Page 345 - Disaster Accident
India-Japan hold first meeting on capacity development on railways safety
Sixty Indian Railways officials will be trained in varied areas of safety in Japan, the transporter said Wednesday, after the first meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee for India-Japan project on capacity development on railway safety. "A Japanese study team shall work with NR (Northern Railway) officials over a period of two years. The project also envisages first-hand exposure and training of 60 Indian railway officials in Japan in the identified areas," the statement stated. The meeting was chaired by General Manager, Northern Railway, TP Singh, and attended by railway board officials as well as representatives of the Japanese government. The Indian Railways is having extensive cooperation with Japan. At present, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Projects are under implementation. Annually, 300 railway officers are being trained by the Japanese government on high speed rail. The projects on Capacity Development on Railway Safety' has ...
Pamban bridge snag rectified; Train services to resume after
The repair work on the Pamban railway cantileverbridge was completed Wednesday, a day after it suffered a minor damage, but train services to this holy island would resume after safety officials gave the clearance, Railway officials said here. A wheel in the century-old bridge that provides the rail link between Rameswaram and the mainland broke Tuesday evening, leading to cancellation of train services from here. Southern Railway Chief Bridge Engineer Ravindra Babu, who oversaw the repair work along with the Madurai Divisional Railway Manager, said the problem had been rectified. But, train services between Rameswaram, an important pilgrim centre thronged by people from across the country, and Pamban would be resumed after safety officials inspect and give the go ahead, he said. Trains coming to Rameswaram are now terminated at Mandapam from where buses have been arranged by the railways for passengers coming here, Babu said. The 100-year old meter gauge bridge had been .
HP govt seeks financial aid from Centre for losses incurred during monsoon
The Himachal Pradesh government has sought financial assistance from the Centre to compensate loss of Rs 1994.3 crore incurred by the state this monsoon due to heavy rainfall, officials said Wednesday. The state government has submitted a report to the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) to recommend the aide from the Centre for the losses. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had also requested the IMCT during a meeting in Mandi district a few days ago to recommend the Union government to provide maximum financial aide to the state which suffered heavy losses during this monsoon, worst in the last 10 years, a government spokesperson said. The Public Works Department (PWD) suffered major losses due to damages to roads and bridges, the spokesperson said, adding the total losses on this account have been assessed at Rs 881.24 crore. Losses assessed by the agriculture department were Rs 151.98 crore, horticulture department Rs 441.83 crore, agriculture and horticulture land Rs 16.03 crore, ...
India's score in ICAO audit likely to improve, says DGCA official
India's score in the UN aviation watchdog ICAO's air safety oversight audit is likely to improve significantly as steps have been taken to address various issues, a senior official said Wednesday. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) carried out the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme for India in November 2017 and another team of the watchdog came in February this year. The audit result showed that the country's score declined to 57.44 per cent from 65.82 per cent earlier, placing India below Pakistan, Nepal and many other nations. An ICAO team visited India last month and assessed the action taken on issues related to three areas that were audited by the watchdog in November 2015. Those pertained to Aerodromes and Ground Aids, Air Navigation Services (ANS) and Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation. After the team's visit in November, the preliminary indications are that India's score should improve and is likely to rise to 74 per cent, the DGCA ...
Technical snag hits Delhi Metro
Services on Delhi Metro's Blue line were affected on Wednesday afternoon due to signalling faults, causing inconvenience to commuters.
Jaguar I-PACE gets top safety rating from Euro NCAP
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Wednesday said its electric model Jaguar I-PACE has achieved a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The vehicle scored 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 81 per cent for child occupant protection and 81 per cent for safety assist. Besides, the vehicle scored maximum points for both the side barrier impact and the more severe side pole test, with good protection of all critical body areas, JLR said in a statement. "This latest award from Euro NCAP confirms the I-PACE's exceptional safety standards," JLR Senior Project Leader Body Engineering Simon Black said. The I-PACE's lightweight aluminium body structure delivers inherently high levels of stiffness, and when combined with the integral battery pack, protected by a structural aluminium frame, delivers the highest torsional rigidity of any Jaguar yet, the company said.
Big B urges people to come forward to help rebuild TN
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has urged people to come forward and help victims of severe cyclonic storm Gaja. Superstar-politician Kamal Haasan thanked him for being the "thread which stitches our country together."
DGCA monitoring Boeing 737 MAX planes on daily basis
Aviation watchdog DGCA is monitoring on a daily basis the performance of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft apart from putting in place various measures to ensure there are no safety issues with these planes being operated in India, a senior official said Wednesday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been keeping a close watch on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft -- operated by Jet Airways and SpiceJet -- in the wake of such a plane crashing in Indonesia in October. Currently, there are 10 Boeing 737 MAX planes that are operating in the country. Apart from daily monitoring, the airlines have been asked to immediately report any "abnormal" issues related to the plane's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), the regulatory official said. MCAS is a kind of stall-recovery system that is used in Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and generally alerts the pilot in case there is stalling of the plane or fall in speed, among others. The official also made it clear that so far there has ...
7.5 magnitude quake strikes off New Caledonia in Pacific Ocean
A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook off the coast of the Pacific island of New Caledonia on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted. No significant damage was reported.
