Page 424 - Disaster Accident
Indonesia quake, tsunami: 70 children still remain missing
At least 70 children were still reported missing after a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island last month, authorities said on Friday.
Railways to provide saloon coaches for commercial purposes
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has instructed the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to make Railway Reserved Accommodation (saloon coach) available for commercial purposes."Saloons are the trappings of a colonial mindset with no place in modern India," said Goyal.Earlier, saloon coaches were reserved only for railway officials. A coach usually comprises two bedrooms, a lounge, pantry, toilet, and a kitchen."It has always been his (Goyal) thinking that the Railways should provide the best possible services to the common man for which he always tries to get the feedback from the public for improvement of services of Indian Railways," the Indian Railways said.A decision was taken by the Railway Minister that these saloons may be made available for the use and travel of ordinary passengers on commercial terms. At least two saloons which were earmarked for the exclusive use of the Railway Minister will be placed immediately at the disposal of the IRCTC for use by ...
Cyclone Titli: 57 dead, 10 missing in Odisha
The death toll in Odisha due to Cyclone Titli and subsequent floods have reached 57 due to landslides, wall-collapse incidents, and drowning, the Special Relief Commission (SRC) said on Thursday.The Commission further said that at least 10 people are still missing in the wake of the natural calamity that hit the state.Apart from fatalities, 2,73,425 hectares of crops have been damaged across 17 districts of the state. Furthermore, 60.11 lakh people in 8125 villages have been affected and 57,131 houses have been damaged.The SRC said, "The Government has announced for providing gratuitous relief for fifteen days at the rate of Rs. 60 per adult and Rs 45 per child per day to all affected families of Ganjam, Gajapati and Gunupur Sub- Division of Rayagada district. Accordingly, an amount of Rs. 102.00 crores have has been released in favour of the Collectors concerned for payment as advance towards GR (Gajapati- 11.0 crore, Ganjam- 89.60 crores, Rayagada-1.40 crore)."It added that adequate
Cyclone: Odisha asks Centre for Rs 1,000 cr as interim assistance
The Odisha government asked the Centre Thursday to release an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for relief-and-restoration work in 17 districts as last week's Cyclone Titli and the subsequent flood caused a loss of about Rs 2,765 crore and affected 60.11 lakh people. Apart from a severe damage to infrastructure, the natural calamities had claimed 57 lives in the state, officials said. "I would request you to kindly consider the grave situation in the state on account of the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Titli' and its associated impacts and request you to please release an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore to the state to enable taking up relief and restoration works of immediate nature," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This apart, Patnaik mentioned in the letter that keeping in view the fact that 57,131 houses were damaged, the Government of India should consider a special allocation of the same number of houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas ..
Cyclone Titli: Pradhan accuses Odisha govt of delaying relief work
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday criticised the Odisha government for not providing proper relief to the people affected by cyclone Titli in the state.Underlining the problem being faced by the people after the cyclone hit the state, Pradhan urged the state government to help the people at the earliest."Cyclone Titli destroyed this area of Gajapati. It has been eight days since it made a landfall. Electricity has not been restored and people have not been given proper relief. The situation is not good. The administration is nowhere to be seen. I request the state government to help people," Pradhan said after visiting cyclone-affected Gajapati district in Odisha.Earlier in the day, in the wake of the widespread destruction caused by the cyclone in the state, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to release an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for relief and restoration work.The Chief Minister, in the letter, had .
India provides more humanitarian aid for Afghan reconstruction
India contributed 1998.1 tonnes of lentils (chana daal) as humanitarian aid for the reconstruction of Afghanistan at the Kabul Silo on Friday.The contribution was made by the Deputy Chief of Mission Abhishek Singh, in the presence of Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Engineer Mohammad Daher Ayub.A press release from the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan stated that India's food aid during the time of severe drought in Afghanistan would help in ensuring food security for the population of Afghanistan.In November-December 2017, India had contributed 1,10,000 tonnes of wheat to the people of Afghanistan."Both the shipments of lentils and wheat came through the Port of Chabahar in Iran and subsequently were distributed to various provinces of Afghanistan by overland transport," read the press release.This contribution of food aid has established the viability of the Chabahar Port and facilitated the trilateral agreement between India, Afghanistan and Iran for the Shaheed Behesti Terminal of ..
