Page 33 - Disaster Accident
Cyclone Vayu: Rahul appeals to Cong workers to help in areas that get affected
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday appealed to all party workers to be prepared to help out in areas that get affected by cyclone "Vayu", which is nearing the Gujarat coast. Cyclonic storm "Vayu" has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, the IMD had said on Tuesday. "Cyclone Vayu is nearing the Gujarat coast. I appeal to all Congress workers to be prepared to help out in all the areas that come in the cyclone's way. I pray for the security and well-being of all the people in the areas that will be affected by the cyclone," Gandhi tweeted in Hindi. The IMD has issued a warning for Saurashtra and Kutch region in Gujarat which would receive widespread rainfall and heavy to very heavy showers in isolated areas on June 13.
IAF air-drops personnel near crash site to search for possible survivors
Indian Air Force on Wednesday successfully airdropped 8 to 10 personnel near the site of the missing aircraft AN-32 in Arunachal Pradesh in two helicopter sorties.The teams have started moving towards the location site and were searching for more wreckage and possible survivors.Earlier, a team of army and civil mountaineers were airlifted to a location close to the place of crash of the missing AN-32 aircraft.Indian Air Force (IAF) has continued search operation in the area where wreckage of missing AN-32 aircraft was found yesterday.The AN-32, with 13 personnel onboard had last contacted ground sources from Arunachal Pradesh on June 3. The plane had been missing since June 3 after taking off from Jorhat air base in Assam to Menchuka advanced landing ground in Arunachal Pradesh with 13 persons on board.After an extensive search for eight days, the wreckage of the aircraft was located yesterday by the crew of a Mi-17 V5 chopper in a valley in Arunachal Pradesh.Mi-17s and Advanced ...
Preparations in place ahead of cyclone Vayu
All preparations are in place to deal with any emergencies arising of the cyclone Vayu's impact, authorities said here on Wednesday.The Indian Coast Guard has formed relief teams and kept them on notice at Daman, Dahanu Mumbai, Murud-Janjira, Ratnagiri, Goa, Karwar, Mangalore, Beypore, Vizhinjam and Kochi for immediate response.The authorities have also cautioned the fishermen against proceeding to sea and have advised the fishing vessels to return to the harbour.Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) materials are on board nominated ships and medical teams and facilities are on standby to handle medical emergencies at the Indian Naval Hospital Asvini.An IAF aircraft C-17, which took off from New Delhi, will airlift around 152 NDRF personnel and eight tonnes of necessary equipment from Arakkonam to Jamnagar for HADR missions in Gujarat.Indian Navy Diving, Rescue Teams along with P8I and IL aircraft have been kept standby to render assistance and carry out rescue ...
Cyclone Vayu: 20 villages put on alert in Gujarat
20 villages here were put on alert on Wednesday ahead of the cyclonic storm 'Vayu' that is slated to make a landfall in Gujarat on Thursday.39 schools in villages near the coastal areas of Valsad are expected to remain closed. Fire and rescue teams have also been put on alert.Apart from this, Kandla port in Kutch district will temporarily remain closed ahead of the landfall. Locals and fishermen who live in areas near the port are being evacuated to safer places by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).The cyclone is likely to cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva on 13th morning."It (Vayu) is very likely to move northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph around the morning of June 13," the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had said in a statement.Cyclone Vayu is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Gujarat along ...
Despite tyre burst, SpiceJet flight lands safely at Jaipur airport
A SpiceJet flight returning from Dubai made a safe landing here on Wednesday even after one of the tyres of the aircraft burst.The landing took place at 9:03 am. All 189 passengers and the crew members are safe."While aircraft was descending at Jaipur, Pilots were informed by Jaipur ATC of suspected tyre burst at Dubai. The crew followed their procedures and landed safely at Jaipur," a SpiceJet spokesperson said."Passenger were deplaned normally. The flight was uneventful," the spokesperson added, clarifying that no "emergency landing was carried out at Jaipur."A team of engineers is examining the aircraft.
N Korean food crisis: S Korea seeking to provide food aid in 'preemptive' way
Taking into account the current food shortage in North Korea, Seoul is pushing to provide food aid to its neighbour in a "preemptive" way, the South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said on Wednesday."By taking into account (North Korea's) difficult food situations, we are seeking to provide preemptive assistances at the government level," Yonhap News Agency quoted the minister as saying during a meeting here.He reiterated that the government will extend humanitarian assistance to North Korea despite the "political situations". This statement comes as denuclearisation talks between the elusive state and the USA have hit a roadblock after the break down of their second summit in Vietnam earlier this year.North Korea also tested multiple short-range missiles last month -- a move which was jointly criticised by both the United States and South Korea.Last month, South Korea pledged to provide USD eight million as humanitarian aid to help North Korea's malnourished children and ...
