Page 35 - Disaster Accident
Cyclone Vayu: MHA issues detailed advisories to Gujarat, Diu
The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday issued detailed advisories to the Gujarat government and the Diu administration, asking them to take all precautionary measures to prevent loss of life in the wake of impending Cyclone Vayu.It advised them to carry out the evacuation of people from low-lying coastal and vulnerable areas.According to a Home Ministry statement, the Gujarat and Diu administrations have planned to evacuate about three lakh people from the identified vulnerable areas starting early tomorrow morning.The evacuated people will be shifted to around 700 cyclone/relief shelters. In consultation with the administrations, 39 NDRF teams are being positioned in Gujarat and Diu for helping in evacuation, search, rescue and relief operations.In addition, 34 teams of the Army have also been put on stand-by.The advisories followed a high-level review meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Cyclone Vayu earlier in the day.The Home Ministry also asked the administrations to ..
Army, Arunachal Scouts to move to ground zero to trace AN-32 occupants
The Indian Army and the local Arunachal Scouts are ready to move to ground zero with aid and assistances to establish the status of the 13 occupants of the Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 aircraft that crashed in Arunachal Pradesh on June 3, an official said on Tuesday.
Declare calamity hit Odisha as 'special focus state': CM to PM
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the states hit by major disasters as 'Special Focus States' with benefits of the special category status for a specified period. Patnaik pushed the demand when he met Modi in the national capital during the day. Justifying Odisha's demand of special category status, he pointed out that the unique geo-climatic conditions of the state make it vulnerable to multiple and frequent natural disasters. From 1900 to 2019, Odisha has experienced one or the other disaster like flood, cyclone or drought every year. "Odisha has been affected by about 35 per cent of all the cyclonic and severe cyclonic storms that have crossed the eastern coast of India," Patnaik said while urging the prime minister to include natural calamity as an indicator to accord special category status to Odisha. This will supplement the state's efforts for inclusive growth and development, he said adding the state should be provided ..
Gujarat on alert as cyclonic storm Vayu closes in
Parts of Gujarat are bracing for impact from strengthening Cyclone Vayu, which is expected to slam into the state early Thursday, even as plans are afoot to shift people in the coastal belt to safer places. The Gujarat administration is on high alert to deal with the cyclone, which is likely to hit the state coast near Veraval, officials said. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday said people living in the coastal belt would be shifted to safer places. As per the latest weather report, the cyclonic storm Vayu is located around 630 km south of Veraval coast and is "very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm" in next 12 hours and hit the state coast on June 13. Officials said the cyclone is likely to affect Kutch, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Devbhoomi-Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir-Somnath districts. Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar that the entire coastline, starting from Kutch to south Gujarat, has been put on "high alert". The ...
Amit Shah reviews preparations for cyclone Vayu
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reviewed the preparations for cyclone Vayu which is expected to make landfall in Gujarat, and directed officials to ensure all possible steps for the safety of people, officials said. TheNational Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has pre-positioned 39 NDRF teams, comprising about 45 rescuers each, in Gujarat and Diu and they are equipped with boats, tree-cutters and telecom equipment. As many as 34 teams of Army are also on stand-by. The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued detailed advisories to Gujarat and Union Territory Diu requesting them to take all precautionary measures with a view to ensure that no human life is lost, damage to vital infrastructure is minimised and there is early recovery of all essential services post-cyclone landfall, a home ministry official said. Gujarat and Diu authorities have planned to evacuate about three lakh people from identified vulnerable areas starting Wednesday morning. The evacuated people will be shifted to ...
Rs. 7.60 lakh raised by Indian community in Shanghai for Orissa cyclone victims
A Shanghai-based Indian community organisation has raised Rs 7.60 lakh through a fund-raising drive to help the victims of the Cyclone Fani which devastated the Orissa coast. Last month, 'very severe cyclonic storm' 'Fani' battered Odisha and killed 64 people. An amount of RMB 75000 (Rs 7.60 lakh) was raised by the Indian Association of Shanghai during the fund-raising drive and the cheque was handed over to Consulate General of India, Anil Rai which will go to Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Odisha, a press release from the association said. Mukesh Sharma, President, Indian Association, said that Cyclone Fani is widely considered as the worst natural disaster to hit India in recent years and appealed to the Indian community to generously donate to assist the victims.
