Page 123 - Disaster Accident
Fire at shopping centre in Mumbai; none hurt
A fire broke out at a shopping centre in the busy Crawford Market area of South Mumbai on Monday, a fire brigade official said. No casualty was reported in the incident, he said. The blaze erupted around 10.50 am at the shopping centre located behind a mosque on Abdul Rahman Street and spread rapidly in the complex, the official said. Several electronic goods, plastic, stationery items and electric installations were gutted in the fire, he said. Four fire engines, as many water tankers, and a quick response vehicle were rushed to the spot, he said. The fire brigade personnel managed to extinguish the flames after hectic efforts for about an hour, he said. The exact cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained, the official said, adding that a probe was on into the incident.
Nepal: Tara Air skids off runway in Ramechhap, no casualties reported
An aircraft of Tara Air skid off the runway while landing at Manthali Airport in Ramechhap district here on Monday morning.All passengers and crew members on board the flight were reported to be safe, according to Himalayan Times.The aircraft 9N-AKK had arrived in Ramechhap from Solukhumbu. The airport has been closed down after the incident was reported."There has been a runway excursion at Ramechhap airport involving our Dornier Do228 aircraft. All passengers and crew are safe. We are working with CAA of Nepal and Ramechhap airport authorities to remove the aircraft from the runway," Yeti Airlines tweeted.A team from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) will be visiting the incident site for inspection to remove the aircraft from the runway. Further details are awaited.
4 small earthquakes hit different parts of Alaska
Four small earthquakes hit different parts of Alaska over the weekend, according to an earthquake monitoring center. At 6:04 pm Sunday, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake hit a spot 26 miles (42 kilometers) east of Knik-Fairview, a town of about 900 people in the Anchorage metropolitan area, the Alaska Earthquake Center said. The earthquake had a depth of 20 miles (33 kilometers). At 11:48 am Sunday, a magnitude 3.0 earthquake hit the Prince William Sound region of Alaska, the center said. The earthquake struck a spot about 24 miles (39 kilometers) northwest of Valdez, which has about 3,900 residents. Residents of Valdez felt it, the center said. The earthquake had a depth of 11 miles (18 kilometers). At 10:31 pm Saturday, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit the Andreanof Islands region of Alaska, which is about 11,200 miles west of Anchorage. This earthquake had a depth of about 8 miles (13 kilometers). At 7:39 pm Saturday, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake hit a spot 4 miles (7 k9ilometers) southwest ..
3 professional climbers confirmed dead in Canada
The bodies of three professional climbers have been found, almost a week after they were presumed dead in an avalanche at Canada's Banff National Park.
Small earthquake hits Alaska's Prince William Sound region
The Alaska Earthquake Center reports that a small earthquake has hit the Prince William Sound region of Alaska. The Fairbanks-based center says a magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck at 11:48 am Sunday about 24 miles (39 kilometers) northwest of Valdez, which has about 3,900 residents. The center adds that residents of Valdez felt it. The earthquake had a depth of 11 miles (18 kilometers.) The center says that at 6:04 pm Sunday, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake hit a spot 26 miles (42 kilometers) east of Knik-Fairview, a town of about 900 people in the Anchorage metropolitan area. The earthquake had a depth of 20 miles. (33 kilometers.) The center says that at 10:31 pm Saturday, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit the Andreanof Islands region of Alaska, which is about 11,200 miles west of Anchorage. This earthquake had a depth of about 8 miles (13 kilometers). At 7:39 pm Saturday, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake hit a spot 4 miles (7 k9ilometers) southwest of Sterling, a town of about 5,600 people. The ...
Mudslide kills 17 in Colombia
At least 17 people were killed and 13 others were missing after a mudslide that buried eight houses early Sunday in southwestern Colombia, authorities said. The national risk management agency gave the updated toll after rescue efforts in Rosas, in the department of Cauca, were halted at nightfall. Reducing by two an earlier toll of 19 killed that was given by firefighters, it added that five people had also been injured. Meanwhile, the estimated number of missing was confirmed by an agency official speaking on condition of anonymity. A search had been underway for people who might be trapped under rubble. The injured were treated at hospitals near the scene of the disaster, the agency said. It attributed the mudslide to the heavy rains that have battered the country for several weeks. Mudslides are common during Colombia's rainy season.
Mudslide kills 14 in Colombia
At least 14 people were killed and several others injured when a mudslide buried homes in a small community in Colombia on Sunday, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) said.
