Page 352 - Disaster Accident
Peru 'catastrophe' feared after 8,000-barrel Amazon oil spill
A Peruvian oil executive warned Wednesday of "catastrophe" after indigenous residents cut a major pipeline in a region of the Amazon, triggering the spill of 8,000 barrels of oil. "We could face an environmental catastrophe," Beatriz Alva, a manager with state oil firm Petroperu, told channel N television. Alva gave the volume of spilled crude as "more or less 8,000 barrels." Residents in a remote community of Morona district, in the northeastern Loreto region, "cut the pipeline" on Tuesday night and prevented workers from repairing it, Alva said. Residents of the district are overwhelmingly indigenous people. Villagers had threatened last week to cut the pipeline, which moves crude from Amazonian wells to coastal refineries, in a protest against alleged irregularities in local elections held in October. Peru's Amazon region has seen repeated oil spills in recent years, some the results of a lack of maintenance. Others were caused by protest attacks. The country produced 127,000 ...
Doomed Lion Air jet was 'not airworthy' on penultimate flight - investigators
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A Lion Air jet that crashed into the sea off Indonesia last month was not in a safe condition on its second-to-last flight, when pilots experienced similar problems to those on its doomed last journey, Indonesian investigators said on Wednesday.
DGCA proposes to align BMI norms for air hostess with other crew categories
The aviation regulator has proposed to align the BMI (Body Mass Index) requirement for female air crew with that of other crew categories.
Cyclone Gaja: Kerala govt allots Rs 10 crore to TN
The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday sanctioned Rs. 10 crore as financial aid to the Tamil Nadu government for the relief and rehabilitation work in cyclone Gaja-hit areas.The Kerala government will also set aside Rs 3.25 crore from the Chief Minister's relief fund for the fishermen who participated in rescue operations during the ensuing floods. This amount will be used to compensate them for their damaged boats.The move comes a day after actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Hassan wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asking him to provide full support to the citizens of Tamil Nadu who were affected by the cyclone Gaja.Stating that "cyclone Gaja has caused widespread damage and destruction to life and property" in the Cauvery delta and coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, Hassan asked Vijayan to "rise above politics and other affiliations to demonstrate a true spirit of human kindness".Cyclone Gaja left a trail of destruction in Tamil Nadu about two weeks ...
Ker sanctions Rs 10 cr to tn for cyclone relief
: The Kerala government Wednesday sanctioned Rs 10 crore as emergency aid to cyclone Gaja-hit Tamil Nadu. The cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, took the decision in this regard. "Kerala stands With Tamil Nadu. The cabinet sanctioned 10 Crore as emergency aid to Tamil Nadu. Fourteen trucks with essential supplies like food and clothes, were sent earlier. Six medical teams, 72 officials of the State electricity board and volunteers with rescue experience were sent for relief activities, Vijayan said in a Tweet. Cyclone Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on November 16, leaving more than 60 people dead and causing widespread damage. The Tamil Nadu government, in its report to the centre, has estimated the number of people rendered homeless at 3.7 lakh, and houses destroyed at 3.4 lakh. The cabinet meeting also decided to give a compensation of Rs 3.25 crore to the fishermen whose boats were damaged in the rescue
Govt must collect 2% of companies' profits for drought: Munde
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde Wednesday said the state government must collect two per cent of companies' net profits for drought mitigation work. Munde also alleged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had completely failed in dealing with drought situation in the state. During a discussion in the Upper House on the drought, the NCP leader said the government must promulgate an ordinance to recover two per cent of profits as CSR from companies registered and operating from the state. "Apart from waiving the electricity bills of drought-hit farmers, the Centre must give Rs 30,000 crore to the state for giving compensation to the affected farmers," Munde said. He added that the government has not given powers to tehsildars for supply of water tankers to drought-hit areas. Instead of waiving exam fees of students in the drought-hit regions, the government must waive their educational fees for the year, he added. Munde said this year's .
DGCA plans to ease fitness norms for female cabin crew
Aviation regulator DGCA plans to relax the strict fitness norms for female cabin crew as it seeks to ensure uniform regulations for airline crew, according to a senior official. The Body Mass Index (BMI) -- an indicator of obesity -- has to be within a specified range for individuals to serve as cabin crew. The requirement is different for male and female crew. A senior DGCA official Wednesday said the regulator is looking to relax the BMI requirements for female cabin crew as they are currently stricter compared to their male counterparts. Currently, the official said BMI norms are the same for cockpit crew -- both male and female -- and for male cabin crew. Cockpit crew refers to pilots. To ensure "gender parity", changes have been proposed so that existing regulations are the same for all crew members, the official said. The watchdog has sought comments from the stakeholders on the proposed changes to an existing Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) pertaining to medical fitness of ...
3 mowed to death by speeding vehicle in Assam
Three persons died and one seriously injured when a vehicle allegedly mowed them down at Silapathar area in upper Assam's Dhemaji district on Wednesday, police said. The four persons were standing near Silahuti Aithan, a place of worship, on National Highway 15, under Silapathar police station when a speeding vehicle coming from Jonai side hit and dragged them for a distance before colliding with a tractor, police said. All the three who died were women. One of the women, identified as Dhansiri Swargiary (35), died on the spot, while two others - Lalonti Swargiary (36) and Kobita Boro (40) -- succumbed to their injuries in Government Silapathar Model Hospital, they said. The seriously wounded Ramen Goiary, 32, was undergoing treatment in the hospital. The driver of the vehicle involved in the accident has been taken into custody, they said.
IAF plane crashes near Hyderabad, probe ordered
A Court of Inquiry will look into IAF trainer aircraft's crash near Hakimpet Air Force Station outside Hyderabad in Telangana earlier in the day.