Powerful 7.5 quake off New Caledonia triggers tsunami but no damage
A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck near New Caledonia Wednesday, triggering a tsunami alert and emergency evacuations across a swathe of the South Pacific, but there were no reports of serious damage or injuries. Authorities said the quake, followed by at least 20 strong aftershocks, was centred about 170 kilometres southeast of New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands at a depth of just 10 kilometres. Island residents said the initial quake shook the walls of buildings and in places turned the sea foamy. Tsunami waves were recorded moving out from the epicentre, prompting people to flee to high ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned surges of up to three metres (10 feet) could be expected and shallow quakes of that magnitude can be devastating. But the centre later reported waves measured by its monitors around the region only reached about 72 centimetres (2.4 feet) on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. Civil defence officials in Noumea said tsunami waves hit parts of .
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Tsunami alert on Pacific islands after 7.5-magnitude quake
A 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook off the coast of the Pacific island of New Caledonia, prompting warnings that tsunami waves of up to three metres can reach New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
New Caledonia hit by earthquake again
Hours after east coast of New Caledonia was rattled by an earthquake of 7.6, the French territory rocked again by another quake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale.According to United States Geographical Survey (USGA), the second quake occurred at 7:03 (UTC) at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers.The jolts were registered southeast of the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia's east coast.A tsunami warning had already been issued for the region by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) when the island was hit by the first quake.Residents have been asked to find shelter while the authorities are organising an immediate evacuation.French territory of New Caledonia sits on the "Ring of Fire", an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, which is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Fresh 6.6 earthquake hits off New Caledonia: monitors
A powerful new earthquake hit off New Caledonia Wednesday just hours after a strong tremor hit the Pacific region, but there was no new tsunami alert, authorities said. The quake struck at 5:43pm local time (0643 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) some 192 kilometres east-southeast of Tadine in New Caledonia, an overseas French territory north of New Zealand. The US Geological Survey revised it to magnitude 6.6 from an initial measurement of 7.0. Residents of New Caledonia received an urgent text message directing them to go to refuges immediately after the earlier and also shallow 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck two-and-a-half hours earlier. There have been no immediate reports of damage from the earlier tremor.
7.6 magnitude rattles New Caledonia
An earthquake measuring 7.6 on Richter Scale struck off the east coast of New Caledonia on Wednesday.According to Sputnik, the jolts were registered at 04.18 GMT at the depth of 10 kilometres and about 155 kilometres east-southeast of the Loyalty Islands off New Caledonia's east coast.Tsunami warning has been issued for the region by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).Residents have been asked to find shelter while the authorities are organising an immediate evacuation.French territory of New Caledonia sits on the "Ring of Fire", an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, which is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
UN relief chief appeals for funds to support 132 million people
Conflict has pushed tens of millions of people into a situation where they are in urgent need of help, the UN relief chief has said, in an appeal for funds that could top USD 25 billion to support life-saving aid projects in over 40 countries next year. Speaking at the launch of a major annual analysis of global humanitarian needs, Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said that a total of 132 million people will need assistance next year. Of that number, the UN and its partner organisations aim to support 93.6 million. While conflict is the main cause, climate-related risks such as drought and tropical storms are also significant contributors to the number of people in crisis. "Something like one person in 70 around the world is caught up in crisis and urgently needs humanitarian help or protection," Lowcock said. "We have a larger number of people displaced, mostly by conflict than we have seen in the world before, nearly 70 million." The UN's Global Humanitarian Appeal for 2019
New Caledonians ordered to shelters in tsunami alert after big quake
A shallow and powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off New Caledonia Wednesday prompting a tsunami alert and evacuations on the Pacific island, authorities said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that tsunami waves had been "observed" in the region but did not say where. Residents of New Caledonia, which lies north of New Zealand, received text messages directing them to go to refuges immediately, with waves of up to three metres possible, according to the warning centre. But people in New Caledonia and nearby Vanuatu said they did not feel the quake, and tsunami warning sirens were not immediately activated in Vanuatu. "Hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, after earlier warning that the danger zone included "coasts located within 1000 kilometres of the earthquake epicentre." The epicentre was some 300 kilometres east of Noumea. Several aftershocks were reported as the tsunami centre warned of waves of up to three ...
PM to inaugurate Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-road bridge, on Dec 25
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate on December 25 the Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-road bridge, connecting the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra, falling in the eastern part of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, a senior railway official said. The bridge is 4.94 km long. "The PM will inaugurate the bridge on December 25 which is also marked by the government as Good Governance Day," the official told. While former prime minister H D Deve Gowda laid the foundation stone for the Bogibeel bridge in January 1997, the work started only in April 2002 when former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the construction. With several deadlines having been missed over the past 16 years, the first freight train ran on it on December 3. Bogibeel is part of infrastructure projects planned by India to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. This includes the construction of a trans-Arunachal highway on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, and new road and rail links .
Tsunami warning as powerful 7.5 quake strikes off New Caledonia
A shallow and powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific islands of New Caledonia Wednesday, US seismologists said, triggering a tsunami warning for the area. "Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters" the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, "hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1000 kilometres of the earthquake epicentre." New Zealand authorities issued a similar warning after the quake, which struck just 10 kilometres beneath the surface. USGS originally gave the magnitude of the quake as 7.6 before revising it downwards slightly.
Tripura: 30 injured after bus plunges into gorge
Over 30 passengers sustained injuries after a bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district on Tuesday.All passengers of the Agartala-bound bus were rescued by the police and locals and were admitted to a hospital.Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, along with senior officials, visited the trauma centre of the hospital where the injured are admitted. He enquired about the injured persons and said the state will bear all medical expenses."I pray that these people get fit at the earliest. We will investigate the cause of this accident. All the medical expenditure will be borne by the state," Deb told the media.As per doctors at the hospital, 22 out of the 30 passengers are in critical condition.Further details are awaited.