Page 398 - Disaster Accident
US woman found alive 6 days after car lands on tree
An American woman has been found alive six days after her car flew off a highway and landed on a mesquite tree in the state of Arizona, police said on Wednesday. The 53-year-old woman was travelling on national route 60 near Wickenburg, about 80 kilometres north of Phoenix, when she lost control on October 12, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a news release. She crashed through a highway railing and plunged 50 feet into the tree where the vehicle "remained suspended above the ground," the state troopers said. "There were no apparent witnesses to the crash and it would be six days before the woman would be discovered by authorities," the troopers said. On October 18, an Arizona highway maintenance crew and a rancher were trying to corral a stray cow when they noticed the broken fence and then the mangled vehicle still lodged in the tree, the troopers' statement said. A trooper, along with the maintenance crew and rancher, could not find anyone in the car but discovered ..
Major fire breaks out in plastic factory in Kerala
A major fire broke out at a plastic manufacturing unit in Manvilla near here on Wednesday night. There was, however, no casualty, police said, citing preliminary reports. At least 30 fire tenders have been trying to put out the blaze, which broke out around 7 pm. Workers, who were in the unit, managed to rush out as soon as the fire broke out, some of the workers said. Visuals aired by TV channels showed thick smoke billowing out of the unit as fire tenders are fighting the blaze for four hours. Two persons, who felt uneasy after inhaling the fumes, have been hospitalised. People living nearby are being evacuated.
Cyclone Titli: Centre to release Rs. 229.05 crore for affected people
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday approved the release of Rs. 229 crore from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Andhra Pradesh to help the state in providing relief measures to the people affected by Cyclone Titli.This is the second installment provided by the Centre; the first installment for the same amount was released in the month of June.Further assistance will be provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), based on the report of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) report.Andhra Pradesh faced a severe cyclonic storm "Titli" on October 11, this year and two of its districts, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram were severely affected.Based on a preliminary memorandum submitted by Andhra Pradesh government for additional assistance, the central government constituted an Inter-Ministerial Central Team immediately on October 22. IMCT visited the cyclone-affected areas in the state from October 24-26.The Centre has provided its support to the state to deal with .
Two policemen injured in mob attack after road accident
Two policemen were injured when a mob attacked the cops at Goghat in Hooghly district on Wednesday to protest the death of a person in road accident, police said. The mob also set two police vehicles on fire, they said. A man identified as Murari Karmakar (40) was killed when a speeding car hit his motorcycle at Goghat. After the death of Karmakar, a mob attacked the police team which went to the spot and set two vehicles on fire, the police said. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Arambag, Krishanu Roy said the miscreants who attacked the policemen and set the vehicles on fire would be arrested.
Gunmen kill 5 workers in Pakistan
At least five labourers were killed and two others critically injured on Wednesday in a targeted attack carried out by two motorcycle-borne gunmen at a construction site in Pakistan's restive Baluchistan province. Police officials said that two men riding on a motorcycle had come to the construction site in the Jiwani area on the outskirts of Gwadar and opened indiscriminate firing. "There were a dozen or more labourers working at the time and most of them rushed to safety but five of them were killed on the spot," Mohtashim Chengazi, a senior police official said. He said two other labourers were injured and had been rushed to a hospital as they were in critical condition. "The casualties could rise," he added. The official said the killed labourers belonged to Karachi, Multan and Sukkur. So far no militant, sectarian or separatist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but in the past separatists have targeted labourers from other provinces working on the Pakistan-China ...
Two killed after miscreants open fire inside Varanasi mall; two more injured
Two people were killed and two more injured after unidentified miscreants opened fire inside a showroom at a mall here Wednesday after allegedly being denied a discount, police said. The incident occurred in the evening at the JHV Mall in the Cantt police station area, they said. The deceased have been identified as Sunil and Gopi, officials said. The injured, Golu and Vishal, are undergoing treatment at a hospital, where their condition is stated to be critical, they added. The incident occurred inside a clothing store where an argument broke out between the accused and a salesperson over the rate of discount, police said. As the argument escalated, the accused opened fire at showroom staff and fled from the scene, they said. Four people with injures were rushed to a hospital, where two died during treatment, officials said. Senior police officers reached the spot soon after. The showroom was sealed and people from the mall evacuated, they said. A search operation was launched to nab
Congress slams Maha govt over 'delay' in declaring drought
On a day the Maharashtra government declared drought in 26 of total 36 districts, the opposition Congress Wednesday accused the ruling dispensation of "delay" in making the announcement, which it said might deprive the state of the Central funds. As per an order issued by the government, 112 talukas in the state are facing severe drought and 39 talukas a moderate drought. Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan also alleged the state government had failed to abide by the "2016 Central drought manual" under which it is supposed to notify Kharif drought by October 30. "As per the manual, the state governments have to declare drought through a notification specifying clearly the geographical extent and administrative units such as gram panchayats, blocks, mandals, talukas, sub-division and districts. "Such notification should indicate the level of severity of the drought (moderate or severe)," he said. Chavan, who had served as the chief minister .
