Page 102 - Disaster Accident
Over 10 million North Koreans suffering severe food shortages: UN
The North Korean regime has cut official food rations down to 300 grams per person per day after the worst harvest in a decade in the country, the United Nations said on Friday.More than ten million North Koreans are suffering "severe food shortages" due to a series of weather disasters, compounded by international sanctions on the country, particularly by the US.According to a food security assessment carried out by the UN, the said factors have left the country with a food deficit of 1.36 million metric tons. The aggregate 2018-19 food crop production is estimated at 4.9 million metric tons, the lowest in 10 years.The assessment was based on data gathered by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) from March 29 to April 12.An earlier report issued by the UN had revealed that around 42 per cent of North Korea's population is "food insecure", with one out of five children facing "chronic malnutrition."Humanitarian assistance to the country is .
J'khand asks dist commissioners to be alert in wake of 'Fani'
The Jharkhand government issued an advisory on Friday, asking all district deputy commissioners to set up control rooms to meet any exigency in the wake of the cyclonic storm 'Fani'. An official release, quoting the regional meteorological department, said from the afternoon of May 3 to May 4, widespread rains accompanied by strong winds will occur in all the 24 districts of the state. Several districts are already experiencing rains, officials said. Meanwhile, a woman died after a wall of her house collapsed, following a sudden storm at Sajwan village in Palamau district, they said. The woman, identified as Muni Kumari, died on the spot after the mud wall fell on her, the officials said. The storm was not under the impact of 'Fani', they added. All educational institutions in Palamau district will remain closed on Saturday, the release said. Earlier on Friday, cyclone 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, ...
Scared after 'Aila', thousands in Sundarbans take shelters ahead of Fani
With dreadful memories of cyclone, 'Aila' which wreaked havoc in Sundarbans about 10 years back, thousands of people along with their domestic animals took shelters in the relief camps and flood centres in the islands as severe cyclonic storm Fani approached West Bengal causing intense intermittent rainfall and destroying houses.
Fani: IAF keeps 11 choppers, 4 aircraft on standby
In view of cyclone "Fani", the Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept on standby 11 helicopters and four An-32 aircraft in different locations for relief and rescue operations, an official release said on Friday.
Bhubaneswar airport's equipment significantly damaged, flight ops likely from 1 pm Saturday: Govt
Equipment at Bhubaneswar airport have been significantly damaged but flight operations are expected to begin by 1 pm Saturday, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement Friday. "The passenger terminal building at Bhubaneswar has been considerably damaged, particularly at the rooftop and facades... Based on the feedback and action taken, it was decided that Bhubaneswar will resume commercial flight operations with effect from 1300 IST on May 4, 2019," the statement said. As the rooftop of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower has been blown away, affecting very high frequency (VHF) antennas at the rooftop, the ministry said that alternate ATC arrangements have been made at the airport. "There is also considerable damage to the perimeter wall of operational area to the extent of 600 metres at various places. Adequate security arrangements have been made to address the issue," the ministry said. The cyclone rolled through Odisha on Friday, packing rain and windstorm that gusted up to
AAI conducts assessment of Bhubaneshwar Airport after withdrawal of cyclone Fani
After the gradual withdrawal of super cyclone Fani from Bhubaneshwar, an assessment was carried out by a team of Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Bhubaneshwar Airport to assess the damage and to decide on the probable resumption of operations on Friday.Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, AAI conducted a review meeting at 6:30 pm after taking stock of the situation and also issued suitable instructions to all concerned so as to mitigate the shortfalls arising out of the damage."The Passenger Terminal Building at Bhubaneshwar has been considerably damaged particularly at the rooftop and facades. The rooftop of ATC Tower has also been blown away, affecting VHF Antennas at the rooftop. Alternate ATC arrangements have been made. Damage to the perimeter wall of the operational area to the extent of 600 meters has also been found at various places. Adequate security arrangements have been made to address this issue," a statement said.There is also the extensive presence of Foreign Objects
Over 4 lakh people evacuated as Bangladesh braces for cyclone Fani
Over 400,000 people, who reside along the coast have been evacuated as cyclone Fani made landfall along India's eastern, killing at least three people, on Friday afternoon, Bangladesh's Disaster Management and Relief said.Dhaka Tribune quoted State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, Enamur Rahman, as saying that nearly 404,225 people from the coastal regions have been evacuated and taken to cyclone shelters before Fani hits the low-lying country."We started evacuating people at 10 am on Friday," the state minister told reporters during a conference held at the Food Ministry in Dhaka on Friday."Until 12 pm, 404,225 have been taken to cyclone shelters. We are hopeful we will be able to take everyone into cyclone shelters by 5 pm," he added.Around 4,071 centres in 19 districts across Bangladesh have been prepared to take in 2,200,000-2,500,000 people by 5 pm, Enamur said.To counter cyclone Fani, around 56,000 members of Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP), including the navy, ...