Cyclone Titli: Odisha CM requests Centre for assistance of Rs 1000 cr
In the wake of the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Titli in the state, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to release an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for relief and restoration work.The Chief Minister, in the letter, stated that the storm and subsequent floods have caused damage and destruction in 17 districts of Odisha, of which Gajapati district has been the worst affected.Patnaik said that his government has already submitted a Preliminary- Memorandum to the Centre estimating the requirement of funds as Rs 2770.28 crores and seeking the central assistance of Rs 2014.09 crores from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) over and above the funds available in the State Disaster Response Fund for the year 2018-19."I would request you to kindly consider the grave situation in the State on account of the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Titli' and its associated impacts and request you to please ...
PM stresses better co-ordination among disaster management wings
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday emphasized the need for better coordination among various stakeholders in disaster-management situations to save life and property.
One pilgrim killed, three injured in accident in Jammu
One Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrim was killed and three others were injured on Thursday when the bus they were travelling in hit a security barricade in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, police said. The bus was on its way to Katra from Jammu when the driver lost control of the bus and hit a security barricade at Moori Naka in Reasi, they said. Four pilgrims, hailing from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, were injured in the accident, the police said. Ratan (40), a resident of Haryana, succumbed to injuries at Katra hospital, while the others are undergoing treatment, they said.
More joint exercises needed for better coordination in disaster relief: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed Thursday on the need to hold more joint exercises by various stakeholders such as the NDMA to improve coordination between agencies in disaster relief management. Chairing the sixth meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority in New Delhi, he reviewed the activities of NDMA to effectively manage and respond to disasters. He also reviewed ongoing projects undertaken by the authority, a brief statement by the Prime Minister's Office said. Modi emphasised on the need for better coordination among various stakeholders and undertake more joint exercises to bring about effective response to save life and property. He also stressed on the need to bring in global expertise in the field of disaster management, the statement said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh were present at the meeting, along with members and officials of NDMA.
Indonesia drops disinfectant on quake-hit Palu
Indonesian authorities on Thursday used helicopters to drop disinfectant on parts of the earthquake-and-tsunami-ravaged city of Palu, where thousands of decomposing bodies are still buried beneath once-thriving neighbourhoods. The magnitude 7.5 quake and a subsequent tsunami razed swathes of the city on Sulawesi island on September 28. More than 2100 bodies have been recovered since the twin disasters. But there are fears that 5,000 more could be buried beneath the ruins in the neighbourhoods of Balaroa, Petobo and Jono Oge, which were swallowed by soil in a process known as liquefaction. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency began dousing the areas Thursday to prevent flies, cockroaches and rats spreading disease. Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement the drops were necessary due the "high number of fatalities believed to be buried under the rubble." Parks and monuments are eventually planned at these locations to remember the untold thousands of dead who will ...
MACT awards over Rs 75 L to road accident victims
A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded over Rs 75 lakh as compensation to the victims of a road accident which resulted in the death of a woman and injured six others. MACT presiding officer Pawan Kumar Jain asked New India Assurance Company Limited, insurer of the offending vehicle, to pay a total of Rs 75,96,482, including the interest to the victims and the next of kin of the deceased woman. The tribunal clubbed together seven pleas on behalf of the victims and awarded varying compensation amounts to the affected persons based on the injuries suffered by them. "Since the offending vehicle was insured with respondent no. 2 (The New India Assurance Company Ltd.) it is directed to deposit the award amount of Rs 18,67,000, Rs 5,48,000, Rs 40,41,000, Rs 3,29,000, Rs 77,000, Rs 46,000 and Rs 92,000 with interest @ 9 per cent per annum from the date of filing of claim petitions i.e. 30.10.2017 till realisation of the amount, within 30 days," the tribunal said. It also said ...