Mudslide kills 19 in Colombia
At least 19 people were killed and 14 others were missing after a mudslide that buried eight houses early Sunday in southwestern Colombia, authorities said. A search was underway for any others who might be trapped under rubble. The injured were being treated at hospitals near the scene of the disaster in Rosas, in the department of Cauca, the national risk management agency said. The agency attributed the mudslide to the heavy rains that have battered the country for several weeks. Mudslides are common during Colombia's rainy season.
Bodies of three mountaineers found in Canada
The bodies of three world-renowned professional mountaineers -- two Austrians and an American -- were found Sunday after they went missing during an avalanche on a western Canadian summit, the national parks agency said. American Jess Roskelley, 36, and Hansjorg Auer, 35, and David Lama, 28, of Austria went missing late Tuesday at Banff National Park. Authorities launched an aerial search the next day. The three men were attempting to climb the east face of Howse Pass, an isolated and highly difficult route. They were part of a team of experienced athletes sponsored by American outdoor equipment firm The North Face. "Parks Canada extends our sincere condolences to their families, friends and loved ones," the agency said in a statement. "We would also like to acknowledge the impact that this has had on the tight-knit, local and international climbing communities. Our thoughts are with families, friends and all those who have been affected by this tragic incident." Roskelley was the son
Mudslide kills 14 in Colombia
At least 14 people were killed and five others injured by a mudslide that buried eight houses early Sunday in southwestern Colombia, authorities said. A search was underway for any others who might be trapped under rubble. The injured were being treated at hospitals near the scene of the disaster in Rosas, in the department of Cauca, the national risk management agency said. The agency attributed the mudslide to the heavy rains that have battered the country for several weeks. Mudslides are common during Colombia's rainy season.
Fire at shoe factory in Narela; no casualties
A fire broke out in the basement of a shoe factory in Narela area late on Sunday evening.11 fire tenders rushed to the spot and it took almost five hours to douse the fire completely. A fireman has sustained minor injuries. No casualties have been reported.The cause of the fire has not been established yet. A fire department official said that "loss to the property can be estimated only in the morning".Further details are awaited.In another incident, a fire broke out in the basement of a building in Karol Bagh's Gaffar Market on Saturday.
Extensive flooding in eastern Canada forces evacuations
Flooding in eastern Canada forced the evacuation of 1,200 people while more than 600 troops have been deployed in response, authorities said Sunday. Warming weather over the Easter weekend has brought spring floods due to heavy rains and snowmelt from Ontario to southern Quebec and New Brunswick. A man was killed Saturday in Pontiac, Quebec after he failed to see that a bridge had been swept away by the floods and drove his vehicle into the water. Authorities, who initially feared a repeat of catastrophic 2017 floods in Quebec, the worst in half a century, appeared more confident about the situation on Sunday. "We are optimistic about the coming days," civil security spokesperson Eric Houde told AFP. "There will be significant floods but globally not at the level of 2017, except in certain areas like Lake St. Pierre," a widening of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, he said. "The big difference from 2017 is the level of preparation of municipalities and citizens," he added. Over the ...
9 trapped Meghalaya miners' families agree to stop search ops
Families of nine of the 16 miners trapped inside an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya since December, have given consent to the district adminitration to stop the ongoing search operations which entered its 130th day on Sunday, officials said. The bodies of only two victims one from nearby Lumthari village and another from Assam, have been retrieved from the mine in East Jaintia Hills district early this year. "We have received letters of consent from the families to stop the ongoing search operations. The letters, submitted by families to the district administration, have been sent to the state government and the same will be submitted to the Supreme Court for granting necessary approval," a senior official told PTI. Those who have written to the administration include families of two miners hailing from Lumthari village in East Jaintia Hills and the rest from Assam, the official said. The miners were trapped after water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into ..
PM expresses anguish over loss of lives in Trichy stampede
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday expressed anguish over the loss of lives in a stampede at a temple in Trichy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the victims. Seven devotees were killed and 10 others injured in the stampede at Karuppasamy Temple in Muthiampalayam village in Trichy. The tragedy hit the village when hundreds of devotees had gathered at the temple to offer puja on 'Chitra Poornima'. "Saddened by the loss of lives due to the stampede at a temple in Thuraiyur, Trichy. My condolences to the families of those who passed away and prayers with the injured," he tweeted. He said all possible help is being extended by the authorities. "An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who passed away has been approved from the PM's National Relief Fund. Rs 50,000 each for the injured has also been approved," he said.
