Page 29 - Disaster Accident

Hungary boat tragedy toll climbs to 25

The death toll from a Budapest tourist boat sinking rose to 25 with a man's body found about 100 kilometres from the accident site, police said Thursday. The Mermaid capsized seconds after colliding with a bigger river cruise vessel on a busy stretch of the Danube in the heart of the Hungarian capital on May 29. Thirty-five people, all of them South Koreans except for the Hungarian captain and a crew member, were on the boat when it sank. Only seven South Koreans survived so far. The 25th body was found Wednesday about 100 kilometres (60 miles) downriver from the accident scene, police said in a statement, adding that three South Koreans were still missing. The search for the three continues and South Korea has insisted it wants all the victims accounted for. Rescue workers on Tuesday lifted the sunken vessel out of the Danube. Efforts to dive to the wreck had repeatedly been called off due to the heavy current of the river swollen by weeks of rain. The captain of the larger vessel, ..

Cong pays tributes to air warriors killed in AN-32 crash

The Congress Thursday paid tributes to the 13 people killed in the IAF aircraft crash in Arunachal Pradesh, saying the country shall remain indebted to their valiant contributions. All 13 people on board the AN-32 aircraft which crashed in the state are dead, the IAF said after a team of rescuers searched the wreckage of the plane in a heavily forested mountainous terrain on Thursday. An IAF official said there were no survivors from the crash of the AN-32 aircraft. "My salutations and tribute to the air warriors of @IAF_MCC who lost their precious lives in the AN-32 aircraft. Extremely saddened. My deepest condolences to the families of our brave men. Nation shall forever remain indebted to their valiant contributions," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted. Those who died in the crash are Wing Commander G M Charles, Squadron Leader H Vinod, Flight Lieutenants L R Thapa, MK Garg, Ashish Tanwar and Sumit Mohanty, Warrant officer K K Mishra, Sergeant Anoop Kumar, ...

Twitter flooded with tribute for IAF air warriors as tragic news sinks in

Tributes poured in on social media for the 13 victims onboard the AN-32 aircraft, which crashed in a remote area in Arunachal Pradesh, after the IAF Thursday said there were no survivors from the mishap. The Indian Air Force announced the tragic news on Twitter in the afternoon. The IAF in one of its tweets, paid homage to the air warriors, who perished in the crash of the Russian-origin transport aircraft that had gone missing on June 3 after taking off from an airbase in Assam's Jorhat. "IAF pays tribute to the brave air-warriors who lost their life during the #An32 crash on 03 Jun 2019 and stands by with the families of the victims. May their soul rest in peace," the IAF wrote on the microblogging site. Soon tributes started pouting in on social media. The Congress said the nation will always be indebted to the valour and service of the 13 air warriors. "Our deepest condolences & tributes to the families of the brave @IAF_MCC members who lost their lives in the AN - 32 ...

Oil prices jump after 'incident' in Gulf of Oman

Oil prices spiked by about three percent on Thursday after conflicting reports of an "attack" and an "accident" involving two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Iran's media reported that the country's navy rescued 44 crew members from the tankers, saying they caught on fire after an "accident". However, the US Fifth Fleet said it had received two distress calls after a "reported attack on tankers" in the Gulf. A merchant shipping information service run by Britain's Royal Navy meanwhile reported an "incident". "UK and its partners are currently investigating," the United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on its website, without giving further details. In early morning deals in London, the price of Brent North Sea crude oil rose as high as USD 62.64 per barrel. It later stood at USD 61.41, up USD 1.44 from Wednesday's closing level.

