Page 433 - Disaster Accident
10 killed as SUV collides with truck in Chhattisgarh
Ten people were killed and four others injured Sunday when their SUV collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Rajanandgaon district, police said. The accident took place in the early hours on Rajnandgaon-Durg road when the victims, most of them from one family, were returning after offering prayers at the Maa Bamleshwari Temple in Dongargarh town during the ongoing Navratri festival, a local police official told PTI. As per preliminary information, when the driver of the sports utility vehicle (SUV) tried to overtake another vehicle, it collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction near Somni village, around 55 km from here, he said. Nine people travelling in the SUV died on the spot while another person succumbed to injuries while being taken to a local hospital, the official said. A police team rushed to the spot and admitted an injured child to a hospital in Rajnandgaon while three other people were shifted to a hospital in Bhilai town, he said, adding the victims
Bodies of nine climbers killed on Nepal peak found
A rescue team Sunday began retrieving the bodies of nine climbers killed in a violent storm on Nepal's Mount Gurja, a freak accident that has left the mountaineering community reeling. A helicopter dropped four mountain guides at the camp where the South Korean climbing expedition was staying when powerful winds and snow swept through, killing the entire team and scattering their bodies as far as 500 metre (1,640 foot) away. "All nine bodies have been found and the team are in the process of bringing them down," said Siddartha Gurung, a chopper pilot who is coordinating the retrieval mission. Attempts to reach the remote site in the Dhaulagiri mountain range in Nepal's Annapurna region on Saturday were hampered by strong winds. Gurung did manage to reach the area and described a scene of total destruction. "Base camp looks like a bomb went off," said Dan Richards of Global Rescue, a US-based emergency assistance group that will be helping with the retrieval effort. The expedition was .
Rescue efforts continue in US amid hurricane Michael devastation
Amid the devastation caused by hurricane Michael, rescue operations in the southeastern US have focused on Mexico Beach and Panama City, two Florida towns that were nearly flattened and that could raise the death toll from the storm, which has taken at least 17 lives.
Stubble burning adversely affects health: IMA president
Underlining the adverse impact of stubble burning on a person's health, Ravi Wankhedkar, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has advised people to stay indoors or wear N-95 masks at the time when smog envelops the region around November.Speaking to ANI, Wankhedkar said that burning of crop residue leads to respiratory diseases like Tuberculosis and is equally harmfully for diabetic and cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy."Stubble burning leads to respiratory diseases like Tuberculosis. People must stay indoors and those who go out must wear N-95 masks," he said.As the harvest season is around the corner, the threat of air pollution in the northern region is looming due to the burning of paddy stubble in the neighbouring states.Despite the prohibition on the burning of crop residue, stubble burning has been witnessed in several adjoining states of the Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).The air quality in Delhi usually starts plummeting during October-November
Guatemala Fuego eruption is over: Officials
The eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano ended Saturday, an official source said, with locals escaping a repeat of June's eruption that killed 190. However, mild to moderate explosions sent smoke swirling up to 940 metres above the crater, while a lava flow measuring 1,200 metres continued. "All of this activity is expected to disappear in the coming hours," said a bulletin from Guatemala's government agency for seismology (Insivumeh), without ruling out that it could pick up again in coming days. The latest eruption began in the early hours of Friday, with 62 people evacuated and a highway near the 3,763 metre volcano, 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Guatemala City, closed. Guatemala's disaster management agency CONRED said two other volcanoes are also being monitored. The Pacaya volcano, located 20 kilometres south of the capital, and the Santiaguito volcano, 117 kilometres west of Guatemala City, have both showed increased activity. A powerful June 3 eruption of the Fuego volcano --
7 killed in road accident in UP
Seven people were killed and 35 others injured in a collision between a pickup van and a private bus near Madaripur village here on Saturday night, police said. The accident occurred in the Uchahar police station area. Five persons died on the spot, they said. Two persons succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, police said, adding the rest of the wounded are undergoing treatment. Four of the seriously injured people have been referred to Lucknow. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 each for the injured, a senior official said in Lucknow. He also directed the official concerned to provide proper medical care to the injured persons.