Cyclone 'Vayu' intensifies into severe cyclonic storm: IMD
Cyclone 'Vayu' intensified into a severe cyclonic storm Tuesday and is likely to hit the Gujarat coast on June 13 morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "It is very likely to move nearly northward and cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva around Veraval and Diu region as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed 110-120 kilometres per hour gusting to 135 kilometres per hour during early morning of June 13," it said. In its forecast for June 13, the IMD said, "Gale wind speed of the order of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph very likely over north Arabian Sea and Gujarat coast in morning hours and decrease gradually thereafter. It is very likely to be 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over north Maharashtra coasts and northern parts of east central Arabian Sea." The IMD has issued a warning of heavy rains and high winds at a speed of over 110 kilometres per hour on June 13 and 14 in the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch. The Gujarat government is on high ..
Punjab CM orders closure of all open borewells across state after death of toddler
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday asked the state's disaster management group to finalise a set of standard operating procedures for manmade disasters after a two-year-old child could not rescued alive from a 150-foot-deep borewell in Sangrur district. Singh sought reports from all deputy commissioners on all existing open borewells in the state and directed them to take immediate corrective action to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future, an official release said here. "Have directed all DCs to ensure that no such open borewell exists in any of the districts & have asked them to submit a report within 24 hours. You can call on our helpline number 0172-2740397 if you have information about any such open borewells in your area," the chief minister tweeted. Headed by the chief secretary, the state disaster management group, which had been constituted to tackle natural calamities, has also been asked to study inadequacies, if any, in the relief operations, ...
Wreckage of missing AN-32 plane found in Arunachal after eight days; IAF trying to establish survivors
The wreckage of the AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force was spotted on Tuesday in a heavily forested mountainous terrain in Arunachal Pradesh, eight days after it went missing with 13 people on board after taking off from Assam's Jorhat. The IAF said efforts are on to establish the status of occupants amid fears of that chances of any survivor in the one of worst accidents involving a military platform in recent years may be very bleak. "The wreckage of the aircraft was spotted today 16 kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato at an approximate elevation of 12,000 feet by an IAF Mi-17 helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone," the IAF said in a statement. "Efforts are now continuing to establish the status of occupants and establish survivors," it said. An IAF official said after identifying the wreckage of the AN 32, a Cheetah helicopter and an ALH chopper reached the crash site but could not land due to high elevation and dense forest. "However, nearest landing site
Punjab CM orders closure of all open borewells after child's death
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday directed the closure of all open borewells across the state in the wake of the death of a boy who had fallen into a borewell in a Sangrur village.Expressing anguish over the tragic death of 2-year-old Fatehveer, he ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident and sought reports from deputy commissioners (DCs) on open borewells.Singh also directed the officials to take immediate action to prevent recurrence of such incidents.The chief minister, who had been personally monitoring the rescue operation, asked the Disaster Management Group headed by the chief secretary to finalise a set of SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) check such accidents.The group, which had been constituted to deal with natural calamities, has also been asked to study the inadequacies, if any, in the relief operations, and give recommendations to ensure a better and quicker response.The boy fell into an abandoned 150-foot borewell on June 6 afternoon ...
Haryana to launch ambucycles in Gurugram, Faridabad
The Haryana government will introduce ambucycles --medically-equipped motorcycles--in the state with the assistance of Israel for providing emergency response to people requiring immediate medical attention. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the service would initially be started in Gurugram and Faridabad. He was interacting with a three-member delegation led by Israel Ambassador Dr Ron Malka Tuesday. Road accident victims will also be provided the service. Ambucycles or motorcycles will be fitted with a box, containing a complete trauma kit and other necessary equipment needed in emergency cases. The chief minister said during his visit to Israel in May last year, he had interacted with the officials who had launched the community-based service there. "There is a huge requirement of this service in Gurugram and Faridabad keeping in view high density of population," Khattar said according to an official statement. It was also decided that though Haryana had constituted working ..
Fire in Ukraine's psychiatric hospital kills 6
Six people died after a fire broke out in a psychiatric hospital in Ukraine's Odessa city, the country's State Emergency Service said on Tuesday.
Cyclone Vayu: Guj on alert, people from coast to be evacuated
The Gujarat administration is on high alert to deal with cyclone 'Vayu', which is likely to hit the state coast near Veraval on Thursday, officials said. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday said people living in the coastal belt would be shifted to safer places. As per the latest weather report, the cyclonic storm Vayu is located around 630 km south of Veraval coast and is "very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm" in next 12 hours and hit the state coast on June 13. According to officials, the cyclone is likely to affect Kutch, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Devbhoomi-Dwarka, Porbandar, Rajkot, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir-Somnath districts. Rupani told reporters in Gandhinagar that the entire coastline, starting from Kutch to south Gujarat, has been put on "high alert". The officials concerned are in touch with the Odisha government to learn and implement the disaster management techniques adopted by them when cyclone Fani hit the eastern coastal state ...
