Page 350 - Disaster Accident
Australian police officer dies in New Zealand avalanche
Police say an Australian police officer has died in an avalanche while mountain climbing in New Zealand. New Zealand Police on Friday identified the man as 40-year-old Nathan Deutschbein. They said he had been climbing with another person in the Aoraki/Mount Cook area in central South Island when the avalanche struck Thursday afternoon. The other climber suffered minor injuries and was transported to a nearby town for treatment. A third member of the group had stayed behind in a hut that day because he wasn't feeling well. An online fundraising page said Deutschbein is survived by his wife, Skye Deutschbein, and two young daughters. Skye Deutschbein wrote on Instagram that the family could not imagine a world without their "Captain Awesome.
2 fall to death from Mumbai building
Two labourers were killed on Friday after falling from the eighth floor of an under construction building here, a disaster control official said.
Himalayan tremor predicted in near future
Growing warnings by scientists of an impending high-magnitude earthquake in the Himalayas have got further credence from yet another study by Indian researchers.
Elon Musk won't be seen smoking pot in public again, says NASA
NASA is clear about its approach to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and marijuana. The two organizations are collaborating to fly astronauts to the International Space Station.NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that Musk is committed to safety as anybody and he understands that smoking pot publicly was not appropriate. He further that Musk won't be seen doing that again, Cnet reported.Musk irked NASA when he appeared on a podcast last month smoking pot. The space agency then initiated a review of the workplace cultures of both SpaceX and Boeing.NASA's contracts with the companies require them to maintain a program for achieving a drug and alcohol free workforce.
51 pilot whales die in another mass stranding in New Zealand
Fifty-one pilot whales have died in a another mass stranding in New Zealand, less than a week after 145 pilot whales died in a different part of the country. The Department of Conservation says up to 90 pilot whales beached themselves late Thursday on the remote Chatham Islands. When staff arrived at first light Friday, they said they found up to 40 of the whales had refloated themselves but another 50 had died on the beach. The department says one beached whale remained alive, which they decided to euthanize due to its poor condition. The Chatham Islands sit about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of New Zealand's main islands and are home to about 600 people. Last weekend, 145 pilot whales died on Stewart Island.
Five dead, 32 injured in Hong Kong coach crash
Five people were killed and 32 injured when a coach carrying Cathay Pacific staff to Hong Kong's airport collided with a taxi on Friday, police said, with passengers thrown from the coach's windows on impact. The back half of the taxi was completely crushed and both sides of the bus were damaged with traces of blood on the outside following the crash on the island of Tsing Yi. "We believe the taxi was broken down and stopped on the left lane of the road. Around 40 seconds later, a coach hit it from behind," police superintendent Yip Siu-ming said. The coach then lost control, Yip added, hitting the right hand side crash barrier and then the left one and throwing three passengers out of the coach. The 62-year-old driver was also hurled from the vehicle and injured. The taxi driver and two men and two women coach passengers were killed, according to police. Debris including glass and personal belongings was strewn across the road, which remained closed early Friday. Hong Kong carrier ...
At least 5 dead in road accident in Hong Kong
At least five people were killed and more than 30 injured in a car crash on early Friday in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Cyclone Gaja: Nirmala Sitharaman reviews relief ops in TN
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday visited the cyclone Gaja-affected areas in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district and took stock of the situation.Sitharaman was accompanied by Rear Admiral Alok Bhatnagar NM, Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area, along with senior officials of the State Administration.She also conducted an aerial survey of the area. The Defence Minister reviewed the relief operations executed by the Indian Navy through air, road and sea in Arucottuthurai.During her visit, Sitharaman interacted with the local villagers to understand their concerns.Cyclone Gaja left a trail of destruction in Tamil Nadu about two weeks ago, claiming the lives of as many as 46 people apart from causing widespread damage to property and livestock.
Five dead, 31 injured in Hong Kong coach crash: police
A coach on its way to Hong Kong's airport collided with a taxi Friday leaving five dead and 31 injured, police said. The crash happened on the island of Tsing Yi with images on local media showing the back half of the taxi completely crushed and part of the front of the coach sheared off. A man and two women were declared dead at the scene and two died in hospital, police said. Local media reports described the bus as a "tourist coach" but reported that it had been carrying workers to the airport. Tsing Yi is connected by a freeway to Hong Kong International Airport on neighbouring Lantau island. Television footage showed the injured being treated by the side of the road before they were taken to four hospitals. The South China Morning Post reported that several of the injured were in serious condition. One coach passenger said the bus had been travelling fast and had crashed into a stationary taxi with its hazard lights on at the side of the road, according to SCMP.
Exclusive: Boeing eyes Lion Air crash software upgrade in 6-8 weeks
SEATTLE/PARIS (Reuters) - Boeing Co is weighing plans to launch a software upgrade for its 737 MAX in six to eight weeks that would help address a scenario faced by the Lion Air crew during last month's deadly crash in Indonesia, two people briefed on the matter said on Thursday.
Merkel's plane lands in Cologne due to technical problem: Report
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's plane on Thursday made an emergency landing in Cologne airport due to some technical problem, according to local media Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger.
Railways to transport relief material for free in cyclone-affected parts of TN
The Central Railways have permitted inter-state and intra-state free transport of relief material by coaching trains and goods trains to the cyclone-affected districts of Tamil Nadu.In a statement, the Railways said that all Government organizations across the country can book relief material free of cost to affected districts of Tamil Nadu. Other organizations as deemed fit by Divisional Railway Manager can also avail this provision. However, the consignor or consignee must be the District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner in whose jurisdiction the dispatching and receiving station is situated.The Railways informed that the facility can be availed till December 10 or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
G20-bound Merkel's plane makes emergency landing in Cologne
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's plane, headed for the G20 summit in Argentina, made an emergency landing in Cologne on Thursday due to a technical problem, the Chancellery said. "Following a technical problem, the official plane landed safely in Cologne," it said, without indicating when she could leave again. The Airbus A340-300, named Konrad Adenauer after Germany's first post war chancellor, was met on the tarmac by fire engines, the German news agency DPA said, adding that Merkel was waiting for a replacement plane to taker her to Buenos Aires. The plane turned back from the Netherlands and landed in Cologne because it was the only base with a a replacement plane, the news agency said.
