Page 315 - Disaster Accident
Five killed in separate accidents in Rajasthan
Five people including four women were killed and seven others injured in separate accidents in the state, police said Wednesday. In Rajsamand district, a women and her daughter were killed and five others were injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a container truck on Tuesday night, SHO Dewair Police Station Dilip Singh said. He said that 11 people of a family were returning home in Mandsaur of Madhya Pradesh after offering prayers at Pushkar temple when the vehicle met with the accident, in which Gayatri (60) and her daughter Hansa Gupta (35) were killed. The bodies were handed over to the family members after a post mortem examination and a case was registered against the truck driver, he added. In Jaipur rural, a couple and their daughter died while two others were injured when their car rammed into a truck on Tuesday, police said. The deceased were identified as Ashok Jangid (47), his wife Manju (43) and their daughter Priyanka (22). Injured were referred to ..
4 killed in road accident in West Bengal
Four persons were killed and 24 others injured when a truck collided head-on with a passenger bus in West Midnapore district on Wednesday, police said. The road accident took place around 8 am near Khejurbandhi village under the jurisdiction of Chandrokona Town police station, when the bus was on its way to Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district from Midnapore Town, the police said. The drivers of the two vehicles and two others were killed in the incident, The Superintendent of Police (SP) of West Midnapore district, Alok Rajoria, said. All the 24 persons injured in the accident were take to a hospital. While 22 persons admitted to the hospital, two were treated and discharged, a police officer said.
Two weeks on, 13 miners continue to be trapped in coal mine
Even two weeks after 13 miners got trapped in a coal mine here, the attempts by the rescuers to reach them have yielded no success yet.High water level is proving to be the main obstacle in the rescue efforts, officials said.The miners, on December 13, got trapped in an illegal coal mine at Ksan in Saipung area of the Meghalaya's East Jaintia hills after it collapsed and got flooded by the adjacent Lytein River.The personnel from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the police have been making attempts each day to reach the trapped miners but without any success."Our rescuers have just come out from inside the mine which is inundated. There is no change in the water level since last two days while the pumps to drain out water are also closed," NDRF Assistant Commandant Santosh Kumar Singh said.He said a "slight foul smell" is emanating from the water surface and "it is difficult to withstand for long".The attempt to reach the trapped ...
Govt institutes annual awards to recognise excellent work in disaster management
The Centre has instituted annual awards to recognise the excellent work done by individuals and institutions in the country in the field of disaster management. Three eligible institutions and individuals will be given the 'Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskaar' every year with cash rewards ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 51 lakh, a statement issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. If the awardee is an institution, it will be given a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh and the prize money will be utilised for disaster management-related activities only. If the awardee is an individual, the person shall receive a certificate and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, it said. An application by an institution does not debar any individual from that institution to apply for the award in his individual capacity. The statement said there is a need to recognise the efforts of individuals and organisations who have been working assiduously to alleviate the human ..
Miners trapped in coal mine struggle while PM poses on Bogibeel Bridge: Rahul
In a sharp attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said 15 labourers trapped in a coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13 struggled for air while he strutted about on Assam's Bogibeel Bridge posing for cameras. Asking Modi to "please save the miners", Gandhi alleged the government was not organising high-pressure pumps needed for rescue operations. The Congress president's attack came a day after Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the country's longest rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra river at Bogibeel near Dibrugarh in Meghalaya's neighbouring state Assam. After greeting people, standing on the foothold of his vehicle, Modi got off the car and walked a few metres on the bridge along with Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Gandhi appealed to the prime minister to save the miners, who were trapped in the coal mine a fortnight ago. Search operations have been suspended by the Meghalaya government for ..
6 dead in fire in Poland
Six persons were killed in a fire in Poland's capital Warsaw, fire officials said on Wednesday.