4 die on Kerala Express due to heatwave
Four passengers, all senior citizens from Tamil Nadu travelling in an ordinary sleeper class train compartment, died in Jhansi apparently due to extreme heat as north India sizzled with mercury crossing 46 degree Celsius levels and above.The four travelling from Agra to Coimbatore in Kerala Express train had taken ill in Gwalior and had collapsed by the time the train reached Jhansi, a senior Railway official said.Three of them were declared dead in the train at the Jhansi railway station here, while another person who was taken to Jhansi Medical College died during treatment, said Railway PRO Manoj Kumar Singh on Tuesday.The dead have been identified as Bundur Pachaiyappa (80), Balakrishna Ramaswami (69), Devyani (74) and Subbaraiya (87), all of whom were travelling to Coimbatore in sleeper class S8 and S9 coaches.Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Jhansi Railway Station Singh further said: "They were feeling uneasy in the train at Gwalior. They were given a check up at Jhansi railway
Randeep Hooda joins relief efforts in drought-hit area
Actor Randeep Hooda joined a team of volunteers to help people who are reeling under the effect of drought in a village near Nashik.
Three dead in car crash on Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida
Three people, who were returning to their homes after attending a wedding ceremony in Aligarh, were killed Tuesday when their speeding car crashed into a trailer-truck on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida, police said. Gaurav (30), Pankaj (32) and Praveen (28) were returning to Ghazibad after attending a wedding in Aligarh's Tappal town when the accident occurred, they said. "The incident was reported around 1 am when the speeding hatchback rammed into a car-carrying trailer from the rear, leaving the trio dead on the spot," the Station House Officer, Knowledge Park police station, Arvind Pathak, said. He said the accident probably occurred due to over speeding. "This appears to be a case of over-speeding by the car as was evident from the situation of the vehicle after the crash. The car had gotten under the trailer from the rear end and got severely damaged," Pathak told PTI. The trailer-truck and its driver are yet to be tracked down, the officer said, adding the matter was ...
NDMA team in Bhubaneswar to review restoration work post-Cyclone Fani
A National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) team on Tuesday visited the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) here to review the restoration work being carried out in Odisha in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani."The three-member team will be undertaking field visits tomorrow and on June 13, they will have a discussion with the chief secretary and secretaries of the department," SRC Bishnupada Sethi told ANI.The team, headed by NDMA member Kamal Kishore, will be visiting Puri and Khurda, which bore the brunt of the cyclone last month.Sethi said that the team appreciated the efforts made by the Odisha government in evacuating a record 15 lakh people."They were very happy that timely action by the Odisha government in a coordinated manner saved a lot of lives," he said.According to him, the distribution of house-building assistance to the affected families in Puri will be completed soon."We have made an assessment of the damages in 14 districts and in the first stage we have ...
Rajasthan reels under heatwave conditions
Many parts of the state reeled under relentless heatwave conditions on Tuesday with Churu recording 46 degree Celsius temperature.The districts were affected hit hard by heatwave conditions were Alwar, Bundi, Dholpur, Jhunjhunu, Karauli, Kota, Tonk, Sikar, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Bikaner, Churu, Jodhpur, Hanumangarh, Nagaur and Sri Ganganagar.The mercury soared to 46 degree Celsius in Jaipur and 44 degree Celsius in Jodhpur.The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday had issued a red alert for western Rajasthan, orange alert for west Madhya Pradesh and a yellow alert for various parts of the country including in east Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and east Madhya Pradesh.According to private weather forecaster Skymet, the temperature in most of the districts in Rajasthan will fluctuate between 42 to 46 degree Celsius with a dust storm and thunderstorm for the next couple of days.
Cyclone Vayu likley to make landfall in Gujarat coast on Thursday
Centred nearly 600 km south of the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat, Cyclone Vayu is likely to make a landfall in the state on Thursday, even as teams of state and National Disaster Relief Force have been drafted in all the coastal districts, officials said on Tuesday.
Delhi govt's social welfare institutions to undergo fire safety audit
The social welfare department of the Delhi government has ordered a fire safety audit of all its institutions in the national capital, months after a massive fire at a hotel in Karol Bagh area killed 17 people. According to the department, it runs many institutions, including seven schools for specially- abled and about 10 districts apart from homes for aged and mentally challenged persons. Social Welfare Secretary Rashmi Krishnan has written to all the head of institutions, asking them to initiate the fire safety audit of buildings under their control. "You are requested to kindly undertake the necessary audit and point out existing deficiency so that corrective and proactive action may be taken prior to any untoward incidents," Krishnan said in the letter. In another written communication, the secretary asked officers concerned to contact the director of the Delhi Fire Services and have the requisite fire safety audits conducted in respect of buildings under their control. In the ...