Page 392 - Disaster Accident
5.9-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan's Hokkaido: USGS
A shallow 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Monday, the US Geological Survey said. The moderate quake hit at a depth of eight kilometres, 107 kilometres northeast of Shibetsu. USGS said there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage. It comes after a powerful 6.6-magnitude quake in September rocked Hokkaido, triggering landslides, collapsing houses and killing more than 40. Japan sits at the junction of four tectonic plates and experiences a number of relatively violent quakes every year. But rigid building codes and strict enforcement mean even strong tremors often do little damage.
Canada: one dead in plane crash near Ottawa
The pilot of a small passenger plane has died after colliding with another aircraft and crashing into a field near the capital Ottawa, officials said. Police said the exact circumstances of the accident in Carp, Ontario, around 30 kilometres west of Ottawa, early Sunday remained unknown. The pilot of the Cessna aircraft, who was flying alone, was pronounced dead at the scene. The second plane, a turboprop Piper PA-42, was rerouted to Ottawa's international airport, where it landed safely, a Transport Canada spokesperson told AFP, adding that the incident was under investigation. CBC reported the Piper pilot told air traffic controllers the Cessna struck from below and damaged his landing gear. Neither that pilot nor his one passenger were injured, emergency services said.
GoAir flight takes off without luggage of passengers
GoAir on Sunday issued a statement saying that the luggage of passengers in its flight G8 213 from Srinagar to Jammu was not loaded due to flight load restrictions.The GoAir spokesperson in a statement said that half of the luggage has been delivered to Jammu via another airline, while the other half will be delivered to passengers in their respective locations."Baggage of some passengers was not loaded on flight G8 213 due to flight load restrictions. Due to bad weather yesterday at Srinagar, the airline tried to accommodate a lot of stranded passengers who had further connections. Half the luggage has been delivered to Jammu through another airline and the rest will be delivered to the respective locations of the passengers. GoAir sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to its passengers," the statement read.Several passengers complained at the Jammu airport that they did not receive their luggage on arrival.
5 killed in accidents on Yamuna Expressway
A police constable and four others were killed in two separate accidents on the Yamuna Expressway Sunday. Two persons were injured in the incidents, police said. "Four persons were killed after two cars collided with each other. In another incident, a constable died as his canter rammed a truck," they said. The deceased policeman has been identified as Gopi Chand. He was accompanying two employees of Gaziabad treasury, police said. The two injured are being treated in Agra, they added.
Plane crashes after mid-air collision in Canada
Two aircrafts collided mid-air over Ottawa's west end on Sunday, which led to one of them crashing in a nearby field, the police said.
Railway safety chief commissioner begins probe into Amritsar train tragedy
Railway Safety Chief Commissioner S K Pathak Sunday began his probe into the train tragedy here on Dusshera in which about 60 people were killed and several others injured. Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla met Pathak and said the statements of eyewitnesses were not being recorded presently. The Congress MP said Pathak told him that the statements of railway officials were being recorded currently and he would meet general public later. Amritsar MP Aujla said he requested the official to stage a mock accident under the supervision of experienced engineers and experts to ascertain how the accident took place. The MP said since there has been a "delay" in ordering this inquiry, the probe team must ensure that all material of evidential value are forensically checked against possible tempering. The speedometer of the train involved in the accident must be checked for errors and tempering, he demanded. The gatemen are supposed to transmit information to the higher authorities and ..
Four bogies of Jan Sadharan Express derail near Patna
At least four bogies of the Jan Sadharan Express were derailed near the Danapur Railway Station in Patna on Sunday.No casualties have been reported so far. Further details into the incident are awaited.Earlier on October 18, two coaches of the Delhi-bound Thiruvananthapuram Hazrat-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express derailed after it collided with a truck at a level crossing between Gujarat's Godhra and Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam division.In another incident that occurred last month, seven people lost their lives while at least 21 were injured, after nine coaches of the New Farakka Express derailed in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli.
J-K: Over 700 people evacuated from snow-hit Jawahar Tunnel
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has evacuated as many as 700 civilians from Jawahar Tunnel and Sonmarg who were stranded due to inclement weather and snowfall, in the last 24 hours.Meanwhile, over 1000 people were provided with food and shelter in Banihal by the police and civil administration. In the aftermath of the snowfall, the police have deployed rescue teams across all affected areas of the state.Out of the 700 rescued people, 300 were taken to Qazigund in Anantnag district, 300 to Banihal and 100 to Central Reserve Police Force establishments.Moreover, 600 people were rescued from Banihal area and were accommodated at Nowgam and Gund area of Banihal. They were provided with food, shelter, and accommodation for the night with the support of the civil administration.At Ganderbal, 26 people were rescued and shifted to safer places, after the tempo they were travelling in got stuck. The police are currently conducting a rescue operation for two truck drivers identified as, Shamsher ..