Rain causes concern for California's wildfire-burned areas
A storm that moved through Northern California largely missed wildfire-burned areas Thursday but crews remained ready to respond as more rain reached communities devastated by a recent wildfire, officials said. Emergency response teams were monitoring rain-saturated areas in the town of Paradise and nearby communities in the Sierra Nevada foothills in case of trouble in flood-prone spots, said Butte County spokeswoman Kelly Hubbard. "They are ready to respond to any concerns and watching and waiting because of the rain event that is coming through," Hubbard said. The crews quickly cleared a tree that toppled in the town of Magalia, but no other reports of damage had been received from about an inch of rain dumped by a storm that hit overnight in the burn zone about 225 kilometers northeast of San Francisco, she said. The town of 27,000 has been under mandatory evacuation orders for nearly three weeks since a wildfire swept through, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 88
3 dead in fire at Reliance's Vadodara refinery
Three labourers died after a fire broke out in a PBR2 (polybutadiene rubber) plant of the Reliance Industries Limited on Thursday.In a statement, the company informed that the fire broke out in the plant of the Vadodara complex early morning. The fire was restricted to one section of the plant following the timely action by the firefighting team."Our prayers and sympathies are with their families in their time of grief and will support the family to overcome their personal tragedy," Reliance stated.The company further added that an investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, the rest of the complex is continuing with normal operations.
Japanese pilot, 10 times over alcohol limit, jailed in UK
A Japan Airlines pilot was jailed for 10 months on Thursday after being caught 10 times over the alcohol limit shortly before take-off from London Heathrow Airport. First officer Katsutoshi Jitsukawa, 42, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in west London. The Japanese co-pilot was arrested at Heathrow on October 28 after failing a breath test 50 minutes before the Japan Airlines flight JL44 to Tokyo was due to take off with him in the cockpit. "You are an experienced pilot but you had clearly been drinking for a long period up to a time shortly before you were due to go into that plane," said judge Philip Matthews. "Most important is the safety of all persons on board that very long-haul flight, potentially 12 hours or more. Their safety was put at risk by your inebriation and drunkenness. "The prospect of you taking over control of that aircraft is too appalling to contemplate. The potential consequences for those on board was catastrophic." The court heard that security noticed .
Wing of Air India aircraft hits wall at Stockholm airport; 2 pilots derostered
The wing of an Air India aircraft carrying 179 passengers hit the wall of a building during taxiing at Stockholm's Arlanda airport, prompting the airline to de-roster two pilots operating the flight and launch a probe, an official said Thursday. None of the people on board was hurt in the incident, an Air India official said. On Wednesday, the Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner) plane had arrived from New Delhi and was taxiing to the gate when the tip of the left wing of the plane struck against the wall, he said. The damage to the aircraft was being assessed, he added. "Air India has derostered the two pilots who were handling the flight -- the commander and the first officer -- pending investigation," said the official. The probe into the incident is still on, the official added. The flight AI 167 had departed at 0239 hours from New Delhi and landed at Stockholm at 0530 hours (local time), according to the live flight tracking portal FlightRadar 24. Last month, the wheels of a Boeing 737 ...
Sitharaman visits 3 cyclone-hit districts in TN, assures
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday visited Cyclone Gaja-hit areas in Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts of Tamil Nadu and assured full support by the Centre to the affected people. She conducted an aerial survey of the badly affected Nagapattinam district and also undertook an on-ground review and walkthrough around Kodiyakkarai, near Vedaranyam, about 300 km from Chennai, interacting with the local people. Sitharaman, the first union cabinet minister to visit the cyclone hit areas, reviewed the relief works undertaken by the local authorities, Navy and the Coast Guard at a meeting where the top district officials briefed her about the situation. "Smt @nsitharaman expresses the deep concern of the central government for all those affected by Cyclone Gaja and assured continuance of full support and relief (by the Centre)," an official tweet said. Addressing reporters and villagers, Sitharaman said permission for construction of houses, under the ...
Nipah alert issued to DMOs in Kerala
The Kerala government has issued an alert to all District Medical Officers (DMO) to follow strict infection control procedures for Nipah, which had claimed 17 lives in the state during its outbreak in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts in May, this year. "We have given an alert to DMOs asking all government hospitals to observe infection control practices strictly," Dr V Meenakshi, Additional Director (Public Health), told PTI. The nipah alert circular, issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rajeev Sadanandan, also wanted all major government hospitals to have "cough corners." "Masks should be provided to those suffering from severe respiratory infection and a person should be appointed to provide information about the masks and the need to wear them," she said. According to the state government figures, the Nipah virus had claimed 17 lives, 14 in Kozhikode and three in neighboring Malappuram since its outbreak in May. The figure includes the death of Mohammed .
Earthquake of magnitude 3.7 hits J&K
An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 on the Richter scale hit Jammu and Kashmir region on Thursday.The earthquake jolted the northern state of India at 3:12 pm.According to Indian Meteorological Department, the epicenter of the quake was located at Latitude of 32.8 degrees North and longitude of 78.5 degrees East and occurred at a depth of 10 km.No casualty or loss of life has been reported so far.This was the second quake of the day, earlier at 2:30 pm an earthquake of magnitude 4.3 on Richter scale had struck Jammu and Kashmir.