and caused other minor damage in a fishing community in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday, but no injuries have been reported. The earthquake in Buan, which had an estimated depth of 8 kilometres, was the strongest detected in South Korea this year. The National Fire Agency said it so far confirmed eight minor cases of property damage in Buan and the nearby city of Iksan, including cracked walls at homes and a warehouse, at least two broken wall tiles and at least one broken window. It was also strong enough to knock items off store shelves. Jo Yoo-jin, an official at the North Joella province fire department, said officials received nearly 80 calls from area residents who felt the shaking. More than 200 other similar calls were placed by residents in other regions, including 38 in the central North Chungcheong provide and seven in the country's capital, Seoul, according to the National Fire ...

Assam: More than 625K affected by devastating floods, 5 more dead

The flood situation in Assam deteriorated on Monday with five more persons losing their lives, while over 6.25 lakh are reeling under the deluge across 10 districts, an official bulletin said. According to the daily report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three people at Sonai and one person at Silchar revenue circles of Cachar district died due to the flood. Besides, one more person lost his life in Kamrup Metropolitan district owing to landslides, it said. With this, the toll in this year's flood, landslide and storm rose to 23. The report said more than 6,25,000 people have been impacted due to the floods in Cachar, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Hailakandi, Hojai, West Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Morigaon and Nagaon districts. Nagaon is the worst hit with nearly 3.64 lakh people suffering, followed by Cachar with more than 1.36 lakh people and Hojai with over 90,000 people impacted, it said. Till Sunday, around 5.35 lakh people were affected across 10

MP tractor-trolley accident: Driver suspected to be drunk, says police

Thirteen persons, including four children, died and 15 were injured after their tractor-trolley overturned at 8pm on Sunday night in Piplodi in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district, an official said. Of the injured, 13 have been admitted in the district hospital while two have been rushed to Bhopal for advanced care due to wounds to the head and chest, Rajgarh Collector Harsh Dikshit told PTI over phone. "The toll is unlikely to go up since the two severely injured persons are out of danger," he said. The victims were members of a marriage party that had come from Motipura village in neighbouring Rajasthan and was on its way to Kulampur here, another official said. Senior officials, including the collector and SP, are at the site of the mishap, he said.

Heat wave kills at least 56, nearly 25,000 heat stroke cases from March-May

In a contrast, parts of eastern India have been reeling under the impact of cyclone Remal. Heavy rain in the north eastern state of Assam has killed 14 people since Tuesday

Puri firecracker explosion: 2 more succumb to burns, toll mounts to 11

The death toll in the explosion of a stockpile of firecrackers in Odisha's Puri mounted to 11 after two of the injured people died, a senior official said on Sunday. Nineteen people are currently undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Altogether 30 people were injured in the explosion that happened during Lord Jagannath's 'Chandan Yatra', a ritual, on the night of May 29. Two more persons died in the tragedy in Puri. The total death toll increased to 11. Presently, 19 patients are under medical treatment in different hospitals, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said in a statement. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP's Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra met family members of the deceased on Saturday evening. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered an inquiry into the accident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. The Puri collector has taken steps for the payment of ex-gratia,

Puri firecracker explosion: Toll reaches 8, 22 others undergoing treatment

The death toll in the explosion of a stockpile of firecrackers in Odisha's Puri mounted to eight on Saturday after two more persons undergoing treatment succumbed to their injuries, a senior official said. At least 30 people were injured in the explosion that happened during Lord Jagannath's Chandan Jatra on Wednesday night. Among them, eight persons have died so far and 22 others are undergoing treatment in different hospitals in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the official of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office said. "Two more people succumbed to their injuries in hospitals, while 22 others are undergoing treatment," he said, adding a few more people are in a critical condition. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered an inquiry into the incident, and announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. The Puri collector has already taken steps for the payment of Rs 4 lakh each towards ex-gratia assistance to the next of kin of the deceased,

Power outages could linger for days after storms batter Texas again, 1 dead

Power outages scattered across storm-weary Texas on Wednesday could linger into the weekend after storms flooded streets in Houston for the second time this month and ripped off roofs in Dallas, leaving a teenager dead and injuring others. The teen was killed Tuesday at a construction site while working on a home that collapsed, and three people at a campground were shocked by a downed power line. The severe weather left more than 1 million homes and businesses without electricity at one point. Electric utility Oncor said power in the Dallas area should be restored by Friday for most customers, but some outages will continue into the weekend. More than 1 million homes and businesses were without electricity across Texas at one point, but by Wednesday night, the lights had come back on for more than 75% of those customers. Houston was flooded and damaged just weeks after a storm walloped the area, killing eight people. The 16-year-old worker was killed northeast of the city, in the .

28 killed, 22 injured as speeding bus plunges into ravine in Pakistan

At least 28 people, including women and children, were killed on Wednesday in Pakistan after a speeding passenger bus veered off the road and fell into a ravine in the remote Balochistan province, according to media reports. The bus, heading from Turbat to Quetta, fell into the ravine near Washuk town, around 700 kilometres from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. The accident was a result of overspeeding, according to the report, which said that women and children were among the deceased. The accident took place after the tyre of the passenger bus burst, Geo News reported quoting rescue officials. At least 28 people were killed in the accident. About 22 people sustained injuries in the accident and were sent to the Civil Hospital in Basima. Road accidents are common in Pakistan where traffic rules and safety standards are hardly followed. On May 18, at least 13 people belonging to the same family were killed and nine others were injured as a truck plunged into a ditch i

Fears of second landslide, disease outbreak loom in Papua New Guinea

Authorities fear a second landslide and a disease outbreak are looming at the scene of Papua New Guinea's mass-casualty disaster because of water streams and bodies trapped beneath the tons of debris that swept over a village, a United Nations official said Tuesday. A mass of boulders, earth and splintered trees devastated Yambali in the South Pacific nation's remote highlands when a limestone mountainside sheared away Friday. The blanket of debris has become more unstable with recent rain and streams trapped between the ground and rubble, said Serhan Aktoprak, chief of the International Organization for Migration's mission in Papua New Guinea. The UN agency has officials at the scene in Enga province helping shelter 1,600 displaced people. The agency estimates 670 villagers died, while Papua New Guinea's government has told the United Nations it thinks more than 2,000 people were buried. Five bodies had been retrieved from the rubble by Monday. We are hearing suggestions that anoth