Boeing airliner deliveries tumble amid problems with 737 Max
With the 737 Max jet still grounded after two deadly crashes, deliveries of new Boeing jets are falling far behind last year's pace. Boeing said Tuesday that it delivered 30 commercial airliners during May, down 56% from the 68 it made in May 2018. Deliveries of 737s plummeted from 47 a year ago to just eight last month. All eight were an older model of 737, call the NG. Boeing is still building Max jets in Washington state, but they are being parked for now. The Chicago-based company has 4,550 unfilled orders for the Max but stopped deliveries after regulators around the world grounded the plane following crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. It's working on changes to flight-control software implicated in the crashes. Boeing reported a cancelled order for 71 Max planes that were to be leased to Jet Airways until the financially struggling Indian carrier suspended all flights in April. Boeing has not reported other large cancellations despite the Max's ...
Pilot killed in crash wasn't certified to fly in bad weather
The pilot killed Monday when his helicopter slammed into the roof of a New York City skyscraper was not authorized to fly in limited visibility, according to his pilot certification, raising questions about why he took off in fog and steady rain. Tim McCormack, 58, was only certified to fly under regulations known as visual flight rules, which require generally good weather and clear conditions, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The rules require at least 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) of visibility and that the sky is clear of clouds for daytime flights. The visibility at the time of Monday's crash was about 1 miles (2 kilometres) at nearby Central Park, with low clouds blanketing the skyline. McCormack was not certified to use instruments to help fly through cloudy or bad weather, the FAA said. The crash in the tightly controlled airspace of midtown Manhattan shook the 750-foot (229-metre) AXA Equitable building, obliterated the Agusta A109E helicopter, sparked a fire and .
Smoke arising out of forest fires engulfs Dharamshala
Dharamshala has been covered in thick smoke due to incidents of forest fire in and around the district.In the last two days, excessive smoke has made it difficult for firefighters to reach the place where the fire broke out, as there are no roads to most of the places.The district administration has issued directions to the concerned forest officials to take all necessary actions to deal with such contingencies.Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said, "Lack of road connectivity is one of the biggest challenges to deal with a forest fire, however, we are sure to control the fire very soon. District Administration has issued directions to the forest officials to investigate the reasons for fire and to take legal action against culprits."Priyanka, a tourist said, "We come here every year to enjoy the weather but as compared to last year it is warmer here due to the forest fire. The smoke is creating trouble in breathing. People and animals are suffering due to the forest ..
Shillong: IAF, Army team airlifted to location close to An-32 crash site
A team of army and civil mountaineers have been airlifted on Wednesday to a location close to the place of crash of the missing AN-32 aircraft, a day after the crash site was located by the Indian Air Force.Air marshal R D Mathur, Air Officer commanding in chief of Eastern Air Command, on Wednesday complimented the search team for their relentless effort spanning eight days in searching for the aircraft.Mathur also thanked the state administration led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu for extending unflinching support to the IAF towards locating the missing An-32."The proud and highly patriotic people of the state have worked tirelessly to help the IAF for a national cause", he had said.As of today, Indian Air Force (IAF) has continued search operation in the area where wreckage of missing AN-32 aircraft was found yesterday.The AN-32, with 13 personnel onboard had last contacted ground sources from Arunachal Pradesh on June 3. The plane had been missing since June 3 after taking off from .
Rescuers flown to crash site of AN-32 aircraft
A team of personnel from Indian Air Force, Army and some civil mountaineers were on Wednesday airlifted to a location close to the crash site of an AN-32 aircraft in Arunachal to look for possible survivors, officials said. The wreckage of the AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force was spotted on Tuesday in a heavily forested mountainous terrain by an IAF Mi-17 helicopter, eight days after it went missing with 13 people on board. "A team comprising personnel from IAF, Army and civil mountaineers have been airlifted to a location close to the crash site," a spokesperson of the IAF said. Another official said the rescue team will look for possible survivors. 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 contact with ground staff at 1 pm, within 33 minutes of taking off. The IAF launched a massive operation after the aircraft went missing and the wreckage of the plane was spotted on .
Gujarat begins evacuation of people from coastal areas as cyclone 'Vayu' inches closer
As cyclone 'Vayu' advances towards the Gujarat coast, the state government launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift about three lakh people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions, officials said Wednesday. According to the latest weather information, the cyclone has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and is located around 340 km south of Gujarat's Veraval coast. It would hit the coast near Veraval as a very severe cyclonic storm "with a wind speed of 145 to 155 kmph gusting to 170 kmph around morning of June 13," a release issued by the meteorological department said. The state government said the cyclone is likely to affect Kutch, Morbi, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Devbhoomi-Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir-Somnath districts. People living in low-lying areas of these 10 districts are being shifted to safer places, it said. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday appealed to people to cooperate in the evacuation process so that no life is ..
