Page 411 - Disaster Accident
Santragachi stampede: Railway Minister expresses grief, announces ex gratia
Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the person killed in the Santragachi stampede in West Bengal on Tuesday.He also announced a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh to the seriously injured and Rs. 50,000 to those with minor injuries"Condolences to families of victims of the overcrowding accident at Santragachhi. Ex gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be given to kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh to the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Goyal took to Twitter to announce the compensation.The Railway Ministry has also instituted a high-level inquiry committee comprising three senior Railway officers of the rank of Additional Secretary to Government of India to look into the matter.One person was killed and 14 others were injured in a stampede on a foot over bridge at the Santragachi railway station in West Bengal's Howrah. The incident occurred after announcements were .
5.7 magnitude earthquake rattles Taiwan
An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale struck off Taiwan's Yonakuni island in the country's eastern coast on Tuesday.According to United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 4:04 (Universal Coordinated Time) and struck at a depth of 24 kilometre.Earlier on Tuesday, Taiwan was struck by another earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter Scale. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the quake occurred at 12:34 pm (local time) and struck at a depth of 30 kilometer.Tremors were also felt in the capital Taipei and its surrounding regions. However, there are no reports of damage and casualties so far. No tsunami warning has been issued.In February, Taiwan was hit by a 6.4 magnitude temblor which claimed 17 lives and left over 250 wounded.
Fire breaks out in Delhi house, 6 injured
Six people were injured after an LPG cylinder exploded inside a house here, fire office said.
Railway minister condoles loss of lives in Santragachchi stampede
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Tuesday condoled the loss of lives in a stampede on a foot overbridge at Santragachi railway station in West Bengal. Two persons died and 15 others, including two women, were injured in the stampede Tuesday. "Condolences to families of victims of the overcrowding accident at Santragachhi. Ex gratia compensation of ?5L will be given to kin of the deceased, ?1L to the seriously injured and ?50,000 to those with minor injuries. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," the minister's office tweeted on his behalf. The incident occurred when an express train and two EMU locals arrived at the station at the same time at around 6 pm and passengers rushed to the platforms to board the trains, a railway official said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came down heavily on the railways, saying the tragedies were happening during the festive season. Referring to the tragic Amritsar train accident on October 19 in which 59 Dussehra revellers ...
Hurricane Willa bears down on Mexico
Mexico braced Tuesday for the impact of Hurricane Willa as the Category 3 storm barreled toward its Pacific Coast with what forecasters warned would be potentially deadly force. Willa was a maximum Category 5 hurricane on Monday, but lost strength as it moved toward landfall - expected on Tuesday afternoon or evening, the US National Hurricane Center said in its 1500 GMT update. Nevertheless, the NHC warned, "Willa is expected to be a dangerous hurricane when it reaches the coast of Mexico." It was on course to slam into Mexico between the states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, somewhere around the resort town of Mazatlan. The NHC said aircraft data showed the core of the storm was currently sweeping over the Marias islands, where Mexico has a federal prison. The interior ministry did not immediately respond to questions on whether it had evacuated the 1,000 inmates housed there or what other emergency measures were in place for the penal colony. In Mazatlan, a tranquil beach town with ...
Goyal announces Rs 5 lakh compensation for Howrah stampede victims
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to those injured in a stampede at a railway foot overbridge at Santragachhi station in Howrah.
2 dead, 15 injured in stampede at Santragachi station
Two persons died and 15 others, including two women, were injured in a stampede on Tuesday evening on a foot overbridge at Santragachi railway station in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. Banerjee, who rushed to the station from a Durga puja immersion carnival, blamed negligence and callousness on the part of the railways for the incident. "Two persons have died in a stampede at Santragachi this evening," she said. The two deceased have been identified as Kamlakant Singh (32) and Taser Sardar (61). While 12 injured were admitted to a hospital, three persons were administered first aid at the station, South Eastern Railway spokesman Sanjay Ghosh said. Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of the dead persons and Rs 1 lakh each to the injured from the state government. The Railways also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who died, Rs 1 lakh to each of the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for persons who sustained ...