Lanka blocks Facebook and Instagram to curb false news reports
Sri Lankan government Sunday blocked social media platforms like the Facebook and Instagram to prevent the spread of false news reports after a series of blasts killed 207 people. The Presidential Secretariat said in a statement that the decision to block social media was taken in reaction to false news reports spreading on social media. The statement said the security forces were conducting comprehensive investigations into the explosions, and that the social media block would continue until investigations were concluded. "President @MaithripalaS appealed to the nation to act with utmost restraint and patience, and not to be misled by baseless rumors and false stories," President Sirisena's office tweeted. Meanwhile, Facebook has activated its Crisis Response tool for the blasts, CNN reported. The feature provides a repository for news about the incident, and allows people to mark themselves safe and search for friends who may have been affected. Sri Lankan law enforcement have urged
Yogi govt ignoring its duties to ensure safety and security of expressway commuters: Akhiesh Yadav
A day after a "tragic" bus accident near Mainpuri on Agra-Lucknow Expressway that killed seven passengers and injured 34 others, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Sunday accused the Adityanath government of ignoring its duty of ensuring safety and security to commuters despite collecting the road toll. "Visited survivors of the tragic bus accident today (in Etawah). Despite collecting tolls this government is neglecting its responsibilities like monitoring expressways, providing adequate policing, maintaining equipment and systems that protect commuters," Akhilesh said in a tweet. Talking to reporters in Etawah after visiting the injured, Akhilesh alleged that the BJP government was suffering from a "kaam roko" (stall work) syndrome. "Wherever good works were initiated by us (the previous SP government), the BJP has government stalled them. We had planned highway policing and other facilities on expressways, but it has not yet started," he said. "The BJP has done nothing but only .
UK issues travel advisory following multiple bomb blasts in Sri Lanka
The United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), in an advisory to its citizens planning a trip to Sri Lanka, has urged to "exercise vigilance and avoid all demonstrations or large political gatherings".The UK FCO, in the advisory, said that since Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in October last year, the island nation has witnessed several political demonstrations, which are likely to continue and may happen at short notice.The FCO told its people to be "aware of the risk of sexual assault, spiked drinks, road accidents, drowning due to dangerous tides and credit card fraud.""Sri Lanka can be affected by severe weather such as like tropical cyclones and monsoon rains. A general alert has been issued by the Centre for Disaster Management over the onset of the South Western Monsoon," the statement read.The FCO further urged its people to take extra precaution against frequent terror attacks in the country."Terrorist ...
Only bees survived devastating Notre Dame fire
The massive fire, which broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral last week caused its famous spire to collapse, but did not rip the three beehives installed on the rooftop of the iconic 13th-century Gothic architecture."I got a call from Andre Finot, the spokesman for Notre Dame, who said there were bees flying in and out of the hives which means they are still alive!" beekeeper of the Cathedral, Nicolas Geant told CNN."Right after the fire I looked at the drone pictures and saw the hives weren't burnt but there was no way of knowing if the bees had survived. Now I know there's activity it's a huge relief!" Geant was quoted as saying.The iconic monument has housed three beehives on the first floor of its roof over the sacristy since 2013. Each hive has about 60,000 bees.The beekeeper said that the hives remained untouched by last Monday's blaze as they were located about 30 meters below the main roof where the fire spread.Geant said, "They weren't in the middle of the fire, had they been ...
Sri Lanka toll 185, curfew declared
Sri Lanka declared a nationwide curfew after a string of eight explosions, mostly in Colombo, left at least 185 people dead and over 400 injured on Easter Sunday, authorities said.
Landslide in northern Malawi kills three, injures many
Three people died after a landslide hit a village in the Rumphi district in northern Malawi, with at least five still missing Sunday and many others injured and hospitalised. Rumphi police spokesperson Tupeliwe Kabwilo told AFP that incessant rains in the area led to the landslide early Saturday which washed away an entire village nestled between Mphompha Hills and Lake Malawi. Among the dead are two boys aged 12 and 15 and a 35-year-old woman, according to police. The missing persons, who are feared dead, include a one-year-old boy, two other boys aged six and 10 as well as two women aged 35 and 46. A Rumphi district council official who was at the scene of the disaster told AFP that the affected area was inaccessible by road and it would be impossible to mount a rescue operation. "Huge boulders rolled from the mountain and these are the ones that cause the biggest damage and if the missing victims are buried under these rocks, then we will need an excavator to move them," said ...