Page 413 - Disaster Accident
2 DTC employees killed in collision between buses
Two employees of the Delhi Transport Corporation were crushed under the wheels of a bus following a collision between three other vehicles in Shahdara area on Monday, police said. According to Meghna Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), a speeding private bus with a Delhi registration number hit a school bus stationed at a red light, which due to the impact collided with a UP roadways bus. The roadways bus then hit a cluster bus, she added. In the collision between the buses, a motorcycle and two auto-rickshaws were trapped in between the vehicles. The DTC employees Satish Kumar (50) and Rupender Kumar (38) were on the motorcycle, police said. Four others were injured in the accident.
Mumbai airport runway to remain shut between 11pm-5am on Tue
Air passengers departing and arriving at the city airport may face a tough time Tuesday as both the main and secondary runways will remain shut for operations for six hours, starting 11 am, for repair and maintenance work. Mumbai airport will undertake runway maintenance and repair in two phases between October, and February-March period. The move is likely to affect as many a many as 300 flights per day during the period. "Mumbai airport runway will be closed from 1100 hours to 1700 hours IST. Please visit Air India website, app or contact call centre for details on rescheduled and cancelled flights," national carrier Air India informed its passengers through a tweet Monday. The flights of others carriers are also expected to be hit in a big way, a source said. Due to the work, both the runways 09/27 and 14/32 will remain shut for operations between 11 am and 5 pm on October 23, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) had said earlier on October 4. In the second ...
IAF crew begins training on Apache helicopters
The Indian Air Force (IAF) crew has begun training on Apache attack helicoptors in the US, officials said on Monday.
Odisha govt responsible for 70 plus casualties in cyclone: Congress
Odisha Congress in-charge Jitender Singh on Monday said the state government is solely responsible for the death of more than 70 innocent people in cyclone Titli and flash flood.
2 wagons of goods train derails in MP
Two wagons of a goods train carrying ballast Monday derailed near Morena railway station in Madhya Pradesh. The incident happened at around 4pm and train traffic was affected on the route till 8pm, railway officials said. The goods train was moving towards Gwalior. "Several trains on the Delhi route ran late. Rail traffic towards Dhaulpur (Rajasthan) from Morena was also affected," an official said.
NHRC takes cognizance in Amritsar accident; issue notices to state, railways
The National Human Rights Commission on Monday took suo motu cognizance of media reports of dozens of people mowed down by a train in Amritsar on Dussehra and issued notices to the Government of Punjab, Chairman of the Railway Board seeking a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.The State Government has been asked to provide all the details regarding disbursement of relief and rehabilitation to the aggrieved families as well as the information on the status of the treatment being provided to the injured in different hospitals of Amritsar.However, the Commission also observed that people sitting on the railway tracks cannot be called as a sane act, but the negligence of the district authorities is apparent."It seems that the local authorities and the organisers did not properly manage the crowd, gathered to watch the Dussehra celebrations. It was the responsibility of the State to provide proper safety and protection to the citizens during the event. This is a case of ...
Guj govt declares 51 talukas as water scarcity hit
The Gujarat government Monday declared 51 talukas, comprising 3,291 villages, as scarcity hit owing to scanty rains and announced that relief measures would be started here from December 1st. All talukas which recorded less than 250 mm of rains in this monsoon have been declared scarcity hit by the state government, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said. "Earlier, if the talukas had received less than 125mm rainfall it could be declared scarcity hit as per norms. However, the Centre has revised the norms. Relief work in these talukas will begin from December 1," he said. The government has declared 10 talukas of Kutch district, nine of Banaskantha district, eight of Patan district, seven of Surendranagar district and four each of Ahmedabad and Mehasana districts, among others, as scarcity hit. "Crops in affected talukas have failed, so as per the central government norms, farmers will get per hectare relief assistance of Rs 6,800 upto two hectares in the affected ...
