Page 418 - Disaster Accident
Amritsar tragedy: Rlys rules out any probe, magisterial inquiry ordered by Punjab CM
The Punjab government on Saturday ordered a magisterial probe into the accident near Amritsar where 59 Dussehra revellers were mowed down by a train, while railways has ruled out any inquiry on its part. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday said that a magisterial inquiry into the train accident will be conducted and the report will be submitted in four weeks. The chief minister postponed a trip to Israel and arrived in Amritsar this morning to assess the damage. "We are announcing a magisterial probe into the incident," Singh told reporters. He said four weeks have been given to submit the report to find out who was at fault. The divisional commissioner of Jalandhar has been entrusted with the job of holding the inquiry, he said. Meanwhile railways on Saturday said that the tragedy was a case of trespassing and not a railway accident and ruled out a probe by the Commissioner Railway Safety. The Commission of Railway Safety works under the administrative control of the ...
Families bid tearful farewell to those killed in Amritsar train accident
Families and relatives Saturday bid an emotional goodbye to 39 of the 59 people killed in the tragic train accident here that has sent shock waves across the country. The mortal remains were consigned to flames at different cremation grounds here as heartbroken friends and family members of the deceased wept inconsolably, not ready to believe their loved ones were no more. Some of the tragedy-struck women fainted at the cremation grounds when the funeral pyres of their relatives were lit. Parents of the children killed in the accident broke down several times. Davinder found it really hard to come to terms with his brother's death. Several members of his family, hailing from Bihar, were killed in the horrific accident. Earlier, officials said 40 of the 59 people killed in the accident had been identified. At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravana effigy was run over by a
32 NDRF teams deployed in Assam, Arunachal following flood threat
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 32 teams in various districts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh following the threat of sudden flood from a temporary lake.The lake has been formed due to a landslide that blocked the mainstream of Brahmaputra River in the Tibet Autonomous Region posing a threat of flash flood.In view of the emerging situation and as a precautionary measure, 32 well prepared teams of NDRF force have been deployed in likely to be affected districts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Out of which, 13 team have been deployed in Arunachal Pradesh, two at Upper Siang and 11 at East Siang district, NDRF said in a statement.Out of total, seven teams have been deployed at Dhemaji and one each at Dibrugarh, Lakhmpur , Sivasagar , Tinsukiya, and Jorhat districts of Assam.For gearing up the full precautionary measure, six teams of NDRF were airlifted from Kolkata and eight teams from Bhubaneshwer yesterday night.All NDRF teams are fully equipped with various ...
Burning Ravana effigy, firecrackers, festive euphoria made people oblivious to approaching train
A burning effigy of Ravana, bursting of firecrackers and festive euphoria made Dussehra revellers oblivious to the train approaching them, and, in a matter of seconds, bodies were left strewn on railway tracks, eyewitnesses of the tragic accident in Amritsar recounted Saturday. At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of the Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak here. "I was watching the burning of effigy of Ravana and suddenly I heard massive sound. After a few seconds, bodies of women, children and men were lying on the railway tracks. The moment was very devastating," Jaspreet, an eyewitness, told PTI. Another eyewitness, Gurpreet, said: "We all were busy watching the Dussehra celebrations. Huge voice of firecrackers drowned the sound of the arriving train and we could not understand for a few seconds what had happened." The train was coming from Jalandhar when .
Imran, Sirisena express grief over death of 59 people in Amritsar train tragedy
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Saturday expressed grief over the death of 59 people, run over by a train during Dussehra celebrations in Amritsar, Punjab. In a series of tweets, Khan said "Saddened to learn of the tragic train accident in Amritsar India". "Condolences go to the families of the deceased," he tweeted. At least 59 people were killed and 72 injured Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching burning of Ravana effigy was run over by a train. The train was coming from Punjab's Jalandhar city when the accident occurred at Joda Phatak near Amritsar, where at least 300 people were watching 'Ravana dahan' at a ground adjacent to the tracks. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also wrote to his Indian counterpart Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending his condolence over the incident. "Sri Lanka stands in solidarity with the people of ..
Name villages declared 'drought-free': Maharashtra Congress to BJP
Challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that 16,000 villages in Maharashtra have become 'drought-free', the state Congress on Saturday demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party government release the list of all these villages.
Families wiped out, loved ones perish in Amritsar train tragedy
In the death of 59 people in the Amritsar train tragedy on Friday evening, a bigger tragedy has struck many families: their sole breadwinners have died; and in several cases, children are still trying to find their parents.
Actors, singers express grief over Amritsar tragedy
Many Punjabi actors and singers, including Diljit Dosanjh and Kapil Sharma, condoled the death of revellers, who were mowed down by a train in Amritsar while participating in Dussehra celebrations. "I am saddened by the Amritsar train accident. May God give courage to the families of victims and I pray for fast recovery of the injured," tweeted actor and comedian Kapil Sharma, who hails from Punjab's Amritsar district. Famous singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh expressed grief over the tragedy. "Deeply hurt and saddened by the terrible train tragedy in Amritsar. It's heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to the families of victims. My prayers with the affected ones for (their) quick recovery (sic)," Dosanjh tweeted. In another statement on Twitter, Punjabi actor Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi, who had unsuccessfully contested 2017 Punjab assembly elections on AAP ticket, said, "My deepest condolences to the families of victims of Amritsar tragedy... Saddened and distressed by death of innocent .
