Page 374 - Disaster Accident
UN to convene Yemen talks in Sweden soon
The UN envoy for Yemen said Friday he intends to convene peace talks "shortly" in Sweden in a bid to end a war that has driven millions to the brink of famine. The Saudi-backed government and the Huthi rebels have shown a "renewed commitment" to work on a political solution and have given "firm assurances" that they will attend the talks, Martin Griffiths told the Security Council. "With this in mind, I intend to reconvene the parties shortly and to do so in Sweden," he said. "I believe we are close to resolving issues to make this happen." The Saudi-led coalition has agreed to "logistical arrangements" to pave the way for talks including medical evacuations out of rebel-held Sanaa, he added. Griffiths announced he was close to reaching a deal on an exchange of prisoners and detainees, in a further sign that confidence-building measures were being taken ahead of planned talks. "This is a crucial moment for Yemen," he said, warning that a flareup of fighting on the ground could derail .
Russia stages first Soyuz launch since accident
A Russian Soyuz rocket with a cargo vessel blasted off Friday in the first launch to the International Space Station (ISS) since a manned accident last month. The Soyuz-FG rocket took off at the scheduled time of 1814 GMT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, images from Russian space agency Roskosmos showed. The launch is seen as a rehearsal for the next manned voyage, planned for December 3. That flight will carry Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, and NASA's Anne McClain to the ISS. Russia, the only country able to ferry astronauts to the space station, suspended all launches after a Soyuz rocket failed on October 11 just minutes after blast-off. During the aborted launch, Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague made an emergency landing and escaped unharmed. It was the first such incident in the history of post-Soviet space travel. The Progress MS-10 will take around 48 hours to reach the ISS, bringing with it ...
San Francisco chokes on toxic air as wildfires rage
Schools and tourist attractions across the San Francisco Bay Area were closed Friday as smoke from California's deadliest ever fires more than 150 miles (240 kilometers) away produced air quality levels worse than polluted cities in South Asia and China. All public schools were ordered shut, according to an official notice, while the picturesque coastal city's iconic cable cars were sent back to their stations as the Air Quality Index soared to 213, comparable to Dhaka, Bangladesh and worse than Kolkata. "San Francisco's air quality has moved from red or 'unhealthy' to purple or 'very unhealthy' due to local wildfires and weather patterns," the SFMTA transport authority said on its website. "The Department of Public Health highly recommends that everyone stay indoors and avoid exposure to the outside air." Mayor London Breed announced that all Muni buses would be free for the day in order to ensure people have access to enclosed transportation. Photos posted on social media showed the
Cyclone Gaja: Modi assures all possible help to TN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and assured all possible help from the Central government to the state that has been battered by Cyclone Gaja.
Centre ready to extend all assistance to cyclone-hit TN:PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said all assistance would be provided to the people of Tamil Nadu affected by cyclone Gaja. Modi spoke to Chief Minister K Palaniswami and learnt about various matters relating to the cyclone, including the damage caused by it and the post cyclone measures that are to be taken, an official release said. The prime minister also "assured (Palaniswami) that the Central government is ready to extend all assistance to people affected by the cyclone," it said. The severe cyclonic storm crossed the Tamil Nadu coast early Friday between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam, leaving behind a trail of destruction besides claiming 13 lives. Other districts like Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Cuddalore also bore the brunt of the cyclone.
Officials working to extend relief to Cyclone Gaja victims in TN: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday officials are working to provide all possible assistance to the people of Tamil Nadu in the wake of Cyclone Gaja. "My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives due to cyclonic conditions in parts of Tamil Nadu. I pray for the quick recovery of those injured," he tweeted. The prime minister also said officials are working to provide relief to the people in the aftermath of the devastation. Cyclone Gaja ripped through Nagapattinam early Friday uprooting trees and snapping power lines leaving a trail of destruction in coastal districts besides claiming 13 lives and flooding standing crops. The cyclonic storm crossed Tamil Nadu's coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam early hours Friday, bringing in heavy rains in the coastal regions, according to a weather bulletin. Winds gusting up to 120 kmph uprooted trees, snapped electric cables and blew off roofing-sheets. According to officials, 10 men and three women died.