NHRC notice to UP government over bridge collapse
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a notice to Uttar Pradesh government after an under-construction bridge, being built by the Public Works Department (PWD), collapsed in Kotwali area here on Tuesday.Issuing notice to Secretary, PWD, and Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, the NHRC has sought a detailed report in the matter. The incident claimed the lives of two labourers while another one was gravely injured.NHRC noted that the police and administrative officers have held the contractor responsible for negligence. However, the NHRC also observed that PWD administration had failed to provide protective gears to the labourers working at the site and also violated the standard operating procedures.The construction of the bridge was assigned to the PWD by the local civic authorities. The construction work had been under construction for the last two months.
'Believe that Centre will disburse cyclone relief as per
: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Wednesday said his government believed that the Centre would disburse assistance to the state for those severely affected by Cyclone Gaja "as per conscience." Speaking to reporters after visiting the affected areas in the district, he said one lakh concrete houses would be built for the cyclone Gaja affected people who lived in thatched dwellings and affirmed government support for high-tech cultivation of plantations, including coconut. Palaniswami, after distributing relief materials to over 400 affected people in the district, said that both the Central and State governments have the responsibility of providing relief to the people. He said the government believed that the Centre would disburse cyclone relief fund to the state "as per conscience and on humanitarian grounds." "We have conveyed the extent of damage to the Centre, indicated the quantum of relief that is needed and what we require as initial release," Palaniswami .
Centre allocates Rs 321 crore for Emergency Response Support System project
The Central government has allocated Rs 321.69 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund for the implementation of the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) project across the country, Ministry of Home Affairs (Women Safety Division) said in a statement on Wednesday.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday launched ERSS for Himachal Pradesh at Mandi, marking the commencement of a single number (112) based emergency services which will connect to police, fire, health and other helplines through an Emergency Response Centre in the state.Speaking on the occasion, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed his gratitude to the Union Home Minister Singh for inaugurating the 112-single emergency number, 112 India mobile app and ERSS website and for providing financial assistance of Rs 4.71 crore for the project.Himachal Pradesh is the first state to launch pan-India single emergency number '112' under ERSS. Under this project, one Emergency Response Centre (ERC) has been ...
25 injured as bus overturns in Himachal Pradesh
As many as 25 people were injured after a Himachal Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus turned turtle near Shongtong Bridge on NH-5 in Kinnaur district on Wednesday.According to Kinnaur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) DS Dutta, there were 37 passengers in the bus including the driver and a conductor.The injured have been rushed to the nearby hospital. No casualties have been reported as yet.
Doomed Lion Air jet was 'not airworthy' on penultimate flight: investigators
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A Lion Air jet that crashed into the sea off Indonesia last month was not in an airworthy condition on its second-to-last flight, when pilots experienced similar problems to those on its doomed last journey, investigators said on Wednesday.
Himachal Pradesh becomes first state to implement ERSS
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to implement the Emergency Response Support System as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched ERSS number 112 for the state Wednesday. Under this system, all emergency numbers like 100 for police, 101 for fire, 102 for ambulance and disaster response have been integrated into one number '112'. Singh said the step will provide a single emergency response number across the country, providing 24 hours and 7 days a week "efficient" and "effective" response system which can receive inputs from various voice and data services like voice call, SMS, e-mail and panic buttons in public transport, to attend to citizens in distress. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was also present on the occasion. The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) can also identify the location of persons in distress, connecting through voice or data, and immediate assistance will be provided to the affected. The home minister also launched the website of the .
Manoj Sinha flags off Varanasi-Buxar MEMU train
Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off Varanasi-Buxar MEMU train service through video conferencing here to provide additional end-to-end connectivity between the two cities.
Himachal Pradesh first state to launch single emergency number '112'
Himachal Pradesh Wednesday became the first state to launch a pan-India single emergency number '112' where all kinds of immediate help can be sought in urgent matters. Under this project, an Emergency Response Centre (ERC) has been established in Shimla along with 12 district command centres (DCCs), covering the entire state, a Home Ministry statement said. The ERC has been integrated with police (100), fire (101), health (108) and women (1090) helpline numbers to provide emergency services through the emergency number '112'. The single number for various emergency services, which is similar to the '911' all-in-one emergency service in the US, will be gradually rolled out across the country, an official said. The service also includes a '112 India' mobile app that is integrated with a panic button for smartphones and state Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) websites for ease of citizen in availing immediate assistance. To increase the effectiveness of emergency response, the ...
CSMT junction to get makeover on lines of New York's Times
The iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) junction in south Mumbai is all set to get a pedestrian-friendly makeover on the lines of Times Square in New York. As part of the move, which is aimed at creating a safe zone for pedestrians and reducing road accidents, walking and resting zones will be developed in the area along with clearly delineated traffic lanes. The project is part of a joint initiative of the National Association of City Transportation Officials- Global Designing Cities Initiatives (NACTO-GDCI), the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai traffic police. The move is a part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety. According to authorities, work on redesigning the CSMT junction and data compilation for the project has already begun. Janette Sadik-Khan, who had served as the commissioner of transportation department of New York city during 2007 to 2013, was in the city on Tuesday to discuss the initiative .
Himachal becomes first state to launch single emergency number
Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday became the first Indian state to launch a single emergency number "112" which will connect to police, fire, health and other helplines through an Emergency Response Centre (ERC) in the state.
25 injured as bus overturns in HP's Kinnaur
Twenty-five people were injured when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus overturned in Himachal Pradesh's tribal Kinnaur district Wednesday, an official said. The accident took place near the Shongtong bridge on National Highway 5, he said, adding that the bus was ferrying around 35 passengers. The bus (bearing registration number HP 25 A 3327) was on its way to Reckong Peo from Delhi, the district official said, adding that the injured were admitted to a nearby hospital.