Rahul Gandhi condoles loss of lives due to cyclone Titli
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday condoled the loss of lives in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh due to cyclone Titli and asked party men in the states to provide all possible assistance to the affected people. "The news about the loss of lives due to the cyclone in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh is very sad. My sympathies are with the families of the victims. I urge my party colleagues to provide all possible assistance to the affected families," he said in a Facebook post. Fifteen people have been killed in Odisha in cyclone-related incidents. 16 districts have been affected by the deadly storm and the resulting flooding. The devastating cyclone also hit north coastal Andhra Pradesh, badly damaging the infrastructure and derailing normal life in the region, especially in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.
AI Express' pilots' decision to continue the flight dubious: Experts
Even as an official investigation into the Air India Express' Trichy take-off incident has commenced, the aviation fraternity has cited the pilots' decision as "dubious" and "dangerous" to carry on with the flight even after traffic controllers advised him otherwise.
12 killed in landslide in cyclone Titli-hit Odisha
At least 12 people were killed in a landslide triggered by cyclone Titli-induced heavy rain in Odisha's Gajapati district, raising the death toll due to the deadly storm to 15 in the state, officials said Saturday. The landslide occurred at Baraghara in the hilly Rayagada block where some villagers had taken shelter in a cave following very heavy rain on Thursday evening, a senior official said. The toll could increase further as three others are feared trapped under the debris. Some houses and other structures were also damaged in the landslide, he said. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who conducted an aerial survey of Gajapati and two other districts, said, "I extend my deepest condolence to the bereaved families." Senior BJD leader and former Union minister Chandra Shekhar Sahu, who visited the site, said he saw around a dozen bodies and the toll may go up. He said the local authorities had advised the villagers to move to safe shelters before the cyclone, but they apparently ...
Inquiry committee starts probe into accident on Jammu-Srinagar highway
An inquiry committee led by Transport Commissioner S P Vaid Saturday visited the site of an accident on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in which 22 people were killed last week. The committee visited the accident site at Kela Morh in Ramban district to conduct an in-depth probe, a government spokesman said. It investigated the reasons behind the accident to fix the responsibility, if any, and discussed measures to be taken to prevent recurrence of such accidents on the national highway, especially in Doda and Kishtwar, he said. Twenty-two persons were killed and 14 injured when an overloading mini-bus skidded off the road and fell into a 300-feet gorge on October 6. Following the accident, the government had constituted the inquiry committee to probe the accident and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Centre yet to give nod to ministers' visit abroad to mobilise
The scheduled visit of Kerala ministers to 17 countries next week to mobilise funds from expatriates for flood relief work seems to have run into a roadblock with the Centre yet to give the green signal. "The union government has given the nod for the visit of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,but not yet granted permission for that of the ministers," an official at the Chief Minister's office said here Saturday. "We hope that Centre's nod for the trip will come soon", he said. Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues are scheduled to visit various foreign countries, for for five days from October 17 to mobilise funds from the expatriate community to rebuild the flood battered state. Vijayan had said on October 3 that each minister would visit different countries from October 17 to 21, including in the Gulf and Europe. As per the plan, Vijayan would visit Abdu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah on October 17, 19 and 20. The objective is to consolidate and collect aid from non-resident ...
Naveen Patnaik conducts aerial survey of rain-battered Odisha
In the wake of Cyclone Titli, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada.Speaking to media after conducting the survey, Patnaik said a relief package would soon be announced for those affected by the floods."Relief work and restoration are underway. I shall have a meeting this evening in Bhubaneswar after which I will announce a package for flood-affected people. Once we do a detailed research into this then we will decide how much fund to ask from the Centre," he noted.Two Naval Chetak helicopters which were positioned at AD College Gopalpur on Friday were deployed on Saturday morning to provide relief support to the Odisha government.The helicopters are operating from Rangeilunda helipad and dropping food supply to accessible areas of Ganjam and Gajapati districts. About 19 locations identified by the district administration are being supplied food. Operations are being coordinated by ..
Oppn parties criticise Odisha govt for "failing" to tackle calamities, CM says 'they can do so'
The opposition can criticise the government, but the state machinery is busy in relief and rescue operations following Cyclone Titli and the resultant floods, Odisha Chief Mister Naveen Patnaik said on Saturday in response to allegation that the BJD dispensation "failed" to tackle the calamities. The Opposition parties alleged that despite India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on October 9 about the cyclone and the subsequent floods, the Odisha government "failed" to tackle the situation. "If the Opposition wants to criticise, they can do so. We are busy in relief and rehabilitation work in cyclone and flood-hit areas," Patnaik told reporters when asked about the opposition attack on the state government. Claiming that the disaster was the "biggest single calamity" after the super cyclone of 1999, Patnaik said this time the wind velocity was more than 160 km per hour. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in a statement said the wind velocity was at 165 km/hour and was a very ...