Cyclone Fani: Naval Dornier Aircraft conducts aerial survey in Odisha
To assess the impact of cyclone Fani in Odisha, an aerial survey was conducted by the Naval Dornier Aircraft.The aerial survey observed extensive devastation to vegetation in many places around Puri, read a statement."A large number of trees and electric poles were found uprooted, creating road blocks in the city limits of Puri. Roof top of Puri Railway Station was found to be blown off. Large scale water inundation was observed in many, particularly in low lying areas between Puri and Chilka Lake," it further stated.The Dornier crew observed very strong winds of nearly 50 knots during the sortie.The footage of the aerial survey is being shared with the state administration officials for planning relief and rehabilitation activities, the statement said.The Centre has released Rs 1000 crores in advance to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by cyclone Fani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.Cyclone Fani on Friday lashed Odisha, triggering heavy ...
3 boys washed away by flash floods in TN
Three boys, aged ten, were washed away by flash floods in a stream near the Silver Waterfalls here Friday, police said. The boys, who are schoolmates, entered the stream to take bath when the sudden gush of water swept them away. Fire and Rescue service personnel were searching for the bodies, police said adding a case had been registered. The boys had come to the stream without informing their parents.
Fire breaks out in Chiranjeevi's farmhouse, destroys set of his new film
A fire broke out in actor Chiranjeevi's farmhouse on Friday, destroying the set of his upcoming film.The set of Chiranjeevi's upcoming film 'Sye Ra Narasimha' was installed there and the film crew had been shooting for last few days in the farmhouse."Today morning the fire broke out in the actor's farmhouse located in Kokapet area. Immediately after receiving information fire tenders from near stations rushed to the spot and doused the fire," said officials from the fire department..
Cyclone Fani: Telecom department reviews network services of telcos
The telecom department on Friday reviewed services provided by four operators - Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and state-owned BSNL - in areas affected by cyclone Fani, according to official sources. While services in Andhra Pradesh is expected to be fully functional by Saturday morning, the restoration work has already started in Puri and Bhubaneswar (in Odisha), which suffered extensive network damage. The sources also said that the facility for free SMS has already been activated, and free interconnect between Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has been facilitated to ensure calls can be made on whichever network is available. Among other measures, helpline number 1938 has been activated and the entire situation is being closely monitored, they added. Earlier in the day, India's largest telecom operator Vodafone Idea had said it has initiated contingency measures, including activating emergency helpline number and free SMS, for its ..
Cyclone 'Fani' bites Odisha, eight dead
Cyclone 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, killing at least eight people, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages, officials said. The extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Fani' or the 'Hood of Snake' made landfall around 8 a.m. in Puri, with roaring winds flattening huts, enveloping the pilgrim town in sheets of rain, and submerging homes. Though the 'extremely severe' cyclone unexpectedly weakened into 'very severe' cyclonic storm in a matter of few hours, it left a trail of devastation in large parts of coastal Odisha, with the seaside pilgrim town of Puri being the worst hit. At least eight people have been reported dead so far, senior officials said, adding information was still awaited from many areas. While three people, including a teenage boy, were reported killed in Puri district, three perished in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas. Flying debris from a concrete structure ..
EC takes all measures to protect strongrooms storing EVMs,
With Cyclone Fani barreling its way to West Bengal from Odisha, the Election Commission has taken all measures to protect strongrooms where EVMs and VVPATs have been stored, a senior EC official said Friday. The EVMs and VVPATs are for use in the seven parliamentary constituencies going to the polls in the fifth phase in the state on Monday, he said. EC officers in the state held video conferences with district magistrates and telephonic meetings during the day with senior officials on precautionary measures needed to be taken for the VVPATs and the EVMs. "We have spoken to the district magistrate of the seven Lok Sabha constituencies and also had a detailed discussion with other officials of the EC regarding measures to protect the strongrooms in view of the cyclone," the EC official told PTI. The EVMs and the VVPATs come inbuilt in boxes. They are sealed after the polling is over in the presence of election officials and polling agents, the official said. "Polling in ..
