Page 431 - Disaster Accident
'European spacecraft set to unravel mysteries of Mercury'
A UK-built spacecraft will set off for Mercury this week in a first mission of its kind to determine if the nearest planet to the Sun contains water. The European Space Agency's (ESA) BepiColombo mission will send two orbiters to explore the fiery world where the surface temperatures reach about 450 degrees Celsius. "There are some interesting quirks about Mercury that we still don't understand," said Professor Emma Bunce from the University of Leicester in the UK, which built one of the instruments on board. The mission is hoped to answer questions raised by the previous missions such as whether the planet holds water, 'The Telegraph' reported. Despite being very close to the Sun, the tilt of Mercury means some areas are permanently in shade and temperatures can fall to minus 180 degrees Celsius, allowing ice to form on the planet. Researchers also want to learn more about Mercury's magnetic field. It was thought that the planet was solid all the way through, however, previous ...
Epidemic outbreak feared in Odisha's Ganjam district
Fear of an epidemic outbreak is looming large in Ganjam district following Cyclone Titli and the subsequent flood even as a senior health official said no such outbreak has been reported from any of the affected areas of the district. Though the flood water have started receding, heaps of debris are lying in several areas, including worst-hit Aska, Purushottampur and Sorada, posing a serious health hazard. "There are chances of getting infected by water and vector-borne diseases like typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, hepatitis A and E in the affected areas," health experts said. As stagnant water is the source of breeding of mosquitoes and other insects, chance of outbreak of diseases like malaria, dengue and skin allergy is high in the affected area, said Secretary of Berhampur branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kiran Kumar Panigrahy. Fever, abdominal pains, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and fatigue are some of the early symptoms for both water-borne and ...
Indian killed in New Zealand car crash
A 25-year-old Indian man has been killed in a car crash in New Zealand's Queenstown, the media reported.
Six dead as heavy storms hit southeastern France
At least six people died after heavy storms swamped parts of southwestern France, flooding rivers and cutting roads, officials said Monday. The Aude department, which includes the fortress city of Carcassonne, was particularly badly hit. One woman was swept to her death by rising waters in the Aude village of Villardonnel, and at least four died overnight in Villegailhenc, local authorities said. A sixth person also died in the department, authorities added without providing details. The Aude river reached flood levels not seen in over 100 years, the French agency responsible for monitoring water levels, Vigicrues, said. One person was also injured when a house collapsed in Cuxac, local official Alain Thirion said on television. Firemen responded to more than 250 calls overnight, as 160 to 180 mm of rain fell in Carcassonne, he added. In the villages north of Carcassonne, all roads were cut, schools closed, and people were asked to stay at home. In Conques, there was up to two metres .
Air India crew member falls off aircraft in Mumbai
A senior woman crew member fell off an Air India plane at the Mumbai airport as it was preparing for a flight to New Delhi, official sources said on Monday.
Air quality continues to plunge in Delhi- NCR
The air quality in New Delhi and its surrounding areas continued to remain between moderate and poor on Monday with a drop in airspeed, according to the data released by the National Air Quality Index.The latest data showed the major pollutants PM 2.5 and PM 10 at 168 and 224 in Delhi's Lodhi Road area. The levels are marked hazardous.In Mumbai, the Air Quality Index hovered at 170, which is unhealthy.With pollution levels rising in both New Delhi and Mumbi, the Central Pollution Control Board is set to implement an emergency action plan to combat the situation. The emergency plan is likely to implement stringent actions against stubble burning, regular water sprinkling in open areas, ban on diesel vehicles etc.
14 labourers injured in bridge collapse in Odisha
At least 14 labourers were injured, three of them seriously, when an under-construction bridge collapsed at Bonai in Sundargarh district, the police said. The incident occurred when one of the five spans of the bridge came crashing down injuring 14 workers near Kunjipani on NH-215 on Sunday. The span that crashed was completed on Saturday, they said. The injured were admitted to the Bonai sub-divisional hospital and three of them with serious injuries later shifted to the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). Efforts are on to ascertain the circumstances that led to the collapse of the bridge which is being constructed by the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC), they said.
Shahjahanpur building collapse: Contractor arrested, FIR filed
The contractor of an under-construction building that collapsed in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur was arrested on Monday.An FIR has also been registered in the case. "The contractor has been arrested. However, the owner hasn't been traced yet. An investigation is underway," said Amrit Tripathi, District Magistrate.One person was killed and 14 were injured after the under-construction building collapsed on Sunday around 3:30 PM.Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were dispatched from Lucknow for assisting in the relief work.
Japan manufacturers' mood rises, trade worries weigh on outlook: Reuters Tankan
TOKYO (Reuters) - Confidence among Japanese manufacturers rose in October from September and is expected to remain flat over the coming three months, a Reuters poll found, suggesting caution over the effect of global trade frictions on the economic outlook.