Low intensity earthquake hits J-K's Rajouri
A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday but there were no reports of damages, officials said. "An earthquake of 3.5 magnitude was recorded at 9.52 am. The epicentre of the earthquake was 33.1 degrees north latitude and 74.4 east longitude (Rajouri district) at a depth of 15 kilometres," they said. The officials added that there were no reports of any damage caused by the low intensity tremor.
Trapped Meghalaya miners: Rahul blames Modi, Rijiju hits back
While 15 miners continue to remain trapped in a flooded coal mine in Meghalaya for a fortnight now, the issue on Wednesday led to a political slugfest with Rahul Gandhi targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centres ruling BJP accusing the Congress President of politicising a tragedy.
Jail term demanded for ex-bosses over Fukushima nuclear crisis
A five-year jail term was sought for three former executives at the company operating Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant, media reported Wednesday, the only people to face criminal charges over the 2011 meltdowns. Former chairman of Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) Tsunehisa Katsumata and former vice presidents Sakae Muto and Ichiro Takekuro are charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury, and have pleaded not guilty. They are the only charges to have stemmed from the tsunami-sparked reactor meltdowns at the plant that set off the worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl in 1986. Attorneys, who are exceptionally acting as prosecutors in the trial, said the three executives were aware of data indicating the nuclear plant risked being hit by a tsunami with waves exceeding 15 metres (52 feet) -- enough to trigger power loss and cause severe accidents. "They should have halted operations at the nuclear plant" until the company finished anti-tsunami measures, including ...
Two persons killed in road accident in Assam
Two persons were killed in a road accident in central Assam's Nagaon district, police said Wednesday. A motorcycle moving towards Nagaon collided head on with truck coming from the opposite direction at Amani near Samguri in which two persons riding the bike were killed, the police said. The deceased were identified as Rajesh Debnath and Shilpi Debnath, they added.
Three students killed in Beijing lab blast
Three students were killed in an explosion in the laboratory of Beijing Jiaotong University on Wednesday, news outlets here reported.
Teenage siblings from Telangana die in US fire
Three teenagers of a family from Nalgonda district of Telangana died in a fire accident at Collierville in Tennessee in the US, relatives said Wednesday. According to them, the siblings- Sathwika Naik (16), Suhan Naik (15) and Jaya Suchith (14), were studying there and attended a Christmas party at a local resident's house which caught fireon December 24. Mahesh Naik, a relative, said the siblings' father Srinivas Naik, a resident of Gurrapu Thanda in the district, has rushed to the US. "The three children were studying in the USA. My uncle (Srinivas Naik) is a church pastor and runs a school here. We got the news about the disaster on Monday that there was a fire accident in a house in which they attended a Christmas party," Mahesh Naik said.
Fire kills 3 Indian teenage siblings in US
Three Indian teenaged siblings were among four people killed in a fire at a house in the US state of Tennessee, just two days before Christmas, according to media reports. The fire killed a woman and three Indian teens from Telangana who were staying with her family through the holidays in a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, the USA Today reported. "Kari Coudriet - of Collierville, Tennessee - as well as Sharron, 17, Joy, 15, and Aaron, 14 - teen siblings of the Naik family from India - all died in the fire," the paper reported, citing a statement issued by the Coudriet's church, Collierville Bible Church. "A fire started around 11 o'clock pm at the Coudriet home (on December 23). The Coudriet family was hosting, housing, and celebrating Christmas with three teenagers attending an Academy here in the States. The Naik family are missionaries in India that our church supports," the church said.
5 killed in Bengal road accident
Five people were killed and nearly 22 injured in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district on Wednesday after a bus collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, police said.
Indonesia tsunami toll rises to 430, nearly 22,000 displaced
Indonesian authorities on Wednesday raised to 430 the death toll in the devastating tsunami triggered by a volcanic eruption in Sunda Strait, while nearly 22,000 people were displaced.