Jammu-Srinagar highway opens for one-way traffic; over 700 rescued from Jawahar tunnel area
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was opened for one-way traffic Sunday, a day after being closed due to heavy snowfall and landslides, and over 700 stranded commuters were rescued overnight from the Jawahar tunnel area, officials said. The only all-weather road linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was opened for traffic coming from Srinagar to Jammu after nine hours of clearance operations, they said. The operation along the Jawahar tunnel, and Qazigund and Banihal-Ramban stretches was launched around 5 am on Sunday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Anita Sharma, told PTI. It took almost nine hours for workers to clear the road for one-way traffic, she said. In a major overnight rescue operation, over 700 stranded passengers were evacuated from both sides of the Jawahar tunnel, a police spokesman said. The SSP said they were Jammu-bound commuters and were rescued from the Kashmir-side of the tunnel and the Verinag Zing area, where more than ...
Electricity back in Kashmir after heavy snowfall
Power supply was restored on Sunday to 90 per cent of Srinagar city and most rural areas of the Kashmir Valley after overnight heavy snowfall damaged transmission towers and snapped surface and air links with the rest of India.
12 killed as truck rams car and jeep in Sonipat
At least 12 people were killed Sunday after a a truck rammed a car and a jeep near Mudlana village in Haryana's Sonipat district, officials said. "There are 12 casualty as of now. Seven persons have been injured in the accident," Sonipat SP Pratiksha Godara told PTI over phone. The accident took place at around 6 pm on Gohana-Panipat Highway when a truck hit a car and a jeep, police said. The truck driver left his vehicle and fled the spot immediately after the mishap, police said, adding that the truck has been impounded. The injured were taken to PGI in Khanpur, police said.
Go Air flight reaches Jammu from Srinagar without passengers' baggage
Several GoAir passengers from Srinagar to Jammu were left fuming Sunday as their flight reached its destination without their baggage. "We reached Jammu from Srinagar by Go Air flight G8-213 but the airline staff had not loaded our luggage," Abdul Hamid, one of the passengers, told PTI over phone from Jammu. He said initially several dozen passengers were asked to wait for their luggage. A GoAir staffer told passengers that their luggage would be brought to Jammu by another flight of some other airlines, scheduled to arrive later during the day from Srinagar, he added. "After waiting for more than an hour, we have just been told to come and collect our luggage tomorrow," he added. Attempts to seek a comment from Go Air over phone and e-mail failed. An e-mail to the address listed on the official website of Go Air for media queries bounced back while an executive at the customer care call centre said he was not authorised to comment on the issue.
Storms, floods in Sicily kill at least 12 people; 2 missing
Storms lashing Sicily have killed at least 12 people with torrential floods, Italian authorities said as the country's leader headed Sunday to the stricken Mediterranean island. Divers pulled out nine of those victims from a home flooded by a rapidly swelling river in the countryside near Palermo. State TV broadcaster RaiNews24 said the sole survivor of the flood that ravaged the home with water and mud was the owner, who had just stepped outside to walk the family dogs Saturday when the torrent hit. News reports said the man at first clung to a tree, then ended up on the roof of a nearby house. He used his cellphone to call for help but it was too late for the others, who included a one-year-old baby, a three-year-old child and a teenager. The victims were from two families who had gathered in the country villa for the weekend. A man's body was also found on a guardrail along a Palermo-area road after floodwaters swept away his car, Italian news reports said. Across the island, in ...
Students who missed exams due to snowfall can re-appear: J-K Board
The Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (J-K BOSE) will provide a chance for all students who missed their examinations due to heavy snowfall to reappear, an official confirmed.Taking to his official Twitter handle, Deputy Commissioner of Bandipore district, Shahid Choudhary, said, "All students who missed exams due to heavy snowfall will get another opportunity once the weather improves. BOSE has agreed to our request. Same will apply to any further such incidents."The extreme weather conditions prevailing over the state has led to the cancellation of a number of flights in the Srinagar Airport, while also causing severe traffic jams, water-logging and power cuts in most parts of the capital city.Yesterday, Himachal Pradesh also received fresh snowfall in several districts including Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Kinnaur and others, with the severe weather damaging apple orchids in several parts of Kinnaur district.Meanwhile, around 70 people were rescued after they were stranded
Jammu-Srinagar NH opens for one-way traffic
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was opened for one-way traffic Sunday, a day after it was closed due to heavy snowfall and landslides, officials said. The only all-weather road linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was opened for traffic coming from Srinagar to Jammu after nine hours of clearance operations, they said. The operation along the Jawahar tunnel, and Qazigund and Banihal-Ramban stretches was launched around 5 am on Sunday, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Anita Sharma, told PTI. It took almost nine hours for workers to clear the road for one-way traffic, she said. The SSP said the over 300 stranded passengers, including tourists, who were evacuated from the Jawahar tunnel area and brought to Banihal late Saturday night, were allowed to move towards Jammu on Sunday. They were Jammu-bound passengers and were rescued from the Kashmir-side of the tunnel and the Verinag Zing area, where more than one-feet of snow had accumulated, she ...
