Page 13 - Death Toll

7% of daily deaths in 10 Indian cities linked to PM2.5 pollution: Study

On average, 7.2 per cent of all daily deaths in 10 of the largest and most polluted cities in India, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, were linked to PM2.5 levels higher than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe exposure, according to a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. Delhi was found to have the largest fraction of daily and yearly deaths attributable to PM2.5 air pollution, caused by particles sized 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter. Sources of such pollution include vehicular and industrial emissions. Researchers said that daily exposure to PM2.5 pollution in Indian cities is linked with a higher risk of death, and locally created pollution could be possibly causing these deaths. The international team included researchers from Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi. They found that an increase of 10 micrograms per cubic metre in the average of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) polluti

Propane tank explosion in western Turkey kills 5, injures 63 others

A propane tank explosion at a restaurant in the western Turkish city of Izmir on Sunday left five people dead and 63 others injured, authorities said. Security cameras recorded the explosion, which devastated the street and caused minor damage to surrounding buildings. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media that dozens of rescue personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. Izmir Gov. Suleyman Elban visited the injured at the hospital and announced that 40 of them had already been released. Authorities have detained one suspect who might be responsible. The man had replaced the propane tank with a new one on Saturday.

2 dead, dozens injured in northern Russia after passenger train derailment

The 14-carriage train derailed in Russia's northern republic of Komi on Wednesday night, Russian Railways said in a statement, with nine carriages coming off the tracks

Four members of family suffocate to death in Delhi's Dwarka house fire

Four members of a family suffocated to death after a fire broke out at their home in Dwarka's Prem Nagar area, a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said on Tuesday. He said the department was informed about the fire around 3.30 am and two fire tenders were sent to the spot. The deceased were identified as Heera Singh Kakkar (48), his wife Neetu (40) and their sons Robin (22) and Lakshay (21). Kakkar was a photographer by profession and the house was owned by the family, police said. According to the DFS official, the fire was caused by an inverter and it spread to an adjacent sofa on the first floor of the two-storey building, leading to the four victims inhaling smoke. Police said the main gate was locked from inside. Firefighters broke it down, rescued the family members and rushed four of them to the Rao Tularam Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Heera Singh Kakkar's mother Sita Devi was sleeping on the ground floor of the building, a police officer said, addi

Hawaii wildfire death toll hits 102 as another victim succumbs to injuries

The death toll from the deadliest US wildfire in over a century, which devastated the historic town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui last year, has risen to 102, authorities said Monday. Claudette Heermance, 68, died in hospice care in Honolulu on March 28 of injuries suffered in the fire. The Maui Police Department announced the death, citing information from the Honolulu medical examiner's office. Heermance suffered burns on 20 per cent of her body and her case was complicated by multiple other conditions, said Dr. Masahiko Kobayashi, the Honolulu medical examiner. She was initially taken to Maui's hospital the day of the fire but was flown to Oahu the next day to be treated at the state's only burn unit. She entered hospice nearly four months later. Other causes of death included cardiovascular disease, end-stage renal disease and pressure ulcers, said another official from the medical examiner's office who refused to give her name. The August 8 wildfire was already th

Midwestern US flooding collapses rail bridge, forces evacuations, kills 2

A railroad bridge collapsed during flooding in the Midwestern US that has forced water rescues, led to evacuations, caused at least one death and brought additional misery during a vast and stubborn heat wave. The bridge connecting North Sioux City, South Dakota, with Sioux City, Iowa, collapsed into the Big Sioux River late Sunday, an emergency manager said. Local media images showed a large span of the steel bridge partially underwater as floodwaters rushed over it. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said at a news briefing Monday that the bridge was the main rail link from her state into Iowa. Some of its trusses collapsed, Jason Westcott, an emergency manager in Union County, South Dakota, told KCAU-TV. There were no reports of injuries from the collapse, which occurred around 11 pm. The bridge's owner, BNSF Railway, had stopped operating it as a precaution during the flooding, spokesperson Kendall Sloan said. Trains are being rerouted. We have damaged roads. We have damaged bridges

Death toll rises to 20 in Russia's Dagestan attack, 3-day mourning declared

At least 15 police officers died alongside several civilians, including an Orthodox priest. Five attackers were also reported to have been liquidated

Gunmen kill over 15 policemen, many civilians in Russia's Dagestan region

More than 15 policemen and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, were killed by armed militants in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan, its governor Sergei Melikov said in a video statement early Monday. The gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police post in two cities Sunday, according to the authorities. Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee described the attacks in the predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed militancy as terrorist acts. Six bandits were liquidated, the governor said. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were declared days of mourning in the region. Armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in two cities in Russia's southern republic of Dagestan, killing a priest and at least six police officers, Russian authorities reported Sunday. Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee described the attacks in the predominantly Muslim region with a history of armed militancy as

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 ...