India to send team to Indonesia in connection with polio vaccine contamination probe
A five-member expert panel will visit Indonesia on October 29 to inspect pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma in connection with the type-2 polio virus contamination detected in oral polio vaccines used for immunisation in the country. Around 1.5 lakh vials of the oral polio vaccines, supplied by Ghaziabad-based Biomed Pvt. Ltd., were found contaminated with type-2 polio virus. The vaccines were administered to children in Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Biomed Pvt. Ltd. had purchased the bulk vaccines from the Indonesian company, a Health Ministry official said. "The team of experts will try to find out if the contamination was from the bulk manufacturers or not," the official said. The team will comprise representatives from the Health Ministry and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). "The team of experts will be travelling from October 29 -November 2 to inspect Indonesia's PT Bio Farma. Proper approval from the Centre has been acquired in this regard,"
Punjab Cong slams Railways, demands probe into Amritsar train tragedy
The Punjab Congress Monday demanded a transparent probe into the Amritsar train tragedy that claimed nearly 60 lives, as it stepped up attack against the Railways for "running away" from an investigation. Nearly 60 persons had died here after being mowed down by a train while watching the Dussehra celebrations from across the tracks on Friday evening. "We are demanding a transparent probe in Amritsar train tragedy by Indian Railways. Why they are running away from probe? They themselves are creating suspicion that they are trying to save somebody," Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said while addressing media here. Jakhar questioned how a "clean chit" was given to the loco-pilot of the train, which ran over nearly 60 people watching a Dussehra event in Amritsar and leaving scores of others injured. "The haste in which they gave the clean chit to the driver raises suspicion," he said. Jakhar wondered why Commission of Railway Safety did not initiate any probe into the accident. "May ..
Amritsar Dusshera organiser on the run; releases video
While remaining underground, the organizer of the Dusshera event, where at least 59 people were crushed by a speeding train, on Monday released a video claiming he had taken all permissions, and that appeals were made to people standing on the tracks to vacate the area.
Cyclone Titli: AP seeks Rs 1,200 cr interim relief from Centre
The Andhra Pradesh government Monday demanded the Centre to declare Cyclone Titli, which affected Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, as national calamity and release an interim relief of Rs 1,200 crore immediately. A representation in this regard was made by Andhra Pradesh relief Commissioner D Varaprasad and resident commissioner Praveen Prakash in a meeting with cabinet secretary P K Sinha here. "The severe cyclone has caused heavy damage to the public and private properties in 1,802 villages covering Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts. The total damage caused by the cyclone amounts to Rs 3,435.29 crore," the state government said in a representation. The state government demanded the central government to clear Cyclone Titli as natural calamity and release Rs 1,200 crore interim relief immediately, it said. The state also requested the centre to send a team to assess the extent of damage. The state government officials submitted preliminary reports on the cyclone and ...
CIL offers domestic coal to power sector to curtail imports
Coal India Ltd (CIL), which is taking up "a series of steps" to increase the availability of domestic coal to power sector, has offered five million tonnes of coal to state-run NTPC on a credit basis and agreed to supply 7.94 lakh tonnes of domestic coal per month to power utilities on condition of import cut, an official said on Monday.
Cong MP Bajwa seeks govt jobs for kin of Amritsar train accident victims
Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa Monday sought government jobs for family members of those who died in the Amritsar train accident. In a letter written to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Bajwa said the response of the state government needed to be proportionate to the magnitude of damage, caused by such a horrendous incident. Nearly 60 people were killed on Friday eveningafter a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak in Amritsar. The state government's offer of Rs 5 lakh to the families of victims, and free treatment at all government and private hospitals has been very well received by people... However, I believe the state government can even further improve its response by providing one job each to the families of victims who have passed away," Bajwa said. "Financial stability for the foreseeable future will allow the families to grieve in peace. A proactive step ...