Centre release Rs 229 crore to storm-hit Andhra Pradesh
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday approved release of Rs 229 crore to storm-hit Andhra Pradesh to provide relief to the affected people.
Assam boat capsize: One body recovered
Police on Wednesday recovered the body of one of the three missing persons of a boat capsize incident in Hailakandi district on Sunday. The bloated body of Sumit Pashi was spotted by the people of Jyotsnabad-Madhopur area in the morning. On being informed, police reached the spot and recovered the body and sent it to S K Roy Civil Hospital for autopsy, official sources said. Sumits younger brother Ajay and Ramesh Pashi are yet to be traced though deep divers and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel continued their search operation for the fourth day today, they said. The boat was on its way to North Jyotsnabad across the Katakhal river from Lalamukh ferry ghat when it overturned in rough weather. Several youths from Lalamukh tea estate had boarded the already overloaded country boat at Lalamukh ferry ghat to witness the finals of a football match at North Jyotsnabad on the other side of the river, the sources said.
2 dead, one injured as gunmen open fire in Varanasi mall
Two people were killed while one was injured after a person opened fire at a garment shop in JHV Mall of Cantonment area, here, on Wednesday.The police said that the incident took place after some people engaged in an argument with the salesmen over discount.As per the police, the incident occurred inside an apparel shop at around 4 pm. "The three persons allegedly started arguing with the salesmen over discount or name. Salesman grabbed one of them. Meanwhile, the other person who had left the shop returned and opened fire and fled the scene," said Sureshrao A Kulkarni, Varanasi superintendent of police.In the aftermath, two people succumbed to their bullet injuries in the hospital while one other was fatally wounded.PV Ramasastry, additional director general of police, Varanasi, said, "The assaulters and victims may have known each other. We have got some important clues and we are examining the CCTV footage. A thorough investigation will be carried and the assaulters will be ...
Maha declares drought in 151 talukas in 26 districts
The Maharashtra government Wednesday declared drought in 151 talukas in 26 of total 36 districts in the state. As per a government order, 112 talukas are facing severe drought and 39 talukas a moderate drought. The 26 districts comprise eight districts each in the Vidarbha and the Marathwada regions, five districts in North Maharashtra, four districts in western Maharashtra and Palghar district in the coastal Konkan region. Among all 26 districts, the moderate and severe drought overlap in many talukas. Jalgaon district in the north Maharashtra consists of 13 talukas that are reeling under severe drought, followed by Ahmednagar and Beed (11 talukas each), Solapur and Aurangabad districts (9 talukas each). Other districts are: Pune, Sangli, Satara, Palghar, Dhule, Nandurbar, Nashik, Jalna, Nanded, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Latur, Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Washim, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Nagpur and Wardha. On October 23, the state government had declared that 180 ...
Fire in Tokyo area crowded with Halloween goers; no injuries
A fire broke out Wednesday in a building in downtown Tokyo in an area crowded with Halloween celebrants, paralyzing traffic, but no one was reported injured. The Tokyo Fire Department said the fire started in a commercial building on a backstreet in the Shibuya district of shops and restaurants which was packed with people in costumes for Halloween night. The fire department said there were no reports of injuries. It said the cause of the fire was being investigated. NHK public television showed orange flames coming from a duct on top of the six-story building. A few firefighters were raised to the site on a ladder from one of the 16 fire engines sent to the area. In recent years, Halloween has become highly popular in Japan among children as well as adults. Many shops are decorated with jack-o'-lanterns, bats and ghosts, while restaurants serve pumpkin items. Shibuya is one center of the celebrations. Its main intersection was jam-packed Wednesday with people dressed as witches, ...