Cyclone Vayu to pass Gujarat coastal region in afternoon, govt on alert: Revenue Secretary

Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue Department on Thursday informed that Cyclone Vayu will pass from Gujarat coastal region in afternoon adding that the state government is on alert and the people in sensitive areas have been moved to safer places."Governments alertness for #cyclonevayu continues with the same intensity. Persons shifted to shelter homes to stay there. People should continue to stay in safe areas. Their preparedness to continue at the same level. No movements in Coastal areas. We continue to be Alert. #VayuCyclone," Pankaj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary tweeted.Highlighting the measures taken by state government in the wake of the cyclone, Kumar said, "On the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday, the police was patrolling in the coastal region. 383 Ambulances were deployed. Pregnant women, who are expecting to deliver baby, have been identified and shifted to safe places. For power disruption, diesel backup has been done. For power restoration, work is also in .

No survivor in IAF's An-32 crash

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday said all 13 occupants of its An-32 aircraft which crashed in Arunachal Pradesh on June 3 were dead.

Cyclone Vayu: Power supply disrupted in 560 Guj villages

Power supply has been disrupted in nearly 560 villages of Gujarat due to cyclone Vayu and all efforts are on to restore it, an official said on Thursday. The Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) chalked out an action plan well in advance in view of the cyclone threat, the state government-promoted company's in-charge managing director Shahmeena Husain told PTI. "Around 561 feeder lines in Saurashtra and south Gujarat are affected due to the impact of cyclone Vayu. We are confident that the power supply will be restored soon in the 560 affected villages," she said. The GUVNL teams were finding it difficult to reach some of the water-logged coastal areas, she added. Meanwhile, All India Fishermen Association president Veljibhai Masani president appreciated the state government for issuing a timely warning to fishermen against venturing into the sea. "Around 8,000 fishermen from Saurashtra region were earlier planning to venture into the sea in about 1,200 boats, but ...

Iran rescued 44 crew after tanker 'accident': state media

Iran's navy rescued 44 crew members from two oil tankers which caught fire after an "accident" in the Sea of Oman on Thursday, official news agency IRNA reported. "Forty-four sailors from the two foreign oil tankers which had an accident this morning in the Sea of Oman were saved from the water by the (navy) rescue unit of Hormozgan province and transferred to the port of Bandar-e-Jask," IRNA quoted an "informed source" as saying.

All 13 people on board dead in AN-32 crash: IAF

All 13 people on board the AN-32 aircraft which crashed in Arunachal Pradesh are dead, the IAF said after a team of rescuers searched the wreckage of the plane in a heavily forested mountainous terrain on Thursday. An IAF official said there were no survivors from the crash of the AN-32 aircraft. "IAF Pays tribute to the brave Air-warriors who lost their life during the #An32 crash on 03 Jun 2019 and stands by with the families of the victims. May their soul rest in peace," an Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesperson said. Those who died in the crash are Wing Commander G M Charles, Squadron Leader H Vinod, Flight Lieutenants L R Thapa, MK Garg, Ashish Tanwar and Sumit Mohanty, Warrant officer K K Mishra, Sergeant Anoop Kumar, Corporal Sherin, LAC (leading aircraft man) S K Singh, LAC Pankaj, and non combatants Rajesh Kumar and Putali. The Russian-origin AN-32 aircraft was going from Jorhat in Assam to Menchuka advanced landing ground near the border with China on June 3 when it lost ...

Cyclone VAYU: NDRF rescues woman in need of a pre-term delivery from island

As a severe cyclonic storm "VAYU" raged towards Shiyalbet Island in Gujarat, a team of NDRF personnel rescued a pregnant lady in need of a pre-term delivery from the island and safely handed her over to a hospital.Shiyalbet Island is a small village in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast.She was rescued by 5 Battalion team of National Disaster Response Force, which is deployed at the island she resides at. The disaster management force safely took her to the hospital in Jafarabad city through a boat.The woman gave birth to a boy later at a hospital, confirmed NDRF.