Hillary Clinton apparently unharmed in parking-garage crash
Hillary Clinton appears to have been unharmed when the Secret Service vehicle she was riding in was involved in a crash. The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate was headed to a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey in Jersey City on Tuesday night. The vehicle pulled into a parking garage, made a left turn and hit a concrete crossbeam. Clinton emerged from the van and walked to the fundraiser, where she was the featured guest. The Secret Service says no injuries were reported, and the Jersey City Police Department is investigating. In its accident report, police say the driver told them she drove into the garage and struck a concrete crossbeam that was not marked with its height. All passengers refused medical attention.
Truck rams into Rajdhani Express in MP; 2 coaches derail
Passengers of the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express had a narrow escape Thursday when a speeding truck breached a level crossing here and rammed into the train, derailing two of its coaches, officials said. One person travelling in the truck was killed, but it was not clear whether he was the driver, they said, adding that no passenger on the train was injured. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ratlam, R N Shankar, said it is "not a simple accident" and an investigation would be conducted. "Fortunately, the truck hit the coaches near the toilet and no one was there at that time. Had it hit the part of the compartment which has berths, it could have caused injury to passengers," he said. The accident took place between 6.30 and 6.45 am when the truck rammed into the train after breaking the closed level crossing gate on Sajeli road between Thandla and Meghnagar railway stations under Western Railway, Jhabua district's Superintendent of Police Mahesh Chandra Jain said. The Rajdhani ...
Pilgrim killed in J&K accident
A pilgrim headed to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine was killed and three others injured on Thursday in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, police said.
Indonesia drops disinfectant on quake-obliterated villages
Indonesia's disaster agency says helicopters are dropping disinfectant on neighbourhoods in the earthquake- and tsunami-stricken city of Palu to reduce disease risks from the thousands of victims believed buried in obliterated communities. The agency said Thursday that 430 hectares (1.7 square miles) of land and nearly 3,500 homes succumbed to liquefaction when the Sept. 28 earthquake turned soft soil to mud. Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement the disinfectant is necessary because of the large number of victims not recovered by the search and rescue effort that ended on October 12. Officials say the destroyed Palu neighborhoods of Balaroa and Petobo, and Jono Oge in neighboring Sigi district, cannot be redeveloped. Balaroa and Petobo will be turned into green spaces with monuments to those who perished.
Japan's firms fret over potential hit from trade woes, BOJ warns
TOKYO (Reuters) - Many Japanese companies have avoided a direct hit from escalating trade frictions so far, but they increasingly worry their business will be impacted, central bank officials said on Thursday.
Landslide hits Nilgiris mountain rail service
The operation of the Nilgiris Mountain Rail (NMR) from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam was cancelled midway on Thursday following landslide between Kallar and Hillgrove railway stations. The train, with 200 passengers, had left Mettupalayam at 7.10 AM and had to stop following the natural calamity, sources in the railways said. The train took the passengers back to Kallar and the railways arranged buses for the travellers to Udhagamandalam, the sources said. Work on the restoration of the rail service was on, they said. The landslide led to the cancellation of trains from Udhagamandalam to Ketty and from Coonoor to Udhgamandalam for the day, they added.
Odisha cyclone and flood loss rises to Rs 2,765 cr
The Odisha government Thursday said cyclone Titli and subsequent floods caused a loss of about Rs 2,765 crore and affected 60.11 lakh people. Apart from severe damage to infrastructure, the cyclone and floods have taken 57 lives, officials said. Ahead of submitting a memorandum to the Central government to seek interim assistance for cyclone and floods, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said the twin calamity caused an estimated loss of over Rs 2,765 crore. On the impact of the calamity on agriculture, Sethi said the cyclone and subsequent flood have damaged crop in 2.6 lakh hectare of land and destroyed 56,930 houses, and killed 34,951 domestic animals. He said 60.11 lakh people in 8,125 villages under 128 blocks spread over 17 districts -- Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khurda, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Puri, Angul and Rayagada -- were affected in the twin calamities. The SRC said of the 57 ...
Saudi suspect in Khashoggi case killed in accident: Turkish daily
A Turkish daily reported on Thursday that one of the suspects involved in the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in a "suspicious car accident" in Riyadh.