Page 407 - Disaster Accident

Japan rejects UN call to stop returns to Fukushima

Japan's government on Friday rejected calls from a UN rights expert to halt the return of women and children to areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster over radiation fears. UN special rapporteur Baskut Tuncak on Thursday warned that people felt they were "being forced to return to areas that are unsafe, including those with radiation levels above what the government previously considered safe." In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japan's government lifted its standard for the acceptable level of radiation to 20 millisieverts per year from 1 millisievert. It has been urged to revise that level back down again, but has rejected calls to do so, a decision Tuncak called "deeply troubling." "Japan has a duty to prevent and minimise childhood exposure to radiation," he said. But Japan's government rejected the criticism, saying Tuncak's comments were based on "one-sided information and could fan unnecessary fears about Fukushima," a foreign ministry official told AFP. Japan's ..

Two killed, six injured in separate accidents in Amethi

Two people were killed and six others seriously injured in separate accidents here, police said on Friday. A resident of Fatehpur, Ravi (28), was killed on the spot and five others sustained serious injuries on Thursday night as three trucks collided near Durgapur crossing on Allahabad-Sultanpur National Highway, Piparpur police station SHO Shyam Sundar said. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Pratapgarh, he said. In the second accident, a man was killed and a woman seriously injured after the motorcycle they were riding was hit by a speeding truck near Amethi bypass on Thursday night, the police said. Mukesh Verma (25), who hailed from Gaderi village, succumbed to injuries. His cousin, Nisha Verma, who was riding pillion, is undergoing treatment at a hospital, Amethi police station SHO Rajesh Kumar Singh said. The truck driver fled from the spot after the accident and an investigation is underway, he said.

Floods kill six in southern Russia

Six people died in floods in southern Russia which also damaged regional infrastructure including an oil pipeline, authorities said Friday, as emergency workers were struggling to provide food and water to the victims. Flash floods affected parts of the Krasnodar region, including the area around the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, where Moscow hosted the Winter Olympics in 2014. Russia's emergencies ministry said it had recovered the bodies of six people while clearing rubble and two people were hospitalised. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that all the government services are "working in emergency mode" to battle the "ruthless elements." The emergencies ministry said over 2,300 houses were flooded in the region. Flash floods frequently cause devastating damage in the area wedged between the Black Sea and the Caucasus mountain range as mountain rivers swell and destroy settlements below. Similar floods in 2012 killed over 150 people around Krymsk, another town in the

Jordan flood death toll rises to 20, most of them school pupils

At least 20 people, most of them school pupils, have been killed in flash floods in Jordan, the emergency services said Friday in an updated toll. A further 35 people were injured following heavy rains on Thursday, including members of the security forces involved in rescue operations, said an official from the civil defence -- Jordan's fire service -- who asked not to be named. He said rescuers were still searching for people missing in the area, a popular tourist attraction around 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Amman. "Most of the dead were schoolchildren aged 11 to 14 who were taking part in a school trip to the Dead Sea region" when their bus was swept away by floodwaters. Also among the dead were passers-by who had been picnicking in the area, he said, adding that a nearby bridge had collapsed. "Security force personnel who were taking part in the rescue operations were among the injured," he added. The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, is surrounded by steep valleys and ...

Flash floods kill 6 in southern Russia; 1 missing

At least six people died as flash floods hit Russia's south, paralyzing traffic across the region and affecting thousands of people, investigators said on Friday. The region, which hosted many events of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, saw rainfall that amounted to the average seen over two months on Wednesday, causing rivers to overflow. The Investigative Committee said in a statement on Friday that six people died when torrential rains and flash floods hit. An elderly woman went missing after she was taken by the gusts of water in the town of Tuapse, the investigators said. Footage on state television showed people being evacuated from villages in inflatable boats, and response teams repairing a section of a collapsed bridge. The floods have damaged roads and railroad bridges, paralyzing traffic. More than 20 trains running along the Black Sea coast have been delayed after a section of a railroad bridge collapsed, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at nearby stations. Emergency .