Railways to transport relief material at no cost to cyclone affected states
The railways will transport aid and relief materials free of cost to cyclone 'Fani' affected Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the national transporter said Friday, in the wake of large-scale devastation by cyclonic storm. The cyclone rolled through Odisha on Friday, packing rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, leaving at least three people dead, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages. The railways issued a set of guidelines and in a letter to all Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) said all government organisations can book relief material free of cost to the affected states. "Indian railways has decided to permit inter-state and intra-state free transport for aid and relief material by coaching trains and goods trains...to cyclone Fani affected states... "However, it may be ensured that consigner /consignee is district magistrate/deputy commissioner in whose jurisdiction the dispatching/receiving station is situated," the letter said. DRMs have .
Cyclone Fani: District authorities alerted in Assam
As cyclone 'Fani' is expected to trigger heavy rains in the northeast after hitting West Bengal, the Assam government Friday directed all district deputy commissioners and agencies concerned to be on alert and take necessary measures to deal with the situation. The Central Water Commission, in a bulletin, has forecast high rainfall in west and central Assam districts on May 4 and 5. According to a release by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), state disaster response force (SDRF) personnel have been deployed in 40 locations across the state. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have reached for pre-positioning in Cachar, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Jorhat districts. Dhemaji district and Patgaon in Guwahati each already have an NDRF battalion stationed there, the release said. Toll-free numbers have been set up in the district and state control rooms which will be operational round the clock. The toll-free number for the district control room ..
Cyclone Fani: No damage to life and property at sea, says Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard said that no loss of life and property has been reported at sea after powerful cyclonic storm 'Fani' hit Odisha on Friday."Today, Fani hit Odisha with its landfall near Puri, caused extensive damage at the shore but as of now no loss of life and property at sea has been reported till now," Coast Guard Inspector General K.R Suresh told ANI.The officer said his force has an excellent response system towards cyclones, but after cyclone 'OCKHI', Indian Coast Guard laid down new standard operating procedures to counter such disasters."Cyclones don't come as an accident or incident but they come with a lot of preparatory time. On April 23, we got first feeble low pressure reports hence started preparing ourselves to brace up for something serious with the assistance from Metrological Component officer," said IG Suresh.In wake of cyclone Fani, the India Coast Guard started multi-level preparation by coordinating with maritime rescue awareness centres of the ...
Fani strongest cyclone to hit India since 1999: Skymet
India has witnessed at least 20 severe cyclonic storms in past two decades but the ongoing "extremely severe" cyclone "Fani", which hit the eastern coast along Odisha with a wind speed of up to 200 km per hour on Friday, has been found to be the strongest to hit the country since 1999.
Cyclone Fani lashes Odisha, leaves 3 dead and over 160 injured
Cyclone Fani on Friday lashed Odisha, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind touching speed of 200 kmph, and left three persons dead besides over 160 injured, a trail of destruction that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles.The impact of the "extremely severe cyclonic storm", which made landfall close to the temple town of Puri between 8 a.m and 10 a.m. was also felt in parts of West Bengal, including the beach town of Digha, and Andhra Pradesh.The cyclone, the worst April cyclone in 43 years, caused "huge damage" in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri and Khordha districts in the state, according to the Odisha government.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre has released Rs. 1,000 crores to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by Fani.Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) S N Pradhan said that three persons lost their lives during the cyclone."As of now, three persons have lost their lives in the
Modi, Shah postpone Bengal rallies ahead of 'Fani'
The public meetings to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have been postponed by a day in view of the possible devastation by severe cyclonic storm Fani, which may strike Bengal at around midnight on May 3.
Car driven by 'tipsy' man rams car into pedestrians, 2 killed
A sports utility vehicle driven allegedly by a drunken man rammed into pedestrians, killing two of them and injuring another before coming to a halt on hitting a compound wall here Friday, police said. A group of public who witnessed the accident in Padi area of the city gave the car a chase and dragged the driver after it halted, beat him up and handed him over to the police who arrested him. The man, a driver by profession and owned the SUV, was heavily drunk and could not control the vehicle, resulting in the accident, a police official told PTI. The car first hit an elderly woman and later a 52-year old man, both of whom were returning from an eatery, before knocking down another woman. It came to a halt after ramming into a compound wall on a lane abutting a service road. While the elderly woman and man died, the injured woman was being treated at a government hospital where her condition was stated to be out of danger, the official added. A case of culpable homicide