Page 381 - Disaster Accident
TN, Puducherry brace for cyclone Gaja, rescue personnel on
Cyclonic storm Gaja will cross Tamil Nadu coast between Cuddalore and Pamban on Nov 15, bringing heavy rainfall coupled with gale wind, the Met office said Monday as the state government put its machinery on alert and kept on standby 30,500 rescue personnel. Neighbouring union territory of Puducherry, which is also covered by the cyclone alert, said it is on high alert as well and precautionary steps are being taken to meet the situation. The cyclone lay about 720 km east northeast of Chennai over the Bay on Monday and it is very likely to move west southwestwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday, the IMD said in its latest bulletin. Tamil Nadu Chief Minsiter K Palaniswami chaired a high- level meeting at the Secretariat of Ministers and top officials to review the preparedness in the wake of the storm and forcast of heavy rainfall. Revenue Minsiter R B Udaya Kumar said 30,500 rescue personnel were on standby while arrangemets had been made ..
Three injured in fire caused by gas cylinder leak
Three people sustained burn injuries in a fire caused by a cooking gas cylinder leak here Monday afternoon, a civic official said. One of them is said to be in a critical condition. The mishap took place in suburban Kannamwar Nagar, said the official from the Disaster Management Cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The incident was reported at 3.25 pm to the disaster control room, he said. "Though the flames did not spread around, three people standing near the gas cylinder, which caught fire following a leak, suffered burns," the official said. "All were admitted to nearby Rajawadi Hospital in Vidyavihar," he said. One of the victims, Shankar Thakur (44), is critical as he suffered 80 per cent burns, while the others, Surendra Patil (35) and Paresh Rathod (28), received 35 per cent burn injuries, said the official.
Neil Young, Gerard Butler, Miley Cyrus, among those to lose homes in California wildfires
Neil Young, Gerard Butler and Miley Cyrus are among the celebrities whose homes have been destroyed by the deadly wildfires in California that has claimed the lives of at least 31 people and forced hundreds of thousands of residents to flee, US media reports said Monday. The Woolsey fire is one of three major blazes burning across California. As of Sunday night, the fire had spread to 85,500 acres. Together with the smaller Hill fire, which spans 4,531 acres, the Woolsey fire has so far destroyed 179 structures, but fire officials say another 57,000 are threatened. The third fire, Northern California's Camp fire, is the most destructive in state history and one of the deadliest. That blaze virtually burned the town of Paradise to the ground, destroying thousands of homes and structures. Some 228 people are unaccounted for, CNN reported. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea on Sunday said the bodies of five people had been found in their burned-out homes and a sixth was found inside a ...
Indian Navy ship seizes arms and ammunition off Somali coast
An Indian Navy ship has seized arms and ammunition off the Somali coast, in a swift anti-piracy operation, officials said Monday. The ship, Sunayna, carried out the operation on Friday in which two high-calibre AK 47 and AKM rifles as well as some ammunitions were seized from a number of boats, approximately 400 nautical miles northeast of Mogadishu off the Somali coast, the Navy officials said. The ship was deployed for anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden since October 6. On November 9, the ship detected a few suspicious boats and later seized the arms and ammunitions from them. The boats and crew were released post interrogation, the officials said.
NDMA begins CBRN training programme at Bengaluru airport
The NDMA on Monday started a six-day basic training programme at the Kempegowda International airport in Bengaluru to enhance the preparedness of Airport Emergency Handlers (AEHs) during threats emanating from CBRN materials, an official said.
TNAU, RIMES ink pact to use climate info for risk management
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Monday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES)to collaborate on climate information service for agricultural risk management. Under the MoU, the two institutions would develop research-based pilot projects to demonstrate use of weather and climate information for better decision-making by the farmers to manage climate as a resource to maximise benefits and reduce loss in the farm sector, a press release from the TNAU said here. RIMES is an international, inter-governmental, non-profit organisation established in April 2009 to provide need and demand-based early-warning services to its member- States for enhancing preparedness, response to and mitigation to tsunami and hydro-meteorological hazards, the release said. The organisation has been working closely with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the government of Tamil Nadu ...