Schools closed on quake-hit Greek island; damage surveyed

Schools were closed and officials surveyed damage on the Greek island of Zakynthos Friday after a powerful earthquake that was felt as far as Libya jolted western Greece. The magnitude-6.5 undersea quake overnight caused many island residents to spend the night in their cars and triggered a tsunami warning that ended several hours later. No serious damage or injuries were reported, although the main harbor for the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea was damaged, and the sidewalk near moored boats cracked and warped. More than 15 aftershocks occurred before dawn. "It was a powerful and shallow earthquake that was felt throughout western Greece, up to Athens, the Western Balkans, even in Italy and Libya," said seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos of the Geodynamic Institute in Athens. Power was lost in the island capital and main town, also called Zakynthos, for several hours and outages were also reported elsewhere. "We're checking out the villages on the island, where there are ...

Robert Wickens confirms paralysis post Pocono crash

Canadian Formula One driver Robert Wickens has revealed that the accident, during the 2018 ABC Supply 500 Series at the Pocono Raceway, caused him paralysis.The 29-year-old, on his Instagram, revealed that he has become a paraplegic and is working hard to spark his leg nerves again."Did my first slide transfer as a paraplegic today. My upper body is getting stronger and stronger and hopefully, I'll be able to do it unassisted soon. I've only been posting videos of the small movement in my legs, but the reality is I am far away from walking on my own," Wickens wrote."Some people are a bit confused with the severity of my injury, so I wanted to let you know the reality of it. I've never worked harder for anything in my life, and I am giving it all I've got to spark those nerves in my legs," he continued.Wickens_PostOct26.jpgIn August, the IndyCar driver was competing in ABC Supply 500 Series when he got bumped while trying to overtake another driver, Ryan Hunter-Reayon.Following the ...

US Pacific territory will need help to recover from typhoon

Residents of a US territory in the Pacific ravaged by Super Typhoon Yutu are hopeful for help from the federal government as they dig out from damage including crumbled concrete houses, smashed cars and fallen utility poles. Used to riding out monster storms, about 50,000 people living in the US. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands expect to be without electricity and running water for months after getting slammed by the strongest storm to hit the US. this year. Officials toured villages in Saipan and saw cars crushed under a collapsed garage, the ground ripped clean of vegetation and people injured by spraying glass and other debris. As of Friday local time, there was one storm-related death confirmed. A military plane was bringing food, water, tarps and other supplies, U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman David Gervino said. The agency had already significant water and food in place because it had stored more than 220,000 liters of water and 260,000 ...

4 killed, 24 injured in Bihar road accident

At least four people were killed and nearly 24 injured after a bus overturned near here on Friday, police said.

6.8 magnitude quake causes Greek island damage, no injuries

A powerful 6.8-magnitude undersea earthquake struck early Friday off the Ionian Sea island of Zante, causing structural damage but no injuries, officials said. "We have no reports of injuries, or of someone being trapped under rubble... We advise people to remain calm," Zante mayor Pavlos Kolokotsas told Real FM radio. "Zakynthos has anti-seismic protection... There were only cracks inside homes and minor rockslides," said Kolokotsas, using the island's Greek name. Electricity in the main town, also called Zante, was temporarily knocked out while officials reported damage to the road network caused by landslides. The island dock was also damaged, but marine access to the island has not been interrupted. Many residents spent the early morning outside their homes as a precaution. Island schools would remain shut on Friday. "We ran out of the house... The whole village was out on the square," said Angelike Glava, an elderly local. The earthquake hit off the southern part of the island, ..

Quake damages harbor, knocks out some power on Greek island

A strong earthquake off a western Greek tourist island early Friday morning was felt as far away as Athens, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported. The main harbor for the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea was damaged though it was still functional, civil protection agency press spokesman Spyros Georgiou said. Images from the harbour showed cracked and warped pavement near moored boats. Power was lost in the island capital and main town, also called Zakynthos, but no major damage was reported there. "We're checking out the villages on the island, where there are several older buildings," he told The Associated Press. "The lack of electricity is a problem, but technicians are trying to restore power." The fire service said rockfalls were reported in another part of the island, and part of a church wall collapsed on the mainland town of Pyrgos, in the southern Peloponnese area. A couple of people were treated for minor injuries. Georgiou said a precautionary ...