2nd Ebola death in Uganda after outbreak crosses border

A second person infected with the Ebola virus has died in Uganda, the health ministry said Thursday, after a family exposed to the disease quietly crossed the border from Congo. The first cross-border cases in this Ebola outbreak the second-deadliest in history have prompted a World Health Organization expert committee to meet on Friday to discuss whether to declare a global health emergency . Such declarations almost always boost attention and donor funding. Uganda health ministry spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona confirmed the death of the 50-year-old woman overnight. Her 5-year-old grandson was the first confirmed death from Ebola in Uganda on Wednesday. The boy's 3-year-old brother also is infected. Congo's health ministry said all members of the Congolese-Ugandan family have agreed to be repatriated to Congo for experimental treatments as part of clinical trials. There is no licensed treatment for the hemorrhagic fever which can spread quickly via close contact with bodily fluids ..

Cyclone Vayu to skirt Saurashtra coast, affect Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar and Diu

Vayu, the very severe cyclonic storm over the Arabian Sea, has changed course and is expected to skirt the Saurashtra coast on Thursday afternoon.With wind speed of 135-145 kmph, touching up to 160 kmph, the districts of Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Porbandar and Devbhoomi Dwarka in Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu have been affected, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.The cyclonic storm changed its trajectory overnight and moved further into the sea, bringing much-needed relief to the people in the coastal areas of Gujarat, where it was earlier predicted to make landfall.However, the western coast is still on high alert as strong winds and rough sea conditions are expected for the next 24 to 48 hours.Flight services have been suspended in airports at Porbandar, Diu, Bhavnagar, Keshod and Kandla while several trains have been diverted. Port operations have also been temporarily suspended by the authorities as a precautionary measure.The IMD has advised ...

Road caves in at a busy intersection in Chennai

A portion of a road caved in at the CPT junction in Adyar area in the heart of the city on Thursday, affecting traffic movement there after the spot was barricaded.The Chennai City Traffic Police, in a tweet, said, "#TrafficAlert: Traffic flow slow on Sardar Patel Road both direction as the road has caved in at CPT Jn. Traffic men attending."No causalities have been reported so far. Further details are awaited.

All Air Force personnel on board AN-32 dead

All 13 personnel on board the missing AN-32 aircraft, which crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, have died, the Indian Air Force said on Thursday."IAF is sad to inform that there are no survivors from the crash of An32," the Force said in a tweet."IAF Pays tribute to the brave Air-warriors who lost their life during the #An32 crash on 03 Jun 2019 and stands by with the families of the victims. May their soul rest in peace," the Air Force said in another tweet.Giving the names of the dead personnel, another tweet said "Following air-warriors lost their life in the tragic #An32 crash - W/C GM Charles, S/L H Vinod, F/L R Thapa, F/L A Tanwar, F/L S Mohanty, F/L MK Garg, WO KK Mishra, Sgt Anoop Kumar, Cpl Sherin, LAC SK Singh, LAC Pankaj, NC(E) Putali & NC(E) Rajesh Kumar."In an earlier update, the IAF said eight members of the rescue team have reached the crash site today morning.The Indian Air Force search teams managed to reach the AN-32 crash site on Thursday morning after they failed ..

Randeep Hooda volunteers for drought relief programme in Maharashtra

Randeep Hooda who has always managed to stay away from the limelight and travel extra miles to help the needy, recently joined a team of volunteers to help people who are struggling with drought in a village near Nashik in Maharashtra.The 'Highway' actor along with UK-based international humanitarian relief organization Khalsa Aid visited the drought-hit village in Vele to provide them with drinking water.The 42-year-old actor posted a small video clip on Instagram where he can be seen talking about the drought- village and urging the government to strongly step forward and look out for some permanent solutions to the problems."There is a major shortage of water all over the country.. in Maharashtra near Nashik village Vele with Khalsa Aid India volunteers trying to do our bit Every Drop Counts be as prudent as you can," he captioned the video.In the video, viewers can watch a long queue of villagers standing with their huge containers and how the volunteers are filling those vessels .

