Page 130 - Disaster Accident
Rains, thunderstorm leave nearly 50 dead in 4 states
Nearly 50 people were killed as rains coupled with thunderstorm and lightning hit several parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra overnight, officials said Wednesday. The unseasonal rains and storm also caused damage to property and crops in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Rajasthan witnessed the maximum casualties with 21 people killed in rain-related incidents following by Madhya Pradesh where 15 were killed. While 10 people were killed in Gujarat, three were killed in Maharashtra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to twitter in the morning to express anguish over the loss of lives in the rains in Gujarat and announce relief. Soon afterwards Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath hit out at the prime minister, accusing him of being concerned only about his home state Gujarat. The PMO in a tweet later said,"PM @narendramodi has expressed grief at loss of lives due to unseasonal rains and storms in MP, Rajasthan, Manipur & various parts of the country". "An ex-gratia .
Volcanoes caused biggest mass extinction ever: Study
Mercury buried in ancient rock provides the strongest evidence yet that volcanoes caused the biggest mass extinction in the history of the Earth, scientists say. The extinction 252 million years ago was so dramatic and widespread that scientists call it "the Great Dying". The catastrophe killed off more than 95 per cent of life on Earth over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, said researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC) in the US. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found a spike in mercury in the geologic record at nearly a dozen sites around the world, which provides persuasive evidence that volcanic eruptions were to blame for this global cataclysm. The eruptions ignited vast deposits of coal, releasing mercury vapour high into the atmosphere, researchers said. Eventually, it rained down into the marine sediment around the planet, creating an elemental signature of a catastrophe that would herald the age of dinosaurs, they ...
39 killed as rain wreaks havoc across Pakistan
At least 39 people were killed and 135 injured as rain continued to wreak havoc across Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said on Wednesday.
IMD issues thunderstorm, lightening warning for north, NE India
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning saying that several parts in north and northeast India may witness thunderstorm, hail and lightening Wednesday. The Met department has also issued an amber-coloured warning for parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Bihar. An amber colour warning indicates that authorities have to remain alert for any weather-related exigency. Several parts of north and central India have been witnessing thunderstorms, dust storms, lightning and heavy rains since Sunday. On Tuesday, unseasonal rains, dust storm and lightning hit several parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, leaving 35 people dead and many others injured, officials said Wednesday. Madhya Pradesh reported 15 casualties in rain-related incidents, while 10 each were killed in Gujarat and Rajasthan in the overnight rains. "Thundersquall (wind speed reaching 60-70 kilometres per hour) accompanied with hail and lightning at isolated places are very ...
After Gujarat, PM Modi announces financial aid for rain and storm victims of MP, Rajasthan and Manipur
After Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved an ex- gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to unseasonal rain and storms for three Congress rule states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Manipur)."An ex- gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to unseasonal rain & storms in MP, Rajasthan, Manipur and various parts of the country has been approved from the PM's National Relief Fund. Rs 50,000 each for the injured has also been approved," the PMO tweeted on Wednesday.The relief for the residents of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Manipur came hours after Chief Minister Kamal Nath accused the Prime Minister of being partial to Gujarat."Modi ji, you are the PM of country, not only Gujarat's. More than ten people have died because of lightning strikes amid unseasonal rain and storm in MP. But are your sentiments limited to Gujarat only? Even if you do not .
Notre-Dame's precious rooster statue found 'battered' in debris
A wrought copper statue of a rooster that sat atop Notre-Dame has been found "battered" in the debris of the Paris cathedral following its devastating fire, France's culture ministry said. The statue is considered all the more important because it contains three holy relics -- including a fragment of the Crown of Thorns believed by Christians to have been worn by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion, placed there to protect Parisians. The sculpture of the bird -- which is an unofficial symbol of France -- was recovered Tuesday by a restorer picking through the rubble left when the spire on which it had sat toppled at the height of the inferno that ravaged Notre-Dame on Monday, a ministry spokesman told AFP. The head of the French Builders Federation, Jacques Chanut, posted a picture of the restorer holding a green-coloured rooster statue in the street. The ministry spokesman said the statue had been handed over to religious officials, without elaborating. A ministry official separately
35 killed as rains lash Rajasthan, MP, Gujarat
Unseasonal rain, dust storm and lightning hit several parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat overnight, leaving 35 people dead and many others injured, officials said Wednesday. Madhya Pradesh reported 15 casualties in rain-related incidents. 10 people each were killed in Gujarat and Rajasthan in the overnight rains. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to twitter in the morning to express anguish over the loss of lives in the rains in Gujarat and announced relief. Soon afterwards Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath hit out at the prime minister, accusing him of being concerned only about his home state Gujarat. The PMO in a tweet later said,"PM @narendramodi has expressed grief at the loss of lives due to unseasonal rains and storms in MP, Rajasthan, Manipur & various parts of the country. The government is doing its best to provide all possible assistance to those affected. The situation is being monitored closely". "An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin ..
