Page 119 - Disaster Accident
11 killed in China construction site accident
Eleven workers were killed and two others seriously injured after an elevator collapsed at a construction site in China's Hebei province Thursday, authorities said.
11 die as elevator cable snaps at work site in north China
Eleven workers were killed and two seriously injured Thursday when an elevator at a construction site in northern China fell due to snapped cable, state media reported. The Voice of China radio said the accident, the latest in a series of deadly industrial incidents, occurred around 8 a.m. in the Hebei province city of Hengshui. It didn't say how far the elevator fell. Recent months have been particularly deadly for Chinese workers, underscoring shoddy enforcement of safety regulations and a desire by management to cut corners as the economy slows. In March, 78 people were killed in a blast at a chemical plant in the eastern city of Yancheng that had numerous safety violations, making it one of China's worst industrial accidents in recent years. Earlier, in November, at least 22 people were killed in an explosion outside a chemical plant in the northeastern city of Zhangjiakou, which will host competitions in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Engine of Air India's Boeing aircraft shuts down at Delhi airport, 'black fumes' observed
An engine of an empty Boeing 777 aircraft of Air India shut down at the Delhi airport on Wednesday night during a technical inspection, the airline said. Airport fire personnel then observed that black fumes were coming out of the engine's exhaust, following which they sprayed foam on it, Air India said in a statement on Thursday. When an engineer was doing a routine technical examination of the empty aircraft (777) at the Delhi airport on Wednesday night, auto shutdown of the auxiliary power unit (APU) took place, the airline said. The APU is the smallest engine on an aircraft and situated at the tail of it. It provides the necessary power to start the main engines. Airport personnel observed black fumes from the APU exhaust and, believing it to be a fire hazard, sprayed APU and part of the fuselage with foam spray, the national carrier said. The APU was examined by opening its cowlings (cover). After opening the cover, "there was no traces of any burn or external damage noticed ...
Empty Air India plane catches fire during maintenance work, Air India says 'minor' incident
A Delhi to San Francisco (Boeing 777) flight of Air India caught fire in Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) at the time of repair work on Wednesday night.Air India termed it as a minor incident.The incident took place at the Delhi airport. The fire started during AC repair when the plane was empty. The fire was doused immediately.
US records 695 measles cases, most since 2000
The United States recorded 695 cases of measles in 2019, the most of any year since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, health authorities have said. "The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of a few large outbreaks -- one in Washington State and two large outbreaks in New York that started in late 2018," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Wednesday.
Nine persons injured in Delhi bus accident
At least nine persons were injured on Wednesday after a cluster bus whose brakes failed hit over 10 vehicles in central Delhi, a police officer said.
GoAir to begin 28 additional flights from Friday
Budget passenger carrier GoAir on Wednesday said it will operate 28 additional flights from Friday.
51 people killed in South Africa floods
At least 51 people have died after heavy rains battered South Africa, authorities said on Wednesday.
Blazes in Scandinavia ignite fears for summer season
Firefighters in Sweden and Norway were Wednesday trying to contain wildfires which forced hundreds to leave their homes and sparked concern over a repeat of last year's historic forest fires. A total of 10 fires were of a "serious nature", a Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) spokesman told AFP Eight helicopters were being used to fight the blazes in the south that were reported to be under control Wednesday afternoon. "They have them under control", MSB press secretary Marcus Arskog told Swedish news agency TT. The most severe covered 300 hectares and broke out in the Hassleholm region in southern Sweden, forcing 49 people to evacuate. Last year a historically hot summer set a total of 25,000 hectares of forest ablaze in Sweden, almost 10 times the yearly average, according to a government study. MSB said the exact cause of the spring fires was not known but believed them to be the result of human activity, either from barbecues or forestry machines. The sunny and warm spring
Malaysian climber stranded on Nepal's Mt Annapurna
A Malaysian man was stranded in Nepal near the summit of Mount Annapurna, expedition organisers said Wednesday, after the climber was separated from other trekkers while descending the treacherous peak. The 48-year-old summited the 8,100-metre (26,500-feet) Himalayan mountain on Tuesday with at least 31 others but failed to return to the nearest camp, a kilometre below the peak. Thaneshwor Guragain of Seven Summit Treks said the man's guide stumbled into the camp late Tuesday after the two had lagged behind the team. "Details of the climber's condition are not clear, but his guide said it was impossible to bring him down by himself. We are aware of his location," Guragain said. "We are in conversation with the Malaysian embassy to plan what to do next," he added. Some team members waited at the camp for extra oxygen in the hope of reaching the man but efforts to send a helicopter with supplies were hampered by bad weather. The Malaysian had returned to Nepal after summiting Everest ...
5.9-magnitude quake rocks NE, PM enquiries about damages from Assam CM
A quake measuring 5.9 shook northeastern states in the early hours of Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property from anywhere due to the earthquake, authorities said. The epicentre of the quake, which hit the region around 1:45 am, was about 40-km southeast of Along and 180-km southwest of Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, the IMD said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone and enquired about the impact and possible damages caused by the earthquake in the state and other parts of the region. "The prime minister despite his extremely busy electioneering schedule took out time to assess the impact and possible damage caused by the earthquake.This shows his love and concern for Assam and other northeastern states," Sonowal said. While the IMD said the quake measured about 5.9, the United States Geological Survey pegged it at 6.1. Arunachal Pradesh Director ...
