Page 427 - Disaster Accident
At least seven dead in Morocco train crash
A passenger train derailed Tuesday near the Moroccan capital Rabat killing at least seven people and injuring over 80 others, officials said. "Regrettably, seven people died," regional health director Abdelmoula Boulamizat told the official MAP news agency. National railway company boss Mohamed Rabie Khlie earlier gave a death toll of six, including the driver and his assistant, and said 86 people were injured. Seven seriously injured people were receiving treatment in Rabat military hospital, with four in intensive care, MAP reported. A short statement from the ONCF national railway company said "an investigation has been opened to determine the causes of the accident" and pledged to provide more information when it had it. The crash occurred some 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Rabat between the towns of Kenitra and Sale. An AFP photographer saw rescue teams work to retrieve bodies from the overturned train after its carriages had toppled across the tracks. Railway boss Khlie ...
ArcelorMittal factory in Spain evacuated after fire
MADRID (Reuters) - A fire broke out at an ArcelorMittal factory in northern Spain on Tuesday, prompting an evacuation but causing no injuries, the world's largest steel producer said on Twitter.
9 more dengue cases in Lucknow
Nine more positive cases of dengue were reported from Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow on Tuesday, taking the total tally to 150 since the outbreak of the disease in the state.The latest report comes after the state's health department launched a campaign against the disease.Out of nine affected, four have been admitted to the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in the city. Most of the patients, diagnosed with the mosquito-borne viral disease, are from Gomti Nagar.In recent times, there has been a spurt in dengue cases not only in Uttar Pradesh but in other states as well. In Himachal Pradesh, nearly 100 cases of dengue were confirmed from Kangra district till October 10. Similarly, 10 positive cases were reported from Karnataka.
Two pilots killed in Ukraine fighter jet crash: military
Ukraine's General Staff said Tuesday that two pilots died when a Sukhoi fighter jet crashed during large-scale military exercises with the United States and other NATO countries. "A Sukhoi-27 plane crashed at around 5:00pm local time (1400 GMT) during a training flight," the General Staff said on its Facebook page, adding that "the bodies of the two pilots have been found.
Pak Navy commissions indigenously built 17,000-tonne fleet tanker
Pakistan Navy Tuesday commissioned an indigenously built 17,000-tonne fleet tanker - the biggest warship ever constructed at Karachi Shipyard - to its fleet, strengthening the country's maritime defence. The ship named PNS Moawin was commissioned at the Pakistan Navy Dockyard during a ceremony attended by President Arif Alvi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, Dawn newspaper reported. The ship is "capable of performing a variety of maritime operations including the provision of logistic support to other ships at sea by transferring fuel and other important military cargo," the paper said, quoting a statement issued by the navy's media wing. "PNS Moawin can transport two helicopters," it said, adding that the ship can also provide overseas support during any humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. President Alvi said the development of the maritime sector will enhance the country's exports, generate employment and increase foreign ...
'Concrete block on your chest': Russian cosmonaut recounts failed space launch
Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin on Tuesday said the G-force during last week's emergency landing of the Soyuz spacecraft felt like a concrete block on his chest but he and NASA astronaut Nick Hague are now in "great" health. Ovchinin and Hague were forced to make an emergency landing after an accident on their rocket minutes after blast-off to the International Space Station, with the rapid deceleration subjecting them to a painful G-force overload. In an interview with state Rossiya-24 television, Ovchinin said that "the direction of this (G-force) overload during the descent was from the chest to the back, so imagine that somebody put a big concrete block on your chest that is seven times your weight." The 47-year-old cosmonaut who has already flown into space once before in 2016, nevertheless said that the G-force was "not that big, a bit less than 7G." 7G is below what cosmonauts have to withstand during training and has not caused long-term ill-effects. "I am feeling well, so .