Two dead, 12 injured in stampede at Bengal railway foot-overbridge (Roundup)
Only four days after the Amritsar train tragedy, two people were killed and a dozen others, including two children, were injured in a stampede at a railway foot-overbridge at Santragachhi station in Howrah on Tuesday, police said.
Mamata blames negligence for recurrent railway disasters, demands probe
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said "negligence and callousness of some people" was responsible for the stampede at a railway foot-overbridge in Howrah that killed two and injured 12 others, urging the railways to take proper care of the passengers.
Announce drought in Maharashtra, says Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar Tuesday said drought should be declared in Maharashtra as many parts are facing severe water scarcity. He also said the Central government did not seem to be coming forward to help Maharashtra which is facing drought. Speaking at a function here, the former Union agriculture minister said, "Drought should be announced at once and not 'drought-like' situation. In such a scenario, generally the Centre comes to the help of a state but it does not seem so". He said the water scarcity situation in the state has become severe. "I had visited some villages and districts. They need immediate intervention of the state to face the situation," he said. Pawar said putting a plan in place for reserving water and fodder for cattle is the need of the hour. "The state must take steps to save horticulture as well," Pawar said. Commenting on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' flagship programme Jalyukta Shivar, Pawar said, "It
Howrah stampede: Mamata calls for greater rail safety, announces ex gratia
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakhs to the family of the deceased and Rs. 1 lakh to those injured in the stampede that took place on a foot overbridge at Santragachi railway station in Howrah on Tuesday."Railways is the main lifeline of the nation and it should not be derailed. Railways must take proper care for passengers. I can't blame railways. Let them investigate. If there is a rush, they must clear it," she told reporters present at the mishap site.Furthermore, Mamata called for an investigation into the matter citing negligence on the Railways' behalf."Two people are dead in the incident. There should be an investigation, as I feel that there has been negligence on the part of railways," she said.While two people have lost their lives, 14 people were injured during the stampede that occurred when passengers were rushing towards the platforms to board three trains that simultaneously arrived at the station around 6:30 PM.11 of the ..
Fumes at Bhalswa landfill site likely to worsen Delhi's air quality
With the national capital already reeling under "poor" air quality, fumes from a fire that broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site on October 20 is likely to cause a further plunge in the air quality of New Delhi.The rag pickers at Bhalswa landfill site said that such incidents keep occurring two to three times in a year; and hence, they are habitual of it. People living near the Bhalswa landfill are facing problems while breathing as the atmosphere near the area has become more toxic.One of the ragpickers told ANI, "Fire incidents keep taking place at the site on and off, caused by natural factors or caused by some incendiary material."Meanwhile, a local living near the area for nearly 30 years, said, "People near this landfill are suffering from serious diseases like TB, Cancer, and Asthma. The groundwater in the area has become also become contaminated due to the landfill. The government has not taken serious action to tackle the problem."The air quality in Delhi is likely to ...
Two dead, 12 injured in stampede at Bengal railway foot overbridge
Two people were killed and a dozen others including two children badly injured in a stampede at a railway foot overbridge at Santragachhi station in Howrah on Tuesday, police said.
Mamata blames Railways of negligence and callousness
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday blamed the Railways of negligence and callousness over the stampede on a foot overbridge at Santragachi station, in which two persons died. Banerjee, who visited the station after the incident, said there should be more internal coordination to prevent such situation. "I feel there is a gap in coordination and Railways should look into it, they should have given some time gap between the arrival of two trains when the passengers have to change platforms," she said. "Such situations occur due to negligence and callousness, Railways should act in a more responsible way," Banerjee, who is a former Railway minister, said adding such situation do not occur if precautions are taken in advance. Noting that "safety and security cannot be compromised," Banerjee said that Railways did not seek any help from the state government during the festive season for crowd management. Separately in a Tweet, she said "another unfortunate incident on ...