UP: Cousins mowed down by truck
A 20-year-old youth and his sister died after a truck hit their motorcycle here Monday, police said. Phoolchandra and his cousin sister, Bitan (17), died on the spot in the accident near Ratipur village, a police officer said. An eight-year-old passerby, Aditya, was also injured and his condition is critical, he said. A search is on for the driver who fled from the spot, he added.
175 dead, over 10,000 affected by Nigeria cholera outbreak
Suspected cholera cases have jumped in northeast Nigeria where Boko Haram violence has forced tens of thousands of people to seek refuge in crowded camps, the Norwegian Refugee Council said Monday. The humanitarian group said 10,000 people have been affected by the fast-spreading cholera outbreak and 175 people have died in the northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as of early November 2018. "One of the major causes of the outbreak is the congestion in the camps that makes it difficult to provide adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services," said Janet Cherono, the NRC's programme manager in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state. "The rainy season has also worsened the conditions. If more land is not urgently provided for camp decongestion and construction of health and sanitation facilities, Nigeria is steering towards yet another cholera outbreak in 2019." Nigeria has seen regular cholera outbreaks since Boko Haram took up arms against the government in 2009. More than 1.8 ...
Kochi-Hyderabad IndiGo flight reuturns after snag
: A Hyderabad-bound IndiGo airlines plane with 179 passengers returned to the airport here Monday soon after take-off following a technical snag, a spokesman of the Cochin International Airport Limited said. The flight took off at 1.15 pm and returned soon as the pilot detected the problem in the hydraulic system, he said. An Indigo statement said the flight operating on Kochi-Hyderabad route returned to Kochi as part of a precautionary measure. "After take-off, the pilot observed a hydraulic warning which warranted the return of the aircraft. To avoid inconvenience to passengers, we will operate an alternative flight to Hyderabad," it said.
PM inaugurates Ring Road, Babatpur Airport road in Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated two important roads, having a total length of 34 kilometres and built at a cost of Rs 1,571.95 crore, in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Nitin Gadkari. The 16.55-km-long Varanasi Ring Road Phase-I has been built at a cost of Rs 759.36 crore, while the work of four-laning and construction of 17.25 km Babatput-Varanasi road on NH-56 cost Rs 812.59 crore, an official release said. The Babatpur Airport highway will connect the city with the airport and go on to link Jaunpur, Sultanpur and Lucknow. With a flyover at Harhua and a rail overbridge at Tarna, it will reduce the travel time from Varanasi to the airport, providing a big relief to the people of the holy city and tourists. The Ring Road, with two rail overbridges and a ...
How the lights came back in Kerala's ravaged homes
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 12 (IndiaSpend/IANS) The devastating flood in Kerala left 2.56 million homes without electricity. How the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) restored power in under a fortnight by mobilising every human resource at hand -- including retired staff and volunteers -- and doing away with red tape and questions of hierarchy, could be a model for every disaster-stricken state.
People's Choice Awards: Kardashians dedicate accolade to California firefighters
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West and her family recently received an award for their reality show at the 108 People's Choice Awards and dedicated the gong to firefighters and first responders who are battling to douse the forest fires in California.The family, including Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner, accepted the award on Sunday night (local time) for 'Keeping up with the Kardashians', where they thanked fans and humbly paid respects at the beginning of their speech to victims of some of the tragic events that have transpired as of late."It's been a really rough week in our home in Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and [for] our neighbors in Thousand Oaks and Malibu," said Kardashian West who, along with Kourtney and Khloe, evacuated their homes after finding out that their neighborhoods were under threat from a wildfire.A lot of Hollywood stars including Alyssa Milano, Lady Gaga, Caitlyn Jenner and more were among the thousands of people who were ..
Mylie Cyrus, Gerard Butler lose house in California wildfire
Hollywood celebrities Miley Cyrus and Gerard Butler have completely lost their homes in the raging California wildfire, which has left filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's home partially damaged.