Snake appears in apron area of Islamabad international airport, creates panic among staff
In a rare incident, a snake appeared in the apron area of the newly-built Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on Tuesday, creating confusion and panic among the on-duty ground staff, according to a media report. This is the second incident of animal being found inside the airport premises. Earlier this month, a IIA airport manager was dismissed by the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) after a video of five stray dogs, wandering outside the airport's lounge in the basement, went viral. "A snake was sighted on the IIA's apron area - commonly known as the tarmac - where airplanes are parked, loaded, fuelled and boarded," the Dawn reported. The sudden appearance of the serpent panicked on-duty staff, who scrambled for safety amidst confusion and panic, it said. According to airport staff, this was not the first time that a snake has been spotted on the Islamabad airport's premises. They alleged that the airport management "always turns a blind eye" and fails to address complaints
Adulterated sweets found hidden in vehicles carrying newspapers
The Punjab Food Safety team has found adulterated sweets hidden in two vehicles carrying newspapers, Commissioner Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Kahan Singh Pannu, said Tuesday. In the first incident, the team intercepted a vehicle at 4:30 am in Pathankot for checking. During inspection, the team found 150 kg 'boondi dana' and about 100 kg 'burfi', an official spokesman said here. The adulterated sweets were hidden in the vehicle which was carrying newspapers, he said. In another incident, the team intercepted another vehicle at Dhangu road in Pathankot and found 4.05 quintals of sweets hidden under newspapers, the spokesman said. The exercise was part of the Punjab FDA to keep a check on the distribution of adulterated food items in the state, he said.
Five killed, 22 hurt in Bengal bus accident
A bus accident in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Tuesday left five people dead and 22 injured, police said.
Six killed, 19 injured as bus falls into canal in West Bengal's Hooghly
Six persons were killed and 19 others injured when a bus fell into a canal from a bridge in Haripal village of Hooghly district Tuesday, police said. Three men and three women died when the bus, which was heading to Howrah from Arambagh with around 30 passengers, dashed against the cement railings of the bridge, breaking it, and fell into the Dakatia khal near Gojarmore at around 9 am, Hooghly Superintendent of Police, Sukesh Jain told PTI. "Six persons have died in the accident and 19 others, excluding one, are being treated at a hospital in Haripal. We have shifted one critically injured to a hospital in Kolkata," Jain said. Nobody was arrested in connection with the incident and police were looking for the driver, he said. The bus conductor was undergoing treatment at the hospital, Jain said. "Forensic experts have collected samples from the accident site. They have also collected samples from the bus and are trying to find out whether it was a mechanical snag or a fault of the ...
Passenger train engine catches fire in UP's Deoria, no casualty
The engine of BhatniVaranasi passenger train caught fire Tuesday near Bheempur village at Salempur in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, railway officials said. No one was injured in the incident and the fire was doused with the help of villagers, they said. The incident took place when the Bhatni-Varanasi passenger train 55123 reached near Bheempur village between the Pivkol and Salempur railway stations, North Eastern Railway (NER) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Sanjay Yadav said. The fire was doused and the train moved for destination with other engine at around 5.35 pm, he said. What caused the fire would be ascertained after a probe, the official said. The train driver took quick action and after asking passengers to get down, he with the help of other people, uncoupled the engine from the rest of the train, the CPRO said. "At 2.05 pm BhatniVaranasi passenger train engine caught fire between Pivkol and Salempur railway stations. After the fire was controlled with the help of
Cyclone Titli: Odisha Congress demands Rs 10 lakh to each deceased's family
The Odisha Congress on Tuesday demanded that the state government should pay Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to the family members of each deceased in the cyclone and subsequent floods.
Govt launches 'Swastha Bharat Yatra' campaign to create awareness about safe food
The government Tuesday launched a national campaign 'Swasth Bharat Yatra' on the World Food Day under which a pan-India cycle rally is being organised to sensitise people about eating safe food and be healthy, FSSAI chief executive Pawan Kumar Agarwal said. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is leading this campaign where about 7,500 cyclists are expected to participate in over 18,000 km relay cycle rally travelling across six tracks through almost every state and UT over 100 days to propagate a powerful message 'Eat Right India'. The cyclathon will culminate in the national capital on January 27. "We are not mindful of wheat we are eating. What we eat is important. Therefore, we want consumers to demand safe and healthy food which will force food businesses to manufacture only those products," Agarwal told reporters here. He said the campaign has been launched by the central government, in association with states, from October 16 on occasion of the World Food ..