Cyclone Gaja: Trees uprooted trees, roofs damaged in Thiruvarur's Kokaladi
Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds caused due to Cyclone Gaja, which made a landfall in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Friday uprooted trees and damaged houses in Thiruvarur's Kokaladi village.Sand was seen deposited inside the houses in the affected areas and even the electric poles were damaged due to the strong wind.The Indian Metrological Department (IMD) today informed, " The Cyclonic Storm 'GAJA' over interior Tamilnadu moved nearly westwards, weakened into a Deep Depression and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of today, the 16th November, 2018 over interior Tamilnadu near latitude 10.5°N and longitude 77.6°E, about 80 km northwest of Madurai."Earlier on November 16, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami confirmed that 11 people have lost their lives due to cyclone Gaja.He also announced that the government will give Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to those injured severely and Rs 25,000 to people who have suffered minor ...
More than 43,000 people died in road accidents in Odisha in
More than 43,000 people have died in road accidents in Odisha from 2008 till September this year, the Odisha Assembly was informed Friday. This was disclosed by Commerce and Transport Minister N C Sahoo in the Assembly while replying a question of BJP MLA Dilip Kumar Ray. Sahoo said at least 43,312 people have died from 2008 till September 2018. The minister said there has been steady rise in the number of deaths since 2014. While 3931 people died in 2008, it increased to 4303 in 2015, 4463 in 2016, 4790 in 2017 and 3817 till September of 2018, he said. Sahu said the personnel of Transport department's flying squad have collected Rs 486 crore as penalty on violation of provisions under motor vehicle act. They have also cancelled driving license of about 82,000 people on charge of faulty driving, the minister said.
Five cops injured in road accident in J&K
Five policemen, who were on panchayat poll duty, have been injured in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said Friday. A deputy superintendent of police (DySP) is among the injured. "Five policemen were injured in a road accident last night when the vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road in Keran area of Kupwara in north Kashmir. The officers were on panchayat election duties," a police spokesperson said. The injured include DySP of the Indian Reserve Police's 4th Battalion, Bodh Raj and constables Rattan Lal, Jahangir Ahmad, Rakesh Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar, he said. They were rushed to the nearest Army hospital, from where three of them were airlifted to 92 Base Hospital here, he added. Raj was airlifted to AIIMS hospital in Delhi on Friday afternoon after being stabilised at the Army's 92 Base Hospital, the spokesperson said. Special instructions have been given by the director general of police to Jammu and Kashmir Police officers in New ...
Cyclone Gaja: Dredger runs aground off Karaikal coast
As cyclone Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast early Friday, a dredger that was anchored in Karaikal port ran aground due to the strong winds. However, there were no casualties, official sources said. The dredger 'Veera Prem' belongs to Mumbai-based Mercator Ltd and was anchored in Karaikal Port premises since January, the sources told PTI. It was dragged for about 60 km from the port before it ran aground, they said. "It was involved in dredging activities in Karaikal port. Recently, the workers were involved in repairing it as one of the engines malfunctioned," they said. The dredger ran aground near T R Pattinam (Thirumalairayanpattinam) taluk early morning. "It had about 28 crew. Only three of them are in the dredger right now while the rest are in port. Once the weather condition improves, it will be pulled back into the sea using tug boats," they said. It cannot be done now due to the inclement weather and rough sea conditions. "Once the weather clears, it will be ...
13 dead, 81,000 hit in TN, Puducherry due to cyclonic storm 'Gaja'
At least 13 people have lost their lives and over 81,000 others were affected after Cyclone 'Gaja' hit the Tamil Nadu coast early Friday, the National Emergency Response Centre (NERC) said. Six districts of Tamil Nadu and two in Puducherry were hit by the cyclonic storm which also brought heavy rains in the southern state and the union territory. Altogether 81,948 people were affected by the cyclone in which so far 13 people have lost their lives, the NERC said in a statement. Soon after Gaja's landfall, Home Minister Rajnath Singh called up Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and assured him of all assistance to deal with the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm. The home minister also directed Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to monitor the situation in Tamil Nadu and provide all help to the state administration. "Spoke to CM Shri K Palaniswami regarding the situation in the cyclone affected areas of Tamil Nadu. Assured all possible assistance from the Centre in mitigating the .
Cyclone Gaja kills 13, leaves trail of destruction in TN (Roundup)
A severe cyclonic storm Gaja battered the Tamil Nadu coast on Friday, leaving at least 13 people and several livestock dead and a trail of destruction in several districts.