Security arrangements in place for Gangasagar Mela: Official
As part of its security arrangements for Gangasagar Mela, the West Bengal government has taken initiatives to replace bamboo barricades with iron railings along the jetties, where devotees board vessels for the Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district. Every year on Makar Sankranti (January 14), thousands of pilgrims gather at Sagar island to take a dip at the confluence of the Ganga and Bay of Bengal and offer prayers at the Kapil Muni Temple. The work for erecting metal barricades, which may stretch up to 24 km, has already begun, District Magistrate Y Ratnakara Rao said Wednesday. "The iron railings are being constructed at Kakdwip, Namkhana, Kachuberia, Chemaguri and Benuban areas, and also at Kapil Muni Temple on Sagar island to ensure safe passage of pilgrims. A second jetty at Benuban has also been erected to control the flow of pilgrim traffic," Rao said. The administration has been closely monitoring the construction work, which is expected to be completed by
Tsunami victims remembered on 14th anniversary
The tsunami victims of 2004 in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry were remembered Wednesday on the 14th anniversary of the natural disaster. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar paid tributes in Chennai, while Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy paid homage to the victims in the Union Territory. Floral tributes, prayers and silent processions in the affected districts of Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam marked the remembrance. Emotional relatives remembered their near and dear ones, 14 years after the giant waves swallowed them on a Sunday morning. In Chennai and Cuddalore, members of various fishemen's organisations and relatives of the victims threw flower-garlands and poured milk in the sea, as a mark of respect for the departed ones. The people of 64 fishing hamlets in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts observed the day by taking out candle processions and paying floral tributes at memorials. Tamil Nadu Minister for Handlooms O S ...
Rahul slams PM for failing to rescue miners trapped in Meghalaya
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Modi for failing to rescue around 15 miners trapped in an illegal coal mine in Kasan village of Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district.The Congress chief took to Twitter to target the Prime Minister as rescue teams both State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had not been able to locate miners trapped in a flooded coal mine.Earlier, NDRF officer SK Shastri said that rescue operation is stalled due to lack of efficient equipment."15 miners have been struggling for air in a flooded coal mine for two weeks. Meanwhile, PM struts about on Bogibeel Bridge posing for cameras.His government refuses to organise high pressure pumps for the rescue. PM please save the miners," he twitted.In his scathing tweet, Rahul pointed out that the Modi government has failed to provide sufficient equipment, including high-pressure pumps for the rescue mission of miners.He further criticised ..
4.8 quake hits area near Sicily's Mount Etna
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area around Europe's most active volcano Mount Etna overnight, injuring four people, damaging old buildings and forcing the closure of part of a highway running along the sea, Italian civil protection authorities said Wednesday. The quake was the strongest in the region after Mount Etna erupted on Monday, spewing ash and forcing the temporary closure of Sicilian airspace. A series of tremors followed, but the latest one was the strongest. The national institute for geophysics and vulcanology (INGV) said the quake happened in the middle of the night and was only one kilometre (0.6 miles) deep. Despite the closure of a part of the highway running along the coast, the airport at the eastern city of Catania, the capital of the province, was open. The epicentre was located north of Catania and several families had to spend the night in the streets. Four people suffered light injuries, officials said. Monday's eruption occurred on the side of Mount Etna ..
Indonesia prays on anniversary of 2004 Boxing Day tsunami
Thousands prayed at mass graves Wednesday to mark the 14th anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, one of the worst natural disasters in history, even as aid workers raced to help victims of the latest killer wave to hit Indonesia. The annual memorial came after the long-buried remains of dozens of Boxing Day tsunami victims were found last week in Aceh province, which was devastated by the 9.1-magnitude "megathrust" earthquake. Nearly 170,000 people died in disaster-prone Indonesia when the quake struck Aceh, a predominantly Muslim province in the northern tip of Sumatra island, sparking massive waves that also slammed into coastal areas as far away as Somalia. The disaster killed about 50,000 people in other countries around the Indian Ocean, bringing total deaths to about 220,000. The commemorations are this year particularly poignant after a volcano-triggered tsunami struck another part of the country without warning on Saturday, sweeping over popular beaches and inundating ...