3 killed in lightning strike in Maharashtra
Three people were killed in separate incidents of lightning strike during unseasonal rain and thunderstorm in Maharashtra's Nashik district, officials said on Wednesday. With this, the death toll in rain-related incidents here in the last four days has gone up to seven, they said. A 71-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man and a temple priest were struck by lightning in Satana, Dindori and Devla tehsils when unseasonal rains lashed these places on Tuesday, a police official said. Nine cattle also died in the incident, a source said, adding that the rain caused damage to 21 houses in Malegaon, Satana, Sinnar, Niphad and Nashik tehsils. The district administration will provide financial assistance to the kin of the deceased, an official at the collector's office said. Earlier on Sunday night, four people were killed when lightning struck them in two separate incidents in the district, police said.
Macron wants Notre Dame rebuilt within 5 years
French President Emmaunel Macron has announced that he wants to see fire-ravaged Notre Dame cathedral rebuilt "more beautiful than before" within five years even as experts say its reconstruction could take decades and involve substantial challenges.
Fire breaks out at a car showroom in southwest Delhi's Mahipalpur
A fire broke out at a car showroom in southwest Delhi's Mahipalpur area on Wednesday morning, Delhi Fire Service officials said. They received the call about the fire at 5.40 AM after which seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot, Atul Garg, Chief Fire Officer said. The fire was brought under control by 7:20 AM, Garg said, adding that no injury or casualty has been reported. The cause of fire is not known yet.
Centre closely monitoring situation in rain-hit areas; ready to help: Rajnath
The central government is ready to provide all possible help to states affected by rains and thunderstorms, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday. Singh also said the Ministry of Home Affairs is closely monitoring the situation in all affected areas. "The Centre is ready to provide all possible assistance to the states affected by heavy rains and storm. The MHA is closely monitoring the situation in the affected areas," he said in Twitter. Expressing grief over loss of lives due to the "untimely" rains and storm, the home minister said he was deeply pained and anguished by the loss of precious lives due to the natural calamities in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and certain other parts of the country. Overnight rains in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and some other places have left nearly 30 people dead, officials said.
Kamal Nath doing politics over natural tragedy: BJP
The BJP Wednesday accused Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath of doing politics over the loss caused by overnight rains and storm after the Congress leader charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concerns were limited to his home state Gujarat. Kamal Nath had in a tweet taken a swipe at Modi, saying he was the country's prime minister not of Gujarat and that rains and lightning had left 10 people dead in Madhya Pradesh but Modi's concerns were confined to Gujarat. BJP media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni hit out at the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, saying he is well aware of the procedure that the state government has to first inform the Centre about the damage in such a natural tragedy to get relief but instead of doing so, he was tweeting and doing politics. "Instead of informing the Centre, he chose to do politics over the tragedy," Baluni said. Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those who lost their lives during the unseasonal rains .
Kamal Nath targets PM Modi over Gujarat storm tweet
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his tweet on unseasonal rains, charging he was concerned only about Gujarat. Overnight rains in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan have left nearly 30 people dead. Soon after the prime minister expressed anguish over loss of lives in the unseasonal rain and storm in Gujarat, Nath took to twitter to say, "You are the PM of the country not Gujarat". Nath said unseasonal rain in Madhya Pradesh claimed over 10 lives but the prime minister expressed concern only for Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday morning expressed anguish over loss of lives in various parts of Gujarat due to unseasonal rain. "Authorities are monitoring the situation very closely. All possible assistance is being given to those affected," he had tweeted. Later the prime minister said, "we stand in solidarity with all those affected due to unseasonal rainfall in various parts of the country".