Cyclone Vayu: Thunderstorm warning issued in Gujarat
With Cyclone Vayu set to make landfall in Gujarat tomorrow, the India Meteorological Department on Wednesday said thunderstorm and lightning accompanied with gusty wind are likely to occur in the southern districts of the state."It (Vayu) is very likely to move northwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph around the morning of June 13," the IMD said in a statement.After taking stock of the current weather condition, the iMD has issued a red alert in the wake of the cyclonic storm and predicted heavy downpour at several area in Gujarat."Heavy to very rains is very likely at a few places with extremely heavy falls in districts of Saurashtra -- Junagadh, Amreli, Gir, Somnath -- besides Diu. Heavy to very rains very is likely at a few places in districts of Saurashtra -- Rajkot, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Dwarka, Bhavnagar," the weather office said.It has advised ...
Deadly Ebola virus spreads to Uganda from DR Congo
The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, which has infected more than 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has spread to Uganda, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).A 5-year-old Congolese boy has been diagnosed with Ebola in Uganda, CNN reported while quoting the country's Ministry of Health and WHO."The child and his family entered the country through Bwera Border post and sought medical care at Kagando hospital where health workers identified Ebola as a possible cause of illness," the WHO said in a statement issued on Tuesday.The child is currently at an Ebola treatment unit in the Ugandan town of Bwera which falls in the Kasese district.This is the second largest Ebola outbreak in history. Over 1,300 people have lost their lives due to the virus since August. The main areas which have been severely affected are DR Congo's North Kivu and Ituri provinces.A recent spike in the number of those found to be infected with Ebola has raised concerns about the ...
Rains in J&K plains, unprecedented snowfall in Sonamarg
Unprecedented fresh snowfall occurred on Wednesday in Baltal and Sonamarg hill stations while heavy rains over the past 24 hours inundated low lying areas in the Valley.
Cyclone Vayu turns "very severe", advances towards Gujarat
Mumbai and some neighbouring coastal areas of Maharashtra witnessed a windy Wednesday morning as cyclone 'Vayu' turned into a "very severe cyclonic storm", the weather department said. As the cyclone continued to progress towards Saurashtra and Kutch regions of neighbouring Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded its severity condition. "Cyclone Vayu has turned into a very severe cyclonic storm. It would cause gusty winds to blow at a speed of 145 kmph to 170 kmph by Thursday morning," the IMD said. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) started landing in Gujarat with the help of the Indian Air Force to undertake preventive evacuation of people living on the west coast, an IAF official said. Because of the cyclonic storm, the Arabian Sea has turned turbulent and bigger waves are advancing towards coastal areas, the IMD said. Huge sea waves lashed Devbaug village in Malvan tehsil of Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district on Wednesday. An ...
4 students killed after toilet roof collapses in Nepal
Four students died when the roof of a school toilet collapsed in Nepal's Darchula district on Tuesday, authorities said on Wednesday.
Cyclone Vayu: Rahul urges party workers to help
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday prayed for the safety of people in Gujarat ahead of cyclone Vayu and appealed the Congress workers to be ready to help.
Choppers begin rescue operation at AN-32 crash site
Mi-17s and Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of the Indian Army have been deployed for the search and rescue operation of 13 personnel on board the Indian Air Force's AN-32.This comes a day after the IAF managed to locate the wreckage of the plane 16 kilometres North of Lipo, North East of Tato at an altitude of 12,000 feet.The plane had been missing since June 3 after taking off from Jorhat air base in Assam to Menchuka advanced landing ground in Arunachal Pradesh with 13 persons on board.Parts of the aircraft were located 15-20 km north of the flight path of the aircraft in Arunachal Pradesh.The Indian Air Force has been carrying out extensive search and rescue mission for the missing aircraft including use of Research and Analysis Wing's Global 5000 spy plane, NTRO satellites, Naval P-8I surveillance aircraft along with its own Mi-17 choppers, C-130J special operations planes and all possible assets from different agencies.The IAF had on Saturday announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to ..
Days after storm, clean up continues in Dallas
Kayla McFall didn't think much of the clouds rolling into Dallas as she relaxed in her grandparents' pool. A native Texan, she's used to storms blowing through and was still in the water when the sky darkened. "It turned black and that's when we started seeing the lightning and the extreme rain," said McFall, 23. "But most of what we noticed was the wind was throwing things off roofs and bending the trees, which are probably 100-year-old oak trees that were almost sideways." Two days after the storm barreled through Dallas, large branches and whole trees can still be seen where they fell, hundreds of traffic signals remain out, and the work to restore power to thousands of people is ongoing. Near downtown, a fallen crane that killed a woman and injured five other people in Sunday's storm was still embedded Tuesday in the side of the Elan City Lights apartment complex. It's unclear when the crane will be removed. One tenant filed a negligence lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in ...