Cop bows down, apologises to UP minister after hitting his car
An Uttar Pradesh policeman Monday bowed down and apologised to state cabinet minister Satish Mohana after hitting his car only to be shooed away by the vexed minister. The policeman was driving one of the cars in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's convoy when the accident occurred near Moti Jheel in Kanpur. The CM was in the city to address the state working committee of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM)-- the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the minister got out of his car, the policeman apologised and bent down to touch his feet but an angry Mohana took a few steps back and rebuked him publicly. Gesturing with his hand, he then asked the policeman to leave.
Odisha govt "failed" to tackle cyclone and flood: Congress
The Congress Monday accused the Odisha government of "not taking adequate precautionary measures" to tackle the twin disaster of cyclone Titli and the subsequent flood. AICC Odisha in-charge Jitendra Singh told reporters here that the casualty figure was "much higher" than the state government's official death toll of 61. "Odisha government's craziness for zero casualty publicity has led to such a huge human casualty in the very severe cyclonic storm titli. Naveen Patnaik administration is solely responsible for this," he said. Singh, who visited the calamity affected areas of Gajapati, Ganjam and Rayagada districts along with a party team during the day, claimed that more than 70 people died due to 'Titli' and flash flood, but Odisha government has put the death toll at 61. Accusing the state government of having "failed" to tackle the disaster, the Congress leader claimed had it taken the IMD warning seriously and organised cautionary operation well in time, the lives
Minor fire at Kolkata Puja carnival premises amid heightened security
A fire broke out behind the canopy of the West Bengal government-organised Durga Puja carnival in central Kolkata's iconic Red Road on Monday evening, even as security was heightened a day before the colourful road show.
11 people killed in two accidents in AP
Eleven people, including two children, were killed and ten injured in two accidents in Andhra Pradesh Monday. In a major mishap at Gollaprolu in East Godavari district, seven womend and a boy were killed when the mini-van they were travelling in was hit by a speeding lorry, a senior police officer said. Eight others were injured, the officer said. The victims belonged to Makavarampalem in Visakhapatnam district and had come to Kakinada in East Godavari district to attend a house-warming function. The accident occurred when these people were on their way back home, police said. Six people died on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Eight others have been admitted to hospitals at Pithapuram and Kakinada, local Inspector Appa Rao said. The lorry driver fled the scene soon after the accident and police have launched a hunt to nab him. In another mishap in the Agency area of Visakhapatnam district, three members of a family were killed when the ...
542 deaths due to swine flu and 6,803 cases so far
As many as 542 people have died of swine flu so far this year, with Maharashtra alone accounting for almost 50 per cent of fatalities. Maharashtra recorded 217 deaths out of 1,793 cases reported till October 14, said a government official. It was followed by Rajasthan where 191 people succumbed to H1N1 complications out of 1,912 cases during the same period. In Gujarat, 45 persons died out of 1,478 reported cases, the official said. The country has registered 6,803 swine-flu cases so far this year as compared to 38,811 cases reported last year. Last year, 2,270 people had died due to the H1N1 infections. Delhi has recorded one death and 111 cases till October 12, the official said. Union Health Minister J P Nadda recently reviewed the seasonal influenza outbreak situation in the country. The reports on cases and deaths of influenza A (H1N1) are based on the reports received from states/UTs to Central Surveillance Unit, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, National Centre for ...
Bangladesh observes road safety day
Bangladesh on Monday observed the National Road Safety Day with the slogan "Will obey law; will make roads safe".
Amarinder Singh reviews Amritsar situation via video link from Israel
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday asked state government officials to expedite the process of providing relief and compensation to the families of those dead and the injured in a tragic train accident in Amritsar last week. During a review meeting from Tel Aviv in Israel, where he reached earlier Monday on a five-day official visit, via a video link, Singh asked officials to ensure quick disbursement of the Rs 5-lakh compensation he had announced following the accident near Joda Phatak on Friday evening. At least 59 Dussehra revellers died after they were hit by a passing train. The officials, including Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar and Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Sangha, informed Singh that the situation in the area was under control, according to an official release. People angry over the train accident had pelted stones and clashed with security personnel on Sunday. They sat on the railway tracks, where the accident happened, and protested. They were .