Amritsar tragedy not 'railway accident', no statutory inquiry: Railway Board chairman
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will not probe the Amritsar tragedy in which a train mowed down 59 Dussehra revellers, with the Railway Board chairman saying Saturday it was not a railway accident but a case of trespassing on rail tracks. The Commission of Railway Safety works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and conducts mandatory inquiry into all railway accidents - at unmanned level crossings, derailments or after a bridge collapse. "The Commission conducts statutory investigation into railway accidents. This was an incident where people were trespassing on the tracks and not an accident," Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani said. The railways has maintained that it was not at fault because it had no information about the Dussehra event. Earlier, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha ruled out any punitive action by his department. "The incident was not a railways' fault. There was no lapse on our part and no action against the ...
Auto-rickshaw fuel tank explodes in Mumbai, explosives experts probe
At least three persons were injured when the fuel tank of an auto-rickshaw suddenly exploded as it was being refuelled at a CNG station in Kandivali West here on Saturday morning, police said.
CWC monitoring Brahmaputra, Siang rivers
Central Water Commission (CWC) officials are closely monitoring the water levels in the Brahmaputra and Siang following fears about sudden bursting of an artificial lake formed by a landslide on the Tibetan side a few days ago.
Massive landslide blocks Jammu-Srinagar highway
A massive landslide on Saturday blocked the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Ramban district, leaving a number of vehicles stranded, officials said. The nearly 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country. The landslide occurred near Ramsoo town in Ramban, the officials said. No vehicle was passing by when the landslide took place, they said. "The concerned agency (has) pressed its men and machines (into service) and efforts are underway to restore the traffic (movement) on the highway," deputy superintendent of police (national highway) Vishal Manhas told PTI. He said it will take at least five hours to clear the highway. Meanwhile, the Mughal Road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian district, was reopened. It was closed for several hours due to snowfall in Peer Ki Gali area on Friday night. The snow was cleared and the stranded vehicles were allowed ..
Amritsar train accident: Kin of injured, killed search for loved ones at hospitals
Many panic-stricken family members of those killed or wounded in the Amritsar train accident searched frantically from one hospital to another to know about the fate of their loved ones as the festive spirit drowned in sorrow and shock following the tragic incident. At least 59 people were killed Friday evening after a crowd of Dussehra revellers that had spilled onto railway tracks while watching the burning of the Ravana effigy was run over by a train near Joda Phatak in Amritsar. "My son, Jugu, is missing since the train accident. I went to Civil Hospital and Guru Govind Hospital, but I am unable to find him," Sushila, who lives in a nearby area, told PTI. Lakhmeet, another person who was looking for his brother-in-law and found him in a hospital, said: "I was shocked when I heard about the train accident. I got a call from home that my brother-in-law Sujeet, who went out to watch Dussehra celebrations last evening, had not come back home. "All family members rushed to Guru Govind .
Amritsar train tragedy similar to Thalaserry's in 1986
Friday's Amritsar's train tragedy is similar to the one that happened in 1986 in Kerala's Thalaserry, where an Express train ran through revellers, leaving several dead and injured in its trail, recalled a senior journalist here on Saturday.
Indonesia ignored warning about soil instability before quake
Geologists had warned Indonesian authorities regarding soil instability in the region on Sulawesi Island that was affected by an earthquake and a tsunami in September, experts said on Saturday.
Container truck rams into Mumbai flyover, no casualties
A massive iron girder of an under construction flyover crashed down after a container trailer rammed into it here on Saturday, officials said.
Farooq, Omar condole loss of live in Amritsar train accident
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and party leader Omar Abdullah Saturday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Amritsar train accident. Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, the two leaders prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the families to bear the loss, a party spokesperson said. At least 59 people were killed after 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 in Amritsar. The spokesperson said the leaders also prayed for early recovery of those injured in the tragic accident.
Cong questions success of Jalyukt Shivar scheme in Maharashtra
Despite the BJP-led Maharashtra government's vaunted Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, a water conservation scheme, groundwater levels have fallen alarmingly in the state, the Congress said Saturday. A government survey reveals that groundwater levels have fallen by more than one metre in around 14,000 villages, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said here. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the state government's Jalyukt Shivar Yojana Friday, saying that it helped 16,000 villages to become drought-free and works under the scheme were underway in another 9,000 villages, Sawant noted. "The government has claimed to have spent Rs 7,500 crore on Jalyukt Shivar works. Where has the money gone? The government must disclose the names of 25,000 villages which it claims are drought-free," the Congress leader said. While the government claimed that number of tankers supplying drinking water has decreased by 80 per cent, tankers are still supplying water in several places, he claimed. A ...
Assam bus accident kills 7
At least seven persons were killed and 21 injured on Saturday when a speeding bus turned turtle and fell into a pond in Assam's Nalbari district, police said. The driver of the speeding Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) bus lost control of the vehicle in the Adabari area following which it overturned and rolled down the road to fall into a pond at around 3.30 pm. The locals have been assisting the police and local administration in the rescue operation. Seven bodies, including those of three women, have been recovered from the accident site while 21 others with serious injuries have been rescued and sent to hospital. Police said there were around 50 passengers in the bus when the accident occurred and there is a possibility that some could still be trapped inside. The bus was on its way to Barpeta from Guwahati via Mukalmua.
South Africa highway crash kills at least 27, including kids
South Africa's government said at least 27 people, including children, have been killed in a multi-vehicle accident in Limpopo province. The statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa's office said a minibus, truck and delivery vehicle crashed on Friday on a major highway between Mookgophong and Kranskop. Ramaphosa said, "It is all the more worrying considering that barely a month ago 11 people lost their lives on the same stretch of road when a bus overturned." Neither the presidency nor emergency responder ER24 released details on what caused the accident. South Africa's Road Traffic Management Corporation says 14,050 traffic deaths were recorded in 2017 alone.