California fire: 29 dead, 228 still missing
As many as 29 people have died in the fast-moving wildfire which began here on November 8.The numbers are expected to rise.Authorities confirmed that as many as 228 people are unaccounted for in Northern California, reported The Hill."[There are] 228 individuals who have been determined to be unaccounted for. As of this briefing, my office has located 107 people after receiving [around] 550 calls from people looking for loved ones," said Butte County Sheriff Cory Honea at a press conference.He further assured that the officials are in the "process of investigating those calls to determine if those individuals are in fact unaccounted for or perhaps haven't yet checked in with a family member."The fire which is now dubbed as "Camp Fire" destroyed Northern and Southern California and displaced as many as 300,000 people.According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 109,000 acres of land has burned down, since the fire first began.The White House, late on Friday, .
Six killed in factory explosion in China
A powerful blast ripped through a factory warehouse in China's east Shandong province, killing six persons and injuring five others, authorities said Monday. The explosion took place at about 10 AM (local time) at Huifeng Carbon Plant in Kongcun township of Pingyin county, they said. An investigation into the cause of the accident was underway, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Fire breaks out at Royal Plaza hotel on Ashoka Road in Delhi
A fire broke out on the first floor of Royal Plaza hotel at Ashoka Road on Monday, a senior Delhi Fire Service official said. A call about the fire was received as 11.40 am and five fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The situation was brought under control by 1.30 pm, the official said. No casualties or injuries were reported, he said, adding the cause of fire was yet to be ascertained.
US fighter jet crashes into sea in Japan
An American fighter jet deployed in Japan crashed on Monday into the sea off Okinawa, according to the US Pacific Fleet.
Devastation as deadly California blaze tallies grim stats
As wildfires continued to rage on both ends of California, officials released another grim statistic: six more dead in a swath of Northern California wiped out by fire, raising the death toll there to 29. It matched California's record for deaths in a single fire. Another 228 remain unaccounted for as crews stepped up the search for bodies and missing people. Two people were killed in a wildfire in Southern California. Ten search teams were working in Paradise a town of 27,000 that was largely incinerated last week and in surrounding communities in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Authorities called in a DNA lab and teams of anthropologists to help identify victims. Statewide, 150,000 remained displaced as more than 8,000 fire crews battled wildfires that have scorched 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometers), with out-of-state crews continuing to arrive. Whipping winds and tinder-dry conditions threaten more areas through the rest of the week, fire officials warned. "This is truly a .
US fighter jet crashes off Japan's Okinawa, crew rescued
A US navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Japan's southern island of Okinawa on Monday and its two crew members were rescued alive, Japan's defence ministry said. The fighter jet crashed some 250 kilometres (156 miles) east-southeast of Okinawa's capital city Naha at around 11:45 am (0245 GMT), said Osamu Kosakai, spokesman for the ministry's Okinawa defence bureau. Its two crew members ejected and were rescued by a US military helicopter, he told AFP, adding the accident was "not life-threatening". The fighter jet crashed "due to engine trouble," he said. Japan's coastguard "dispatched an aircraft to the waters to see if there is any debris or floating oil", a coastguard spokesman told AFP. Okinawa accounts for less than one percent of Japan's total land area, but hosts more than half of the approximately 47,000 American military personnel stationed in Japan. For decades, Okinawa residents have asked for some of the bases to be moved, with resentment growing after a string of ...
Southern California wildfire slows; 177 homes destroyed
Relief and heartache await those starting to return home to a Southern California wildfire zone. Eager to know the status of his house, 69-year-old Roger Kelly defied evacuation orders Sunday and hiked back into Seminole Springs, his lakeside mobile home community in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu. His got the thrill of finding his house intact. But some a half-block away were laid to waste, as were dozens more, and virtually everything on the landscape around the community had been turned to ash. "I just started weeping," Kelly said. "I just broke down. Your first view of it, man it just gets you." The community where Kelly and his wife have lived for 28 years and raised two children was among the hardest hit by the so-called Woolsey fire that broke out Thursday, destroying at least 177 homes and leaving two people dead. Despite strong Santa Ana winds that returned Sunday, no additional structures were believed to have been lost, meaning many would return in the coming ...