Startups showcase tech for social needs at convention
Keeping in mind that no technology is complete until it is of use to the common man, Maker Village, the country's largest hardware incubator, has come up with an array of startups that employs state-of-the-art technology to tackle social needs. As many as 14 startups have lined up at a technology expo at the ongoing TiEcon Kerala 2018 which is the state's largest entrepreneurs' convention, a release said here Friday. The startups at the two-day event concluding on Saturday display a wide range of technologies that could deal with rural, environmental, healthcare, disaster management and other requirements of society. For instance, Ascent Technologies, a startup incubated at Maker Village, has come up with a mapping system that can identify the right hospital and doctor as well as the availability of ambulance during an emergency, says Prasad Balakrishnan Nair, CEO, Maker Village. Yet another startup has developed a portable ECG monitoring system at an affordable ...
Lion Air crash victim's father files U.S. lawsuit against Boeing
CHICAGO (Reuters) - An Indonesia man, whose son was killed when a Lion Air flight crashed last month, has sued Boeing Co alleging that a defect in the design of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft caused it to crash.
Gaja cyclone: Rajnath promises all help to Tamil Nadu
Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh on Friday took stock of the situation in Tamil Nadu where severe cyclonic storm Gaja has battered coastal areas leaving 11 dead so far, and assured Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami of all possible Central assistance.
Cyclone Gaja claims 11 lives, Tamil Nadu CM announces compensation
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday confirmed that 11 people have lost their lives due to cyclone Gaja.He also announced that the government will give Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to those injured severely and Rs 25,000 to people who have suffered minor injuries.The Chief Minister further said that the amount of damage that has been caused due to the cyclone has not been ascertained as yet. "The most affected districts of Tamil Nadu are Thiruvaarur, Nagapattinam, Thanjore, Cudallore, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram," Palaniswami said while addressing a press conference.Elaborating upon the measures that the state government is taking in the cyclonic storm, he said: "The state government is working on war footing to ensure that everything is fine at the earliest. We have also taken precautionary steps to avoid any more damages or calamities. Around 82,000 people are staying in 421 relief camps. Indian Administrative Services officials are on the .
65 killed in California wildfires, 631 missing
The death toll from the destructive wildfires in California has increased to 65 while 631 people were reported missing, authorities said.
DMK lauds TN govt for work to tackle cyclone
DMK President M K Stalin on Friday lauded the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority for its efforts to tackle the severe cyclonic storm 'Gaja,' that has crossed the state's coast. The main opposition DMK appreciating a government body especially for its work during a natural disaster is rare. Stalin, who is the leader of the opposition said in a tweet, Tamil Nadu has been affected by a cyclone again and this time 'Gaja.' "The way the @tnsdma (Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority) took preparatory efforts (to tackle the cyclone) is praiseworthy," he said. Stalin said the "rulers," an apparent reference to the ruling AIADMK should extend "cooperation," to the State agency for its work in the wake of the cyclone making a landfall. He, however, said it is "necessary for the government machinery to act with the speed of a storm in taking up relief work." The Dravidian major relentlessly targeted the ruling AIADMK over the 2015 Chennai floods and for not taking ...
Zimbabwe bus fire kills 42: Police
At least 42 passengers have been confirmed dead, Zimbabwe police said Friday, after a suspected gas tank exploded on a bus, with pictures showing the burnt-out wreckage of the vehicle. "At the moment we know that more than 42 people died," police spokeswoman Charity Charamba told AFP after the accident late on Thursday, with state media reporting a gas tank belonging to a passenger was believed to have exploded. "Our police officers are at the scene," Charamba added. The state-owned Herald newspaper said on its Twitter feed that "it is suspected a gas tank belonging to one of the passengers caused the inferno in the bus. "Dozens have been confirmed dead and several others injured through burns." The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation published photographs showing the destroyed vehicle on a highway from the South African border crossing to the second city Bulawayo. Last week, 47 people were killed when two buses collided on a road between the capital Harare and the eastern town of ...
Rajnath assures TN govt of central help to deal with cyclone 'Gaja'
The Centre Friday assured the Tamil Nadu government of all assistance to deal with the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm 'Gaja', which has so far claimed 11 lives. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also directed Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to monitor the situation in Tamil Nadu and provide all help to the state administration. "Spoke to CM Shri K Palaniswami regarding the situation in the cyclone affected areas of Tamil Nadu. Assured all possible assistance from the Centre in mitigating the situation arising due to cyclone. Asked the HS to monitor the situation & provide all help to the state admin (sic)," Singh tweeted. An official release in Chennai said a "detailed report" will be sent to the Centre on the damage caused by the severe cyclonic storm. "Chief Minister Palaniswami explained in detail the measures taken by the state government, the damage caused by 'Gaja', and the relief measures being taken up on a war-footing," it said. Over 80,000 people were evacuated from ...