Page 348 - Disaster Accident
Make shift helipad set up at Kodiakkarai IAF base after
A 'make shift helipad' has been set up at the Indian Air Force base at Kodiakarai in Nagapattinam district days after it was badly damaged by cyclone Gaja. IAF officials have set up a 'make shift helipad' at its base in Kodiakarai to ensure movement of relief materials in the region. "The air force unit based at Kodiakkarai was badly damaged due to cyclone Gaja, which made landfall at Vedaranyam barely 10 kms from its location," an official release said. The unit was able to stand against the adversity and activate a make shift helipad which not only brought some relief material but also facilitated Raksha Mantri (Defence Minsiter) Nirmala Sitharaman's visit, it said. The air warriors of the unit Sunday distributed relief materials in Kodiakkarai village. A total of 1,000 kgs of relief material consisting of rice, wheat flour, salt, noodles, sanitary items and medicines were distributed, it added. Cyclone 'Gaja' had crossed the Tamil Nadu coast early on November 16 ...
One dies due to roadblock by 'Yellow Vest' protesters
A motorist died overnight because of a roadblock caused by "Yellow Vest" protesters in the French city of Arles, French media reported on Sunday.
Maha: Mild tremors experienced in Palghar district
Tremors measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale were experienced at around 1:38am Sunday in Dundalwadi village in Dahanu area of neighbouring Palghar district, a civic official said. District Disaster Control Officer Vivekananad Kadam said no damage was reported. Earlier, on November 24 and November 3, tremors of the magnitude of 3.3 on the Richter scale shook Dahanu and Talasari talukas. Civic officials said that quake-preparedness training programmes were held for villagers between November 26-29 in two talukas of Palghar district.
70-year-old woman dies in high-rise fire in south Mumbai
A 70-year-old woman died and at least 19 were hospitalised, two of them critical, after a fire broke out Sunday in a high-rise building near Mahalaxmi Racecourse in south Mumbai, police said. The blaze occurred in the early hours Sunday on the third floor of the 18-storey Samrat Ashoka building located on Keshavrao Khade Marg, an official said. He said the fire possibly started in the electrical wiring inside a duct on the third floor and then spread to the wiring right up till the top floor. "At least 96 residents were stranded in their flats due to the fire and smoke. A rescue operation was launched by the Fire Brigade at 3am and 50 people from the upper floors were brought down using the staircase. Four others were saved using special devices," the official informed. Those rescued were rushed to a nearby hospital as they had inhaled smoke, he said. Among them, Laxmibai Koli (70) died during treatment. he added. The official said 77 residents were discharged after ...
3 astronauts set to launch to space station on Monday
Three space travellers, including two astronauts on their first flight, are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday for a six-and-a-half month mission, NASA said.
Alarm sounded, nations urged to act at UN climate talks
With the direst warnings yet of impending environmental disaster still ringing in their ears, representatives from nearly 200 nations gather Sunday in Poland to firm up their plan to prevent catastrophic climate change. The UN climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in mankind's response to planetary warming. The smaller, poorer nations that will bare its devastating brunt are pushing for richer states to make good on the promises they made in the 2015 Paris agreement. In Paris three years ago, countries committed to limit global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and to the safer cap of 1.5C if at all possible. But with only a single degree Celsius of warming so far, the world has already seen a crescendo of deadly wildfires, heatwaves and hurricanes made more destructive by rising seas. Johan Rockstrom, designated director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said the talks in the Silesian mining city of Katowice were ...
Alaska hit by over 230 aftershocks after massive temblor
More than 230 aftershocks have hit parts of Alaska since Friday, when a massive 7.0-magnitude quake knocked out power, ripped open roads and damaged buildings near Anchorage, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Visakhapatnam: Landmine blast near police team by Naxals
A Naxal-backed landmine blast took place near a police combing operation team in Pedabayalu in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Saturday.No casualties have been reported. Police have launched a combing operation in the area.Meanwhile, two soldiers were killed in an accidental mine blast in Jammu district of Akhnoor Sector on Saturday.Two other soldiers were injured in the same incident. They have been admitted to a hospital.
Soyuz Rocket installed on launch pad for first manned mission
The launch is scheduled for December 3, 11:31 GMT, and the docking with the ISS is expected to take place at 17:36 GMT on the same day. The spacecraft will be piloted by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko together with astronauts David Saint-Jacques and Anne McClain from Canada and the United States respectively.In October, an accident occurred minutes after the liftoff of a Soyuz-FG launch vehicle carrying the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft after which, an emergency escape capsule allowed the crew to return to Earth safely.After the failed start, three unmanned Soyuz missions have been launched successfully.
Blast in passenger train n Assam, 3 injured
At least three persons were injured after a blast on a moving passenger train at Assam's Harisinga station on Saturday, officials said.
Two army soldiers killed in mine blast near LoC in J&K
Two army soldiers were killed and another soldier was injured on Saturday in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district.