Two moderate intensity earthquakes hit Nepal, no damage reported
Two moderate intensity earthquakes on Wednesday hit Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley, as the Himalayan Nation marked 4th anniversary of the Gorkha earthquake that killed 9,000 people. According to the National Seismological Centre two tremors of local magnitude 5.2 and 4.3 were recorded at 6:29 am and 6:40 am respectively, in Dhading district, 75 km west of Kathmandu on Wednesday. The tremors that hit at a depth of around 10 kilometre were the aftershocks of the April 25 earthquake, said an official at NSC. The first tremor was felt for about four seconds followed by another tremor which was relatively shorter, in several districts of central Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley. People came out of their house as the tremor was felt early morning in Kathmandu, which reminded them of the devastating earthquake four years back. However, no immediate damage was reported of the incident so far.
5 killed, 9 injured as landslide hits mini bus in J-K's Doda
Five persons, including three women, were killed and nine others injured, when a mini bus came under a boulder after a landslide hit a stretch of road in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district Wednesday, officials said. The mini bus was on its way to Gandoh from Thathri, when the boulder hit it at Piyakul belt late afternoon on Wednesday, they said. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Gandoh Bhallesa Nawaz Khanday said five persons were killed and nine others injured in the incident. Mohd Anwar Banday, SDM Thathri, said preliminary reports suggest that the mini bus, which was crossing the muddy patch, came under debris and rocks after a sudden landslide. Locals and police immediately reached the spot and after rescuing the passengers, shifted them to Primary Health Centre (PHC) Kahara. Initially, three persons died on the spot and 11 others were injured, some of them critically. Later on, two more succumbed in the hospital, they said. The deceased have been identified as Shakeela Bagum, Mansoor .
Thunderstorm hits Jammu, normal life disrupted
Normal life was disrupted in Jammu after a thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds hit the city. Strong winds uprooted trees and disrupted power supply in the city on late Tuesday night, officials said Wednesday. Several autorickshaws and cars were damaged in storm-related incidents, they said. In some areas, trees were uprooted leading to traffic congestion for several hours, the officials said. No loss of life or injury was reported, they said, adding that power supply was restored in some areas of the city.
3 killed, 11 injured as landslide hits mini-bus in JK's Doda
At least three persons were killed and 11 injured when a mini-bus came under a huge boulder after a landslide hit a stretch of road in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday, officials said. The mini-bus was on its way to Gandoh from Thathri, when a big rock hit it at Piyakul belt in the afternoon, they said. Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Gandoh Bhallesa, Nawaz Khanday confirmed the casualties. Thathri Sub-Divisional Magistrate Mohd Anwar Banday said preliminary reports suggest that the mini-bus, which was crossing the muddy patch, apparently came under debris and rocks due to the landslide. Locals and police immediately reached the spot and after rescuing the passengers, shifted the injured ones to Primary Health Centre (PHC) Kahara. The identification of those dead or injured in the incident is not known yet.
Specialist says Notre Dame organ unharmed by fire
Notre Dame cathedral's 8,000-pipe organ has escaped undamaged from the flames that engulfed the building last week. Pascal Quoirin, a specialist who restored the Notre Dame organ in 2017, has checked the instrument and says it did not suffer any damage in the blaze that destroyed most of the roof. Quoirin said "after two hours spent examining the instrumental part, I did not notice any damage that could have been caused by the fire." According to Quoirin, the thermometer inside the organ showed that the temperature did not rise above 17 degrees Celsius (63 Fahrenheit) on the day of the fire, ensuring no damage to the electronic components or pipes. Quoirin recommends protecting the instrument with a waterproof case, to dusting it and playing it regularly during the restoration work.
2 killed, 10 hurt as landslide hits vehicle in J&K
Two persons were killed and 10 injured on Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by a landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, the police said.
Road accident kills 19 wedding guests in Nigeria
Nineteen wedding guests in the northern Nigerian state of Jigawa died when their bus lost control and burst into flames, police said Wednesday. The 18-seater was carrying 40 women and children returning from a wedding when its front tyre burst, causing it to skid off the road. The crash happened on Tuesday in Gwaram Sabuwa, a village around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the state capital Dutse. "Nineteen people were killed in the accident and 21 others were injured," state police spokesman Abdul Jinjiri told AFP. Residents said the bus somersaulted and burst into flames, burning the victims alive. The passengers were said to be returning from a wedding ceremony in nearby Bauchi state when the crash happened. Road accidents in Nigeria are common. Frequent causes are poorly-maintained roads and vehicles, reckless driving and speeding. At least 12 people were killed and 16 injured on April 13 when a fuel tanker exploded in the northern city of Gombe after falling on its side. Nineteen ..
Six years after Bangladesh factory disaster, rights groups issue 'grim' warning
Six years after one of the world's most devastating factory disasters led to international safety monitoring in Bangladesh, campaigners are warning of "grim consequences" if such oversight is abandoned. The collapse of the nine-floor rabbit warren of textile factories at Rana Plaza in Dhaka on April 24, 2013 killed 1,138 workers and shone a spotlight on the poor safety standards in Bangladesh's $31 billion garment industry. Under intense pressure, top brands such as H&M, Inditex, Carrefour and Gap set up two watchdogs to look at more than 4,500 factories that make clothes for Western stores. One of the watchdogs, the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, has already wrapped up after reviewing nearly 1,000 factories that produced mostly for US brands. The future of the larger monitor, "Accord on Fire and Building safety", representing some 200 European labels such as H&M, Primark and Tesco, is to be decided by Bangladesh's Supreme Court after a lower court ruled it should ...
Earthquake in Arunachal, no casualties reported
An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter Scale hit the northeastern states in the early hours of Wednesday, an official said.