Russia targets Dec 3 date for first manned ISS launch after accident
Russia hopes to launch three crew for the International Space Station on December 3, the first manned blast-off since an accident this month, the Roscosmos space agency said Wednesday. Russia, the only country able to ferry astronauts to the orbiting science lab, suspended all launches after a rocket failed on October 11 just minutes after blast-off -- the first such incident in the history of post-Soviet space travel. Roscosmos executive director Sergei Krikalyov told the RIA Novosti state news agency: "The industry is now making significant efforts to move forward the launch to December 3." On the rocket destined for the ISS will be Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, and NASA astronaut Anne McClain. The trio had originally been scheduled to blast off on December 20, but had their trip brought forward after the failed October 11 launch with Russia's Aleksey Ovchinin and NASA's Nick Hague on board. Ovchinin and Hague returned safely back to Earth
Halloween linked to increased pedestrian fatalities: Study
The young population is more likely to be fatally struck by a vehicle on Halloween than on other nights of the year, according to a new research.
Centre approves Rs 229 crore for Andhra Pradesh as advance share for SDRF
The Centre has approved Rs 229 crore for the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of Andhra Pradesh as its share for 2018-19, the Home Ministry said Wednesday. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the release of second instalment of central share of SDRF amounting to Rs 229.05 crore in advance to help Andhra Pradesh in providing relief measures to the disaster-affected people. Further assistance will be provided from the National Disaster Response Fund based on the report of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), according to a Home Ministry release. The first instalment was released to Andhra Pradesh in June 2018. Andhra Pradesh faced cyclonic storm 'Titli' on October 11 and its two districts -- Srikakulam and Vizianagaram -- were severely affected. Based on a preliminary memorandum submitted by the Andhra Pradesh government for additional assistance, the central government constituted an IMCT on October 22. The IMCT visited the affected areas in the state from October 24 to ..
Project to provide 100 bags of cattle feed free for flood hit
: Public Sector Unit Kerala Feeds' district level 'Snehasparsham' project that provides 100 bags of cattle feed free of cost to flood-affected dairy farmers was inaugurated here Wednesday. Ernakulam District Collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla inaugurated the project to help the flood-hit dairy farmers. In eligible cases, more cattle feed would be provided without charging money, Kerala Feeds Managing Director B Sreekumar said in his keynote address. The August deluge and landslides had left Ernakulam district with a property loss of Rs 8,000 crore, Safirulla said, quoting the estimate of a UN team that made a study. If the initial focus was rescue operations, it was now on rehabilitation by giving means of livelihood to the flood affected, he added, hailing the efforts of Kerala Feeds as "exemplary". Noting that rehabilitation was a long-term mission, the Collector said Kerala Feeds can help authorities provide dairy farmers updated technology and new guidelines. The ...
First responder bikes launched in Chandigarh tri-city for accident victims
To provide timely medical attention to accident victims even before an ambulance can arrive, a leading private hospital chain on Wednesday launched the First Responder (FR) bikes in the tri-city area of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali.
Venice: Floods claim 11 lives
Torrential rains in Venice have led to flooding in the city killing as many as 11 people. Strong force winds equivalent to Category 1 hurricane lashed Italy from Piedmont to Sicily injuring several people.The iconic Roman city of Venice witnessed severe flooding, with tourists and Venetians stranded in the midst of high level water. Multiple restaurants and shops were also flooded, reported the New York Times.The historical Saint Mark's Basilica was also damaged due to flooding as parts of the cathedral were submerged. "The cathedral itself was damaged by flooding as water submerged part of the floor in the central part of the basilica for only the fifth recorded time in its nine-century history," an official told the newspaper.Schools in the affected areas remained closed also. Rome also witnessed roadblocks in multiple areas as trees fell on the way due to strong winds.Pisa and Florence also witnessed intense flooding due to rising water in the Arno River, reported Euronews.
Chhattisgarh: 3, including 2 kids killed in bus collision
Three people died after a speeding city bus collided with a central school bus in Chhattisgarh's Atal Nagar city on Wednesday.Two students and a school bus conductor died in the mishap.As per reports, 10 children who were injured during the accident were immediately rushed to the Ambedkar Hospital of Medical College for treatment.Further details are awaited.
Driver of fatal Taiwan train crash apologises to relatives
The driver of a train that derailed and killed 18 people this month apologised to victims' families at an emotional memorial service in southern Taiwan Wednesday after being accused of "professional negligence" by a court. It was the first time driver Yu Cheng-chung had spoken in public since the Puyuma Express derailed on October 21. He wept uncontrollably as he knelt and apologised at the memorial in Taitung county, home to 15 of the dead. "I'm sorry, this will be forever a pain in my heart," he said in footage aired on local television. The crash on the popular east coast line also injured over 200 people and left the carriages lying zig-zagged across the tracks in the island's deadliest rail accident for a quarter century. Flags at government buildings in Taitung flew at half-mast in memory of the victims while Premier William Lai also attended the memorial service to pay his respects. Relatives at the service appeared forgiving. "Please don't be like this, we don't blame you," ..