Page 117 - Disaster Accident
Crew Dragon explosion probe to 'take time': NASA
Even as an investigation into the Crew Dragon engine failure in a test last week has started, finding out the root cause of the problem may take time, a top NASA official has said.
Face of Rana Plaza rescue operation commits suicide
A Bangladeshi activist, who rescued dozens of people during the infamous 2013 Rana Plaza disaster that killed over 1,100 people, has committed suicide by setting himself ablaze after pouring kerosene, police said Friday. Nowshad Hasan Himu, 27, set himself ablaze on Wednesday night, apparently after suffering years of trauma-related depression, and was found on fire by neighbours outside his rented house at Birulia in Ashulia area near Dhaka. "We have sent his body to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital morgue," Dhaka Tribune quoted Savar police station Sub-Inspector Asgar Ali as saying. Ali said Himu set himself on fire after pouring kerosene on himself on the sixth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy. Himu, a familiar face to those who worked during the Rana Plaza disaster on April 24 which killed 1,134 people in one of the world's worst industrial tragedies, had rescued scores of people and recovered a number of bodies throughout the 17-day rescue operation. From 2016, he began ..
Torrential rain triggers flooding, evacuations in Indonesia's capital
Torrential rain triggered flooding in parts of the Indonesian capital Jakarta overnight, the disaster agency said Friday, forcing the evacuation of residents. Heavy rain pounded the greater Jakarta area, causing the Ciliwung river to burst its banks, and prompting flash flooding in at least 17 communities. Dozens of residents in parts of the capital's east, where flooding occurs frequently during rainy season, were forced to wade through streets filled with 1-metre high water in places. Images from some parts of the city showed people taking refuge on higher ground with their belongings, while authorities tried to reach hard-hit areas with rubber boats. Public kitchens have been set up in East Jakarta to distribute aid to people affected by the flooding. "We urge people to stay alert to the possibility of more flooding," the Jakarta disaster mitigation agency said in a statement, adding the high water level of several dams was still at a worrying level. There were no immediate ...
Fire in multi-storey commercial building in Kolkata
A major fire broke out on the top floor a four-storey commercial building in south Kolkata on Thursday, a fire brigade official said here. The blaze, reported around 9.20 am, was brought under control after three hours of firefighting, he said. As many as 12 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, the official said, adding that a portion of the building's roof and part of a wall on the fourth floor have collapsed. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. According to a police officer, the commercial building, near Rabindra Sadan Metro station, has been evacuated and no one sustained injuries. Senior fire brigade personnel and police officers, including the Director General of Fire Services Jag Mohan, are reviewing the situation, he stated. The incident led to massive traffic snarls during the rush hour on the arterial Asutosh Mukherjee Road and its adjoining areas.
GMR, CCE of Ireland join hands for crew training
GMR Aviation Academy and Ireland-based Cabin Crew Europe have joined hands to provide EASA-approved cabin crew initial training courses in the country. As part of the tie-up, in which the graduates in the domestic market will obtain European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)- attestation for the first time, these courses will be initially conducted at two locations, which have already been identified, and later the facilities will be expanded to other locations as well, a release said Friday. EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) is the European aviation safety regulator for certifications, regulation and standardisation besides monitoring and performing investigation. "GMR Aviation Academy is committed towards creating a continual training pipeline and the signing of this agreement with Cabin Crew Europe, Nobox is yet another landmark moment. With joint efforts and synergy, we will be able to create immediate employability access to European and the Middle Eastern ...
Two injured in Tata Steel UK plant blast
At least two employees sustained minor injuries in an explosion followed by a fire at the Tata Steel Europe's Port Talbot plant in the UK, an official said here on Friday.
2 injured in explosion at Tata Steel plant in UK
Two people suffered minor injuries in a pre-dawn explosion at a Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot in Wales, the UK's largest steelworks, police said Friday. The blast at occurred around 0335 GMT with emergency fire crews rushing to battle the blaze. South Wales Police confirmed that all workers had been accounted for after an explosion from a train carrying molton metal into the works caused "small fires". "Emergency services remain on scene but we have had confirmation that all members of staff are accounted for and there are only two casualties with minor injuries," South Wales Police said in a statement. "Early indications are that the seat of the explosion was a train which carries molton metal into the works. The explosion caused some small fires which are all under control and damage to some buildings on the site," the statement noted. The police said that the local South West Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that there is no need for concerns regarding any "hazardous ...