Plane crash in Germany kills 3
At least three people were killed and another eight injured on Sunday when a small propeller plane crashed into a group of people at an airfield in the central German state of Hesse, police officials reported.
4 killed in Bangladesh landslides
At least four people including three of the same family were killed after rain-triggered landslides struck their houses in Bangladesh's southeastern Chattogram city on Sunday.
UK, France, Germany call for probe into missing Saudi journalist
The Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany on Sunday expressed serious concerns about the fate of a missing Saudi Arabian journalist and called for an investigation into the case.
Cyclone Titli: Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for kin of Gajapati landslide victims
An ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the families of those who lost their lives due to landslide in Odisha's Mahendragiri hills on October 11."Electricity restoration work is near completion and water supply has been resumed in Ganjam district. Due to the cyclone and rainfall, 2.13 lakh hectares of crop area has been damaged in Odisha. We have received reports that landslide in Mahendragiri hills claimed 15 lives. We will sanction Rs 4 lakh for kin of deceased after we get report from the district officer," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi told ANI.As per information, amidst cyclone, at least 16 to 18 persons of five families including women and children were shifted in a school building situated adjacent to the Mahendragiri Hill.While families successfully passed cyclone Titli, a portion of the hill, which had weakened due to heavy rain, fell on the school building, claiming 15 lives.Cyclone Titli has now weakened into 'deep depression'. The cyclone has also ..
1 killed, 14 injured in Shahjahanpur building collapse
At least one person got killed and 14 were injured after an under-construction building in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur collapsed on Sunday.The two-story building collapsed around 3:30 PM.Of 14 injured, two are said to be in serious condition and have been sent to Lucknow for medical treatment.Three people are still suspected to be trapped under the debris.Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been dispatched from Lucknow for assisting in relief work. The district magistrate is at the scene with his team.
Odisha govt failed to make proper arrangements to deal with Cyclone Titli: Opposition
The Opposition BJP and the Congress on Sunday accused the BJD government in Odisha of failing to make proper arrangements to deal with Cyclone Titli and the subsequent floods in the state. Union Minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan in a statement said the manner in which the state government responded to the calamity showed its "poor preparedness" in tackling it. The death toll due to the storm mounted to 24 on Sunday after two more bodies were pulled out of rubble brought in by a landslide in Gajapati district caused by incessant rains due to Cyclone Titli. While 13 bodies were found on Saturday night, two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble Sunday morning. People in many parts of the state were badly hit by the Cyclone and floods, and "irresponsible" statements by the ruling party leaders and officials had been causing more pain for them, Pradhan said, adding for the calamity-hit people, statements by some ministers and officers had simply rubbed "salt to the wound". A ..
Two workers killed as roof of under-construction building collapses: DM
Two labourers were killed and several others injured Sunday as the roof of an under-construction building they were working in collapsed, an official said. Labourers identified as Manoj Sharma, 25, and Parmeshwar, 22, were killed in the incident, District Magistrate Amrit Tripathi said. Sixteen persons have been rescued so far from the debris, while one is still trapped in it, he said, adding the efforts are on to extricate him. Earlier Sadar Sub Divisional Magistrate Ramji Mishra said, "The roof of an under-construction building of a private inter-college collapsed when over a dozen labourers were working in it. " The incident occurred in an area under Ram Chandra Mission police station in the district, he said, adding the rescue work has already been started. "JCB machines and cranes have been pressed into service to rescue them," he said. All the injured persons were sent for treatment to nearby hospitals, the SDM said, adding the rescue work is still going on.
Death toll climbs to 24 as flood situation improves in Odisha
The death toll in Cyclone Titli-hit Odisha rose to 24 Sunday after two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble brought by a landslide in Gajapati district, even as the flood situation in the state improved marginally, officials said. Heavy rains pounded Odisha over the last three days following the cyclone's landfall on Gopalpur in the southwestern part of the state. Fifteen people were killed in the Friday landslide in Gajapati's Barghar area, around 50 km from the district headquarters town of Paralakhemundi, Sub-Divisional Police Officer T P Patra said. He said while 13 bodies were found Saturday night, two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble Sunday morning. Besides those killed in the landslide, flood and rain related incidents claimed three lives in Gajapati, and four and two in Ganjam and Khandamal districts respectively, the officials said. The flood situation in Odisha has improved marginally, making it easier for the administration to expedite relief and restoration ..
Saudi Arabia to hit back if US imposes sanctions
Saudi Arabia threatened on Sunday to hit back if the US were to impose sanctions on Riyadh in the wake of the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, according to the state-run SPA news agency.
Air India Express plane may have overshot runway before takeoff
The Dubai-bound Air India Express Boeing plane seems to have overshot the normal take-off point as tyre marks have been found between the end of the runway and the compound wall of the Trichy airport in Tamil Nadu, officials said on Sunday.
Bodies of mountaineers reach Kathmandu
The bodies of nine climbers who died on a Himalayan peak in western Nepal after their camp was devastated by a severe storm were taken back to Kathmandu on Sunday.