JK Guv orders restoration of essential services in areas affected by snowfall
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Sunday took stock of the situation arising due to heavy snowfall and ordered immediate restoration of essential services in the affected areas. Normal life was disrupted the Kashmir valley and parts of Jammu region experienced moderate to heavy snowfall Saturday. The governor is personally monitoring the situation and has issued instructions to the power development and public works departments for immediate restoration of electricity supply and road connectivity in the affected areas, an official spokesman said. Malik directed the administration to expedite efforts to mitigate difficulties of people and meet their requirements in view of the inclement weather conditions, he said. The spokesman said the advisers and the chief secretary have been asked to get regular updates on restoration of essential services from the concerned so that people do not face any inconvenience. On restoration of electricity supply, the governor was informed that .
42 pilgrims from Odisha stranded without food near Badrinath
As many as 42 pilgrims from Odisha's Ganjam district have been stranded without food near Badrinath Temple owing to heavy snowfall, officials said Sunday. Joint Commissioner, Relief, P R Mohapatra said the pilgrims from Bhanjanagar area of the district have been stranded at a pilgrim's shelter while they were returning from Badrinath shrine due to heavy snowfall. Mohapatra said the Uttarakhand government has been informed about the plight of the pilgrims and requested to provide necessary support. "As ascertained over telephone from one of the pilgrims, they are without food since Saturday night and facing problems due to power cut," Mohapatra said. "It is, therefore, requested to kindly provide necessary support to them and arrange their safe journey home," the Joint Commissioner said in a letter to the district Collector of Chamoli, Uttarakhand. Stating that the pilgrims would return as soon as the road is cleared, he said steps would be taken to rescue them from the .
2 tremors hit near Greek island within 7 minutes
Greek geological experts say two new aftershocks have hit the western Greek island of Zakynthos, but no damage has been reported. The Athens Institute of Geodynamics reports that the tremors occurred within seven minutes of each other. It says the first, a 4.4 magnitude quake, struck at 5:11 a.m. (0311 GMT). The epicenter was 78 kilometers south of Zakynthos and the depth was 10 kilometers. Seven minutes later, a 5.0 magnitude tremor hit 59 kilometers southwest of the island at a depth of 7 kilometers. Zakynthos was hit by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Oct. 26. Since then, there have been 21 aftershocks of at least 4.0 magnitude, with the strongest being magnitude 5.5.
Jammu-Srinagar National Highway reopens for one-way traffic after heavy snowfall
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all weather road linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was reopened for one-way traffic Sunday afternoon, officials said. The highway was closed on Saturday due to heavy snowfall and landslides. A snow clearance operation along the Jawahar tunnel and Qazigund and Banihal-Ramban stretches was launched at around 5 am on Sunday morning and it took almost nine hours for workers to clear the road for one-way traffic, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ramban, Anita Sharma told PTI. She said over 300 stranded passengers, including tourists, who were evacuated during a late night rescue operation across the Jawahar tunnel and brought to Banihal, were allowed to move towards Jammu. The preference is being given to the stranded vehicles and once these are cleared, the traffic would be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu, Sharma said, adding that the snow clearance operation was still continuing at the affected areas. The traffic on the
Surface links between Kashmir and rest of the country remains cut off due to snowfall
Surface links between Kashmir and the rest of the country remained cut off for the second day Sunday due to heavy snowfall in the Valley which has caused massive power outage, officials said. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway is closed for vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall Saturday which has rendered the road unsafe, an official of the Traffic Control department told PTI. A police spokesperson said more than 300 passengers, including tourists, who were stranded on the 294-km road due to snowfall, were evacuated to safety in a night-long operation. The heavy snowfall has caused massive damage to the power supply infrastructure in the alley, leading to power outage since Saturday. "We are facing near full power outage but efforts are on to restore the electricity supply at the earliest. Against a normal transmission of nearly 1,200 MW, the system is able to transmit only 80 MW due to the damage to transmission lines caused by the snowfall," an official of the divisional ...