12 feared dead in landslide in cyclone-hit Odisha
The Odisha government on Saturday rushed a team of rescuers after local media reported that 12 persons, including five children, lost their lives while four others were missing due to a landslide in Gajapati district.
Revival of Dhanbad-Chandrapura rail route not possible: Goyal
Railway minister Piyush Goyal Saturday said there is no chance of revival of 34-km-long Dhanbad-Chandrapura rail route in East Central Railway's (ECR's) Dhanbad Railway Division due to underground mines fire. The minister who was here on a day-long visit to coal mine fire affected areas in Jharia, while talking to the media said a new railway line, between the two major railway stations - Dhanbad and Chandrapura, would be laid soon for the sake of the passengers of the region. The Railway board closed the 34-km-long Dhanbad-Chandrapura rail line on June 15, 2017 due to coal mine fire under the railway track between Dhanbad and Chandrapura. A total of 26 mail and express trains were either cancelled or diverted following the decision and people, MPs, MLAs of (ruling and opposition) parties have been demanding revival of the route since then. "Movement of trains on this track is not possible due to danger of underground mines fire and it is dangerous for passengers. So ..
Fire in SBI branch in Delhi
A fire broke out on the first floor of the State Bank of India branch in Northwest Delhi's Keshav Puram area Saturday, the Delhi Fire Service said. The department received a call at 9.15 am and 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. It took an hour to douse the flames, a senior officer of the Delhi Fire Service said. No injury or casualty was reported in the incident, police said. The cash room, manager's cabin and other essential records are safe. However, the interiors, computers and furniture were damaged in the fire, a police officer said. Police said a short circuit led to the blaze.
Himachal to get 3 disaster response companies: CM
The Himachal Pradesh would establish three companies under the state disaster response force on analogy of the National Disaster Response Force for prompt action at the time of a disaster, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday.
27 dead in floods, landslides on Indonesia's Sumatra island
Torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing at least 27 people, including a dozen children at a school, officials said Saturday. A flash flood with mud and debris from landslides struck Mandailing Natal district in North Sumatra province and smashed an Islamic school in Muara Saladi village, where 29 children were swept away on Friday afternoon, said local police chief Irsan Sinuhaji. He said rescuers retrieved the bodies of 11 children from mud and rubble hours later. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency's spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said rescuers and villagers managed to rescue 17 other children and several teachers on Friday and pulled out the body of a child on Saturday near Aek Saladi river, close to the school. A video obtained by The Associated Press showed relatives crying besides their loved ones at a health clinic where the bodies of the children were lying, covered with blankets. Nugroho said two bodies were ...
Patnaik announces monetary relief for people hit by Cyclone Titli, floods
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced a monetary relief on Saturday to be paid for 15 days to people affected by Cyclone Titli and the resultant flooding in Ganjam and Gajapati districts and Gunupur sub-division of Rayagada district. Patnaik made the announcement after an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas of Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada districts earlier Saturday. "On an average a family of four will be assisted with more than Rs 3,000 as relief," Patnaik told reporters in Bhubaneswar. He said the relief amount will be provided at the rate of Rs 60 per adult and Rs 45 per child per day for 15 days. He said the cyclone did the maximum damage to agriculture crops, roads and trees, adding a damage assessment will begin after immediate relief and restoration measures are completed. The chief minister said road connectivity and power supply to 90 per cent of cyclone-hit areas will be restored within 48 hours. Power supply to rest of the affected-areas will be ensured in ...
Animal welfare body urges Centre, states to include animals in disaster management plans
An animal protection body on Saturday asked the Centre and states to prepare specific plans with required financial and technical resources to protect animals and the livelihood of the people from any disaster in the future. On the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction, World Animal Protection asked the Centre to set up a Veterinary Emergency Fund. It also urged the Central and all state governments to ensure that efforts to reduce disaster risk include animal protection. The body said India has been leading the way in this regard by integrating animals in the national disaster management policy, plans and as well as in search and rescue operations. "Today, we urge the Government of India to set up a Veterinary Emergency Fund for effective implementation of these initiatives," the World Animal Protection (WAP) said. "WAP also urges all States and UTs to develop their dedicated State Animal Disaster Management Plans with all the required financial and technical resources