Centre's nod for Rs 353 crore cyclone relief to Tamil Nadu
To help Tamil Nadu in providing relief to the people affected by cyclone 'Gaja', the Centre has cleared Rs 353.70 crore to the state, said the Home Ministry on Saturday.
Four dead in collision of two trucks in Gondia, Maharashtra
Four persons died on the spot in a collision of two trucks on Nagpur-Raipur highway in Maharashtra's Gondia district Saturday, police said. One of the trucks, carrying cement pipes, was going to Raipur from Nagpur, while the other truck, carrying rice sacks, was heading for Gujarat, Deori police in the district said. Around 3.30 AM, driver of the Gujarat-bound truck, Arif Natha Shama (26), tried to cross to the other side to drive to a petrol pump near Sirpur village, eight km from Deori, police said. The driver of the other truck, Ravi Pitamber Yadav (25), could not stop his vehicle which led to a collision, police said. Yadav, cleaners Visheshwar Pemanlal Verma (30) and Sarvan Ramprasad Yadav (34), all residents of Mehrumkala in Khairagarh tehsil of Rajnandgaon, and cleaner Javed Ramjan Aala (24) who was in the other truck, died on the spot. Arif Natha Shama was admitted to a hospital where he was undergoing treatment. Police had to use gas cutters to remove the ...
Explosion in intercity train in Assam, 3 injured
Three persons were injured in an explosion in an intercity train in Assam's Udalguri district on Saturday night, railway and police sources said. The explosion occurred in a coach of the Kamakhya-Dekargaon Intercity Express at the Harisinga railway station around 7.04 pm, a Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson said. There persons were injured, one of them critically, and rushed to a hospital. Railway and police officials have rushed to the site -- around 95 km from Guwahati, the sources said. Investigations are on and it was yet to be ascertained whether the explosion was caused by a grenade or an improvised explosive device (IED), the sources added.
'Procedure of issuing driving licences has to be changed'
: India's first Formula 1 driver Saturday said the procedure of issuing driving licences should be changed as speeding on roads was more dangerous and harmful than motorsport racing. He said that people, especially youngsters, have to differentiate between driving on roads and the racetrack and added that mishaps can be avoided if individuals drive with responsibility and care. "The roads cannot be taken granted for racetracks motivating foolishness, though recent vehicles incorporate excellent technology and safety," he said. Karthikeyan noted that there has been a huge increase in the number of vehicles across various cities. In Coimbatore city alone, around 1.5 Lakh two- wheelers and 23,000 four wheelers are registered annually, he said, while flagging off a marathon here. It was time that the procedure of issuing licenses was changed he said, adding that speeding vehicles on roads were more dangerous and harmful than motorsport racing. Marathon IOACON-2018 was ...
30 injured as bus turns turtle
A bus carrying members of a marriage party overturned in Uttar Pradesh's Etah district, injuring 30 people, police said Saturday. The incident occurred when the driver of the Agra-bound bus lost control of the vehicle and fell in a ditch near Awagarh town at 10 pm on Friday night, said Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar. There were around 60 passengers in the bus and the injured have been admitted to a hospital, Kumar said. As many as 15 passengers, including two women, who have sustained serious injuries have been referred to Agra for treatment, Kumar added.
Rajnath announces special women safety feature in pan-India emergency app
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Saturday announced a pan-India single-number emergency mobile app and said it will have a special women safety feature to get immediate assistance from police and volunteers. A 'SHOUT' feature has been made available exclusively for women in the '112 India' mobile app which is connected to the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), he said while launching the service in Nagaland. The home minister said using the 'SHOUT' feature, women in distress will able to seek immediate assistance from nearby registered volunteers as well as from Emergency Response Centre. "This app will assist the first responders in locating and tracking the woman in distress using GPS for effective response," he said. The home minister said nearly half of India's population are women and the country in which women are safe, is strong and no one can stop the development of that country. Singh said to ensure safety and security of women, the government has taken various initiatives,
3 youths killed as their scooter collides with truck in Haryana
Three youths were killed and one was seriously injured when their scooter collided with a truck in Ambala City on Saturday, police said. The youths were returning to Ambala Cantonment after attending a religious function at Ambala City when the incident occurred, they said. At a crossing near Polytechnic Chowk in Ambala City their scooter collided with a truck, killing three on the spot, police said. The deceased have been identified as Vikas (15), Subham (16), and Dheeraj (20). The injured, Shivam (16), has been admitted to hospital, they said, adding a case has been registered against the truck driver who is absconding.
One killed, two injured in S Korea firefighting helicopter crash
A South Korean firefighting helicopter crashed into a river in Seoul Saturday, killing one and injuring two others on board, rescue authorities said. The chopper was hovering over the Han River in eastern Seoul to draw water into its tank when it went down, they said. The craft had been deployed to fight a bushfire on nearby hills. Two pilots survived with injuries but a mechanic was killed. The wildfire on Mount Yeongchuk has since been under control. Police said they were investigating. "Two people are still recovering from injuries, so it's difficult to get their statements at this moment," police said according to Yonhap news agency.
Allahabad double murder
Two elderly women were found dead in their apartment in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad city on Saturday, police said.