Fire breaks out in multi-storey commercial building in Kolkata
A major fire broke out on the top floor a four-storey commercial building in south Kolkata on Thursday, a fire brigade official said here. At least 12 fire tenders have been pressed into service to douse the flames, he said. According to a police officer, the building, near Rabindra Sadan Metro station, has been evacuated and no one is known to have sustained injuries in the fire, which was reported around 9.20am. Senior fire brigade personnel and police officers, including the Director General of Fire Services, have reached the site to review the situation. The incident led to massive traffic snarls during the rush hour on the arterial Asutosh Mukherjee Road and its adjoining areas.
Fire breaks out in Kolkata building
A fire broke out in a four-storeyed building on Friday in south Kolkata's bustling Chowringhee Road, an official said. No casualty has been reported yet.
Work for new NDRF Academy near Nagpur to start soon: Official
Work on constructing a new campus of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Academy in Suradevi village near Nagpur will start soon, a top official said. The foundation stone laying ceremony of the academy is expected to take place in June this year and the construction work may start in September, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said on Thursday. The existing NDRF Academy is located in the Civil Lines area in Nagpur. Addressing a press conference here, Pradhan said, "The new campus of NDRF Academy will come up on 153 acres of land in Suradevi. National and international-level training courses in the field of disaster management will be organised here." The work is expected to get over in two to three years, he said. "This academy will serve as a training point for all the South East Asian countries. Hopefully, 10 years from now, experts from across the world will travel to Nagpur to share and exchange knowledge in the field of disaster management," Pradhan ...
UK: Explosion reported at Tata Steelworks plant in South Wales
An explosion was reported at Tata Steelworks Plant in the Port Talbot town of South Wales, United Kingdom, police said on Friday."South Wales Police are aware of an incident in TATA Steelworks, Port Talbot. Emergency services are in attendance and further information will be released shortly. Thank you for your patience," read a tweet on the official Twitter handle of South Wales police department.The incident was reported at around 3:35 am (local time).Two people are reported to be injured in the incident.The Emergency services are at the spot, and police have asked people to avoid the area.Tata Steel Europe wrote on its official Twitter handle that the fire is under control and no serious injuries have been reported.Further details are awaited.
Fire breaks out inside a canteen in Gwalior railway station
Fire broke out at Railway station canteen here on Friday. No casualties have been reported so far."All material inside the canteen was gutted into the fire, however, no casualties occurred," officials said.The fire broke out at the canteen situated on Platform 1 of Gwalior Railway station."Prima facie short circuit was the cause of the fire," officials added.Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control.Further investigation in the matter is underway.
Cyclone Kenneth: Storm-battered Mozambique hit again
Three persons have been killed in northern Mozambique after cyclone Kenneth made landfall only a month after another huge storm battered the coastal nation, authorities said.
Mozambique: Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Kenneth makes landfall on Thursday
Within a month of recovery from the devastating trail of Cyclone Idai that left more than 1000 dead, the Mozambican government on Thursday announced the evacuation of more than 30,000 people residing as Cyclone Kenneth made its landfall in the eastern coastal region of Africa.Cyclone Kenneth battered northern Mozambique with sustained winds of up to 220 kilometres per hour late on Thursday after killing three people on the island nation of Comoros overnight, Al Jazeera reported."The compulsory evacuation process will continue until we have all people on secure ground," Paulo Tomas, spokesman for Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC), was quoted as saying.The INGC said it had supplies ready to assist 140,000 people for 15 days.The United Nations World Food Programme too said the cyclone was "expected to bring heavy rains in the area, with more than 600 millimetres rainfall expected".The volume of rain would be nearly double the 10-days accumulated rainfall that .
Canada capital declares flooding state of emergency
Ottawa's mayor declared a state of emergency in the Canadian capital in anticipation of rising flood waters and heavy rains. No homes have been evacuated, but authorities expect waters along the Ottawa River to rise above levels in 2017 that saw the worst floods in Eastern Canada in half a century. Environment Canada issued a special weather statement predicting up to 35 millimetres (1.3 inches) of rain by Saturday morning. Together with the snowmelt that feeds the river, waters are expected to rise up to 11 centimetres (4.3 inches) above peak levels reached in May 2017. In addition to assistance from the province of Ontario with management of the emergency situation, some 400 troops will be deployed on Friday to key areas to help fill sandbags. "We can no longer do it alone," Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told a news conference. "We are now beyond our city's capacity, and that is why we have called in the armed forces." Ottawa suburban neighbourhoods most at risk include Cumberland, ...