Armed Forces Tribunal sets aside DGMF order in 9-yr-old "battle casualty" case
The regional bench of Armed Forces Tribunal here has set aside an order of the Directorate General of Mechanical Forces (DGMF), Personnel, which stated the death of a soldier due to heart attack in the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir over nine years ago was a case of "physical casualty" and not "battle casualty". The tribunal directed the Army authorities to pay ex-gratia relief and liberalised pension to the widow of soldier Naik Akhilesh Srivastava holding his death in 2009 to be a "battle casualty". The tribunal in its September 7 order urged "the authorities not to adopt a hidebound and negative approach to such cases in future." Noting the plight of a war widow "who has to run from pillar to post to get her rightful dues", the tribunal directed that Srivastava's widow be granted liberalised family pension from the date following her husband's death. The tribunal, on a petition filed by Srivastava's widow Kanak Lata, directed that a letter issued by the office of DGMF on ...
Stampede at Santragachi station in West Bengal, 2 dead, 17 injured
Two persons were killed and 17 injured in a stampede on a foot overbridge at Santragachi railway station in West Bengal on Tuesday evening after announcements were made about simultaneous arrival of trains on platforms connected by the overbridge. The incident occurred at around 6.30 pm between platform numbers two and three at Santragachi station in Howrah when Nagercoil-Shalimar Express and two EMU locals arrived there around the same time and passengers rushed to the platforms to board the trains, South Eastern Railway spokesman Sanjay Ghosh said. Shalimar-Vishakhapatnam Express and Santragachi-Chennai Express were also scheduled to arrive shortly, Ghosh said. A large number of passengers had deboarded and many others were trying to reach their trains at the same time, leading to rush on the foot overbridge that connected the platforms. "Two persons have died in the stampede at Santragachi this evening," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited the station after the .
1 killed, 14 injured in stampede at Howrah's Santragachi station
At least one person has been killed and 14 injured in a stampede on a foot overbridge at Santragachi railway station in Howrah on Tuesday.The incident occurred when three trains simultaneously arrived at the station around 6.30 pm and passengers rushed to the platforms to board the trains.While 11 of the injured were taken to Howrah General Hospital for treatment, three others who sustained minor injuries were administered first aid at the station itself.The Santragachi station is located about 10 km from Howrah Junction.In the wake of the mishap, the Railways has issued two helpline numbers - Kharagpur: 032221072, Santragacchi: 03326295561.
Instant food means constant disease: Naidu
Criticizing the culture of instant food, Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday urged the need to go back to traditional Indian food, saying "instant food means constant disease".
Singaporean paraglider found dead in Kangra Valley
Kok Choonk Na, a paraglider of Singaporean descent who was missing since yesterday was found dead on Tuesday in Bir Billing hills of Kangra valley.The body of 53-year-old Choonk, who was registered as a free-flyer is being recovered by a rescue team.Another missing paraglider, 50-year-old Jose Lewis from Spain, was found alive. Lewis took a flight from Bir Billing in Kangra on Saturday and was reported missing since then. A rescue team had been constituted by Baijnath Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Shukla to find the paragliders.Shukla, while revealing the information, said, "I have received the news that a Singapore national Kok Choonk Na, who was registered as a free-flyer was missing since yesterday afternoon. His dead body was found by our rescue team which is headed by Rahul Singh. Now, his body is being retrieved through helicopter"A number of foreign and domestic paragliders have swarmed the valley in the run-up to the Paragliding Pre World Cup to be held in Bir Billing from ..
Maharashtra: Fadnavis declares drought in 180 divisions
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday declared 180 divisions (tehsil) as drought hit and announced a slew of measures to provide relief from the situation.Briefing reporters about the measures taken, Fadnavis said, "Today we have declared drought in 180 divisions across the state. The State government will implement eight measures to deal with it. As part of these measures we will be adjourning different types of collections from the farmers, electric-connections will not be disconnected, water tankers would be deployed, students will get relaxation in examination fee and the collections related to loans will be adjourned among others."Fadnavis further asserted that a ground report will be sent to the Centre and after a team visits the region, aid from the union government will be extended to the affected regions.Although Maharashtra has seen many droughts, Fadnavis noted that this is the first time a drought is being declared in the month of October.The Chief ...