AN-32 crash: IAF search teams reach the crash site, no survivors found

All 13 personnel on board the missing AN-32 aircraft, which crashed in Arunachal Pradesh, have died, the Indian Air Force said on Thursday."IAF is sad to inform that there are no survivors from the crash of An32," the Force said in a tweet."IAF Pays tribute to the brave Air-warriors who lost their life during the #An32 crash on 03 Jun 2019 and stands by with the families of the victims. May their soul rest in peace," the Air Force said in another tweet.Giving the names of the dead personnel, another tweet said "Following air-warriors lost their life in the tragic #An32 crash - W/C GM Charles, S/L H Vinod, F/L R Thapa, F/L A Tanwar, F/L S Mohanty, F/L MK Garg, WO KK Mishra, Sgt Anoop Kumar, Cpl Sherin, LAC SK Singh, LAC Pankaj, NC(E) Putali & NC(E) Rajesh Kumar."In an earlier update, the IAF said eight members of the rescue team have reached the crash site today morning.The Indian Air Force search teams managed to reach the AN-32 crash site on Thursday morning after they could ...

Cyclone Vayu unlikely to hit Guj coast, alert still in place

Cyclone Vayu has changed its course and may not hit the Gujarat coast as predicted earlier, the MeT department said Thursday, even as the state government maintained that the situation is still "critical". The state government has evacuated over three lakh people living in low-lying areas and thatched houses in the coastal districts, while airports have been shut and over 70 trains cancelled as a precautionary measure. It has also sounded an alert in the state and it will remain in place till Friday, a government official said. Cyclone Vayu, which has turned into a "very severe cyclonic storm", was earlier expected to make landfall on the Gujarat coast by Thursday afternoon, but as per the latest weather report, the storm is around 150 km away from Veraval, in the coastal district of Gir Somnath. The cyclone will move north-northwestwards, brushing past the Saurashtra coast, instead of making landfall, the report said. The direction of the cyclonic storm has "slightly" changed, ...

17 killed in storms, rain in UP

Seventeen persons have died in separate incidents of dust storms, lightning and rain in various parts of Uttar Pradesh in the past 24 hours.

Cyclone Vayu: Railways cancels 77 trains, short terminates 33 others

The railways has cancelled 77 trains and short terminated 33 others due to Cyclone Vayu, the Western Railways said Thursday. The cancellations were made as a precaution even though the cyclone changed its course and is unlikely to make landfall in Gujarat. However, it will cause heavy rain in several coastal districts of the state. "Considering the alertness for Cyclone Vayu over Gujarat, the Western Railway has decided to fully cancel operation of 77 mainline trains, while 33 other mainline trains have been short terminated with partial cancellation as a precautionary measure in the cyclone prone areas. "In addition to this, various safety and security precautions are also being taken by the Western Railway for train passengers of these prone areas under the jurisdiction of WR -- Veraval, Okha, Porbandar, Bhavnagar, Bhuj and Gandhidham," the railways said. The Veraval-Amreli, Amreli-Junagadh, Delvada-Veraval are some of the trains that were cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday. The ..

'Don't drink and drone,' say Japanese MPs

People in Japan operating drones under the influence could face up to a year in prison under new laws passed Thursday that aim to control the increasingly popular devices. Drunkenly flying a drone weighing more than 200 grams (seven ounces) could also result in a fine of up to 300,000 yen (USD2,750), after the lower house of parliament passed the new legislation following a string of accidents. Performing dangerous stunts with drones such as sharp plunges will also be subject to fines of up to 500,000 yen. "We believe operating drones after consuming alcohol is as serious as (drink) driving," a transport ministry official told AFP. The rules come as Japan sees a rising amount of drone usage as well as related accidents. In 2017, an industrial-sized drone was deployed at a "robot festival" in Ogaki city in central Japan and was supposed to shower small children with sweets. But the device, operated by a qualified individual, injured six people after plunging 10 metres (33 feet) to the