Rs 2 lakh each for kin of dead in disaster: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the family of each person who lost their life in the unseasonal rains and storms in various parts of the country on Tuesday night, and expressed his anguish over the incident.
10 killed in rain-related incidents in Rajasthan
Dust storm and rains in several parts of Rajasthan left 10 persons dead, a senior official said Wednesday. A compensation of Rs four lakh each has been announced for families of the victims. 4 persons died in Jhalawar and as many in Jaipur while one person each died in Baran and Udaipur, Relief Secretary, Ashutosh A T Pednekar, told PTI. There are 3-4 more deaths and we are confirming whether they are related to rains, he said. Gusty winds accompanied with rains affected normal life in the state on Tuesday. Several trees and electric poles were uprooted in different parts due to high velocity winds of nearly 60 kmph. In Jhalawar, two children were killed in lightning strike and two others died when a wall collapsed. One person in Udaipur died due in a lightning strike whereas a man died due to a wall collapse in Jaipur. The weather turned rough due to Western Disturbance and winds with moisture from Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal. Dabok in Udaipur recorded maximum of 34.7 mm rains .
PM Modi announces financial aid for rain and storm victims of Gujarat, MP CM takes dig
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced financial aid for the people who have suffered due to heavy rain and storm in Gujarat.The Prime Minister has approved financial aid of 2 lakh rupees for the next of kin of those who lost lives due to weather-related calamities."PM Narendra Modi approved an ex- gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to unseasonal rain and storms in various parts of Gujarat," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted."The Prime Minister has also approved Rs. 50,000 each for those injured due to unseasonal rain and storms in parts of Gujarat", PMO further informed.The announcement has met with criticism by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath who accused the Prime Minister of not extending similar help for victims of Madhya Pradesh.Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister wrote on Twitter: "Modi ji, you are the PM of country, not only Gujarat's. More than ten people ...
Gujarat: Untadi village reeling under water scarcity, villagers forced to consume same water as animals
Surendranagar (Gujarat) [India], Apr 17 (ANI): Poor connectivity, infrastructure, and power shortage are the various issues that have been plaguing Untadi village of Surendranagar district. From the past few months, an issue of water crisis has compounded the woes of the villagers.In this village, locals, to quench their thirst, are forced to consume water from a pond that is also the source of water animals in the region and thereby, prone to contamination.Speaking to ANI, Madanbhai Sambhbhai Kathodia, Sarpanch, Untadi Villagesaid, "There is a pipeline in the village which is connected to Narmada river but still water does not reach us. We have submitted the application to the collector but till now no help has been provided."It has been 2 to 3 months that the water from the tank has not reached us. We are forced to drink dirty water from the pond. My son has fallen ill after consuming the contaminated water. He is undergoing treatment," said Geeta, another resident of Untadi ...
PM anguished over loss of lives in Gujarat due to unseasonal rain
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday expressed anguish over loss of lives in various parts of Gujarat due to unseasonal rain. "Authorities are monitoring the situation very closely. All possible assistance is being given to those affected," he tweeted. In another tweet, the prime minister's office said, Modi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to unseasonal rain and storm in various parts of Gujarat.
Deer attack kills man, injures woman in Australia
A man was killed by a deer on a rural property in southern Australia early on Wednesday, authorities said.
Six killed as plane crashes into house in Chile
A plane belonging to the air company Archipielagos crashed into a house here on Tuesday (local time), killing all six people on board, according to the Chilean civil aviation.Quoting sources, Sputnik reported that there could have been more people on board the ill-fated Islander BN-2B-27.Speaking on the crash, Puerto Montt Mayor Harry Jurgensen revealed that the mishap took place shortly after the plane took off. He confirmed that the pilot and five passengers were killed in the tragedy.There are reports that a woman was injured as a result of the crash, as she was hit by parts of the fuselage. While her condition is not life-threatening, she has been hospitalised with broken legs and bruises.The reason behind the crash is not known yet. It is also not known if the black box has been retrieved. The authorities are yet to reveal if there was anybody in the house at the time of the crash.