Toll rises to 8 in the China coal mine accident

The toll from a coal mine accident in eastern China rose to 8 as the bodies of five more miners were retrieved, local authorities said on Friday. The accident happened on Saturday after a rock burst ripped through a coal mine of the Longyun Coal Mining Company Ltd in Yuncheng county of Shangdong province, leaving two dead and 22 trapped in the tunnel. Two bodies were retrieved underground early Thursday morning and three others were found in the afternoon, the rescue headquarters said. While one person has been rescued, 13 miners are still trapped inside. Only one person has been rescued. Thirteen miners are still trapped and rescuers are racing against the clock to locate them from two rescue passages, state-run Xinhua reported. Rock bursts are often caused by fractures in rocks due to wear and tear from mining. Mining accidents are common in China. However, the number of deaths have reduced at mines in recent years. In June this year, a powerful explosion in a iron mine in country's

5.6 magnitude earthquake jolts Japan

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale struck northern Japan's Hokkaido island on Friday.According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake occurred at 3:04 am (UTC) and its epicenter was situated nearly 370 km north-east of Sapporo city. The temblor originated at a depth of 30 km. There are no reports of damage and casualties so far. No tsunami warning has been issued.On September 6, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake rattled Hokkaido, claiming 41 lives and injuring over 650.Japan is prone to frequent earthquakes and lies in the "Ring of Fire", an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, which is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.In 2011, Japan was hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggering powerful tsunami waves that caused rampant damage to properties, affecting operations massively in industries and leading to heavy casualties.It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the history of the country. Over 15,000 people had lost their ...

Delhi's air quality deteriorates, slides towards 'severe'

Air quality in the national capital deteriorated Friday, gradually inching towards the 'severe' category, as parts of the massive Bhalswa landfill site continued to smoulder. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recorded the overall Air Quality Index of Delhi at 358 this morning, which falls in the 'very poor' category. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". The Centre-run System of Air Quality Forecasting and Research also reported an AQI in the 'very poor' category. On Thursday, the capital city recorded an AQI at 331. Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon had also recorded air quality in the 'very poor' category Thursday, according to CPCB data. The air quality in the capital had shown signs of improvement Monday as it moved from 'very poor' to 'poor' category. However, it dipped to 'very poor' again Wednesday even as firefighting ..

Floods sweep away students, teachers near Dead Sea, 18 dead

Flash floods unleashed by heavy rains swept away middle school students and teachers visiting hot springs near the Dead Sea on Thursday, killing 18 and injuring 35 as the torrent carried some for several kilometers, a civil defence official said. Thirteen people escaped without injuries, said Brig Gen Farid al-Sharaa, speaking after nightfall as large spotlights illuminated the flooded area. Some survived by clinging to rocks, he said. A dramatic rescue operation involving helicopters and divers continued into the night. Israel's military said it dispatched a search and rescue team at the request of Jordan's government. Al-Sharaa said 37 middle school students, seven teachers and other visitors were at the hot springs near the Dead Sea on Thursday afternoon, some eating lunch, when they were taken by surprise by the flooding. "It swept away the students for 4 to 5 kilometers," some as far as the Dead Sea, he said. The spokesman said the students were from a middle school. The ...

Hot air balloon crashes in Myanmar

A hot air balloon has crashed in Myanmar's Pyigyidagun town settling ablaze eight houses in the Mandalay region, media reports said on Friday.

Moderate quakes hit Greece

An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Greece early on Friday that was followed by at least two major aftershocks, Greek seismologists said. No casualty is reported.

Massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake hits Greek tourist island in Ionian sea

Greece lies in one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions, with thousands of quakes recorded every year

18 killed as Jordan flash flood sweeps away students

At least 18 people died and 35 were injured in an area near the Dead Sea, in the west of Jordan, as a result of flooding caused by torrential rains in the country on Thursday, according to the Jordanian Department of Civil Defence.

Jordan: 18 killed in flash floods

At least 18 people including several children were killed after a school bus swept away in flash flood on Thursday near the Dead Sea here.The school bus with a group of teachers and students were touring the Dead Sea when the incident happened, reported Al Jazeera quoting the sources in the country's civil defence directorate.Most of the children killed in the incident were below 14. According to the officials, the death toll is expected to rise.Jordan health minister Ghazi al-Zaben confirmed that 11 people were injured in the incident and 21 others have been rescued so far.The Israeli military, in a statement, confirmed that it has sent search and rescue helicopters to help Jordan following Amman's request for assistance.