Air Canada says its 737 MAX jets grounded until at least August
Air Canada has said that its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX jets will remain grounded until at least August 1, pushing back a previous estimate for their return to service. Two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft -- one operated by Ethiopian Airlines and another by Lion Air -- have crashed in recent months, killing nearly 350 people. Air Canada's 24 MAX jetliners were grounded in March following the second crash. At the time, Canada's flagship airline estimated it would get them back in the air by July 1. It was also expecting to receive 12 more of the planes in July, but Boeing has advised that deliveries of the aircraft have been suspended. "With the continued grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Air Canada is prudently adjusting its schedule and is finalizing arrangements for additional aircraft to transport customers to their destinations," executive vice president Lucie Guillemette said in a statement. She said the company has suspended some routes, substituted different aircraft on others, ...
Illinois: Chemical spill sends 37 to hospital, 7 in critical condition
A leak in a trailer carrying hazardous chemicals created a massive chemical spill in Beach Park, Illinois, on Thursday, sending 37 people to the hospital, including seven in critical condition, authorities said.After citing preliminary reports of the investigation, CNN confirmed that the containers, filled with anhydrous ammonia, were being carried by trailer on Green Bay Road in Beach Park, a village north of Chicago.Anhydrous ammonia, a colourless gas with pungent fumes, can cause unconsciousness and even death when inhaled. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chemical is commonly used by farmers as an agricultural fertilizer."Beach Park Incident: 7 of the 37 transported to area hospitals are in critical, but stable condition. This includes one firefighter. A total of 11 firefighters and 3 police officers were transported to the hospital," the Lake County Sheriff's Office said on its Twitter account.Mike Gallo, from Lake Forest Fire Department, told CNN .
27-yr-old man injured in road accident succumbs to injuries
A 27-year-old man, who was among the nine injured after a DTC cluster bus hit over 10 vehicles in central Delhi, succumbed to injuries on Thursday, police said. The deceased was identified as Mantu, a native of Uttar Pradesh, and used to live in Karol Bagh area, they said. The bus driver, identified as Latoor Singh (50), has been arrested, police said. They have initiated a probe and are planning to conduct a mechanical inspection of the bus as it was claimed that the brakes of the vehicle got failed. At around 6 pm on Wednesday, police were informed about the accident. Nine people were injured, out of which six were shifted to the Jeewan Mala Hospital and three were rushed to the Lady Hardinge Hospital.
US agency to host meeting of global regulators on 737 MAX
The Federal Aviation Administration has invited international regulators to Washington for a meeting on the issues facing the Boeing 737 MAX, which suffered two deadly crashes in recent months, an agency spokesman said Thursday. The forum, scheduled for May 23, aims to outline for civilian aviation regulators the US agency's process for returning the 737 MAX to service after the aircraft was grounded worldwide in mid-March following crashes by Ethiopian Airlines and October Lion Air that together claimed 346 lives. The gathering comes as the FAA faces scrutiny over its oversight and greenlighting of the aircraft's design and manufacture. The session will "discuss the agency's activities toward ensuring the safe return of Boeing 737 MAX to service," an FAA spokesman said in an email to AFP. The agency will provide participants with the "safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 MAX fleet to service in the US when it is made," the spokesman said. "Also, the FAA ...
Sri Lanka revises Easter blasts death toll to 253
Sri Lanka on Thursday night sharply revised downward the death toll from the Easter Sunday terror attack by more than 100 to "about 253", citing a "calculation error". Authorities earlier said that nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of a local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. However, Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of "a calculation error". "The approximate total of the dead would be 253 and not 359 as reported in media," he said. Jasinghe said at least 485 injured were admitted to six hospitals throughout the country. "By 10 a.m. today, the casualty number at hospitals has been reduced to 149. Only 6 had died in hospitals," Jasinghe said. On April 22, an estimated figure of 280 dead was released. "As it was not easy to count the correct number of dead due to extensive ...