3 killed in Myanmar military fighter jets crash
At least three people, including two pilots, were killed in two military fighter jets crash in Minbu township of Myanmar's Magway region on Tuesday.
ITI students support restoration activities in Ganjam district
A group of students of state-run Industrial Training Institute (ITI) have offered support to the ongoing restoration activities in cyclone and flood-hit Ganjam district in Odisha, conducting free repair work of electronic and plumbing devices. The team consisting of 11 students and training officer A K Patnaik started repair work of refrigerators, fans, TV sets and motor pumps of around 50 families in Aska town. Ganjam district was ravaged by cyclonic storm 'Titli' and subsequent floods. "Since thousands of families in the area were victims of the twin calamities, they urgently required skilled manpower. We have decided to depute more number of students to the affected areas to render services," said Rajat Kumar Panigrahy, principal ITI, Berhampur. "We have decided that they will provide services till the end of this month. If needed, this activity will be extended for another week," he said.
Road accidents kill 15 in Pakistan
Pakistani officials say at least 15 people, mostly women and schoolgirls, were killed in two separate road accidents. Police officer Mohammad Tahir said a speeding bus rammed into a van carrying schoolgirls near the city of Sargodha on Tuesday, killing six girls and the van driver, and seriously wounding three other girls. Onlookers torched the bus and block the road in protest. In a separate accident near the city of Kandhkot, an overloaded rickshaw was struck by a train, which killed six women and two children. Police officer Haider Ali says seven others were hospitalized. Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where drivers often flout traffic laws.
6 killed in Morocco train derailment
At least six people were killed and 72 were injured when a train derailed near the Moroccan capital on Tuesday, officials said.
Haasan bats for farm sector
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan Tuesday strongly batted for supporting the farm sector, saying food was more precious than gold and diamond. The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief was responding to reporters' queries on mining firm Vedanta Ltd being allotted oil blocks in Tamil Nadu, as there is strong opposition to existing hydrocarbon projects in Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts. "If there is gold and diamond under the soil besides more precious items, and if agriculture is being taken up overground, there is no need for gold and diamond as they cannot be consumed during famine," he said. The Centre had recently awarded oil and gas exploration contracts to Vedanta and ONGC, reportedly in blocks of Tamil Nadu. Vedanta Limited has reportedly won contracts for two Cauvery offshore blocks, while state-run ONGC has bagged one in Cuddalore district, under India's maiden open acreage auction. Tamil Nadu has already witnessed protests by farmers, citizens and political parties against
At least six dead in Morocco train crash: public TV
A train derailed near the Moroccan capital killing at least six people and injuring more than 70 others on Tuesday, public television 2M said. An AFP photographer at the accident scene said rescue workers were working to retrieve bodies from the overturned train. Images on social media showed carriages hurled across the tracks. The crash occurred around 20 kilometres north of Rabat between the towns of Kenitra and Sale, local media said, leaving the driver among the dead. The kingdom's national railway company ONCF was not immediately available for comment.
SRC asks collectors to make ex-gratia payment within 3-days
The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has directed the district collectors to provide ex-gratia to the next of the kin of those who died in the cyclone Titli and the resultant flood within three days. The Odisha government has earlier announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. The ex-gratia for the calamity victims is being paid from the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) "Now, it is instructed that the ex-gratia for death due to approved disasters shall be paid to the next of the kins of the deceased within a period of three days from the death," SRC B P Sethi said in a letter to the district collectors. Official sources on Monday had said that the death toll in cyclone Titli and the subsequent flood in Odisha was 27. To ensure early payment, the SRC mentioned in the letter that it is required that the ex-gratia case be expeditiously processed by the concerned revenue inspectors (RIs) and Tahasildars, sanctioned by the collectors and .