Page 555 - Disaster Accident
Indians in UAE warned against illegal fund raising
Indian expats enthusiasm to help flood victims in Kerala should not lead them to the wrong side of the law on fund raising in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India's Ambassador warned here.
NCW asks state commissions to contribute for relief ops in Kerala
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked state commissions to contribute towards relief funds for flood-hit Kerala that is witnessing its worst deluge in nearly a century, chairperson Rekha Sharma said today. The NCW staffers have also decided to donate their one day's salary towards relief operations in Kerala and Sharma and other senior officials have decided to donate a fraction of their one-month salary to relief operations. "I appeal to all my colleagues in the State Commissions for Women across the country to do their bit to help Kerala in their time of need," Sharma said. Yesterday, employees of the Delhi Commission for Women pledged to donate their one-day salary for relief operations. Rains, floods and landslides in Kerala have killed 373 people since May 30, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has today. Altogether 87 people were injured and 32 others went missing in the deluge which hit all the 14 districts of the southern state. Over 54.11 lakh ...
Three killed in accident on GT Road in Haryana
Three people have been killed in an accident involving three vehicles on the GT Road here, police said today. Two heavy vehicles and a car were involved in the accident last night near a flyover in Umri village, about 8 km from here, they said. The accident caused the two heavy vehicles to catch fire, in which the drivers were burnt to death, investigating officer ASI Bhupinder Singh said. The third victim was the driver of a car that was also involved in the accident, he said. Two fire tenders were pressed into service to control the fire. Traffic was adversely affected for over three hours due to this, ASI Singh said. According to police, the accident occurred at about 9.45 pm last night when driver Rajbir Singh (28) lost control of his truck in an attempt to avoid hitting a stray cow on the GT road. The Delhi-bound truck, carrying liquor, jumped the divider and collided head-on with another truck, loaded with coal, coming from the opposite direction, they said. Both the vehicles ...
HAM radio services help trace stranded people in flood-hit Kerala
HAM radio operators are helping in rescue operations in flood-devastated Kerala by tracing stranded people through their last mobile phone location and sharing information with officials as most communication services remain hit in the state. The HAM or amateur radio operators are licenced to conduct such communications under specific radio frequencies by the Union Ministry of Communications. Over 300 HAM radio operators are working round-the-clock in Kerala and are helping the administration in rescue operations, Director of the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Amateur Radio, Ram Mohan Suri, said. "Hundreds of HAM operators in Kerala have worked against all odds to rescue people. They are in touch not only with HAM operators in the state but also with their counterparts across the country as people from various parts of the country are also stranded in Kerala," he told PTI over phone. Suri said 1,650 people were rescued based on HAM radio support from the Thiruvananthapuram ...
Kerala struggles to find its feet after deluge, seeks spl
Kerala today sought a Rs 2,600 crore special package from the Centre even as the state struggled to find its feet after the devastating deluge that left 223 dead in a fortnight and forced over 10 lakh people out of their homes. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chaired a meeting of the state cabinet, which decided to seek a special package from the Centre under the centrally-sponsored schemes including the latter's flagship rural employment programme MNREGS. Vijayan said a special session of the state assembly has been convened on August 30 to discuss the situation arising from the calamitous floods, the worst in a century. The chief minister had earlier said the state had suffered damages of about Rs 20,000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and two other union ministers have collectively announced interim assistance of Rs 680 crore for the state so far. Vijayan said Kerala would also ask the Centre to hike the limit of loan it can secure from the open market for the ..
13 killed as van falls into Chenab river in J&K
A van carrying pilgrims to a temple skidded off the road and fell into the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district today, killing all 13 occupants of the vehicle, including a five-year-old girl, police said. The incident took place around 7:30 am when they were going to the Mata Machail temple in the district, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajinder Kumar Gupta told PTI. He said 13 people, including 11 pilgrims, were killed. The deceased included the driver and conductor of the van, he said. The girl died due to injuries while she was being taken to a hospital, the SSP said. Gupta, who supervised the rescue operations, said police and locals launched the operation as soon as information was received, and all the bodies have been recovered. Jammu and Kashmir DGP S P Vaid said, "A vehicle carrying pilgrims to the Machail Mata temple rolled down and fell into the Chenab river, around 28 km from Kishtwar, in the Padder belt area today," Earlier, Vaid had said 11 ...
Kerala floods: NHAI suspends user fee at three toll plazas
In view of the unprecedented flood situation in Kerala, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has suspended user fee at three toll plazas in the state, the government today said. The waiver has been made on the toll plazas at Paliekkara in Thrissur district, Pampampallam in Palakkad district and Kumbalam in Cochin, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said in a statement. The waiver came into effect last week and will continue till August 26, it added. Many highways in the state are flooded, including the stretches of NH-544, close to Aluva, due to the unprecedented rains and opening of dams in several districts in the state. Rains, floods and landslides in Kerala have killed 373 people since May 30, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said today. Altogether 87 people were injured and 32 others went missing in the deluge which hit all the 14 districts of the southern state, it added.
Cochin airport to open on August 26
With the flood waters receding rapidly, the Cochin International Airport, one of the three in Kerala and the busiest, will open on August 26 - after 12 days of closure.
373 dead in Kerala since May 30 due to rains, floods, landslides
Rains, floods and landslides in Kerala have killed 373 people since May 30, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said today. Altogether 87 people were injured and 32 others went missing in the deluge which hit all the 14 districts of the southern state. A total of 373 people have lost their lives and 32 others went missing in Kerala since May 30 following monsoon rainfall, the NDMA said in a statement. Over 54.11 lakh people in Kerala were affected in the massive floods of which 12.47 lakh inmates have taken shelter in 5,645 relief camps since May 30, it said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 59 teams and 207 boats, the Army has deployed 23 teams and 104 boats, the Navy has deployed 94 teams for the rescue and relief operations. The Navy has also deployed one medical team, nine helicopters, two fixed wing aircraft, 94 boats, the Coast Guard has deployed 36 teams, 49 boats, two helicopters, 23 fixed wing helicopters, two fixed wing aircraft and 27 ..
Boy killed in flash floods in Jammu
A seven-year-old boy was killed today after being washed away by flash floods triggered by overnight heavy rains, an official said. Eidi Mohammad was swept away by flash floods in a stream at Channi Rama in the outskirts of Jammu in the early hours and his body was recovered later, the official said. He said the boy, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, was living with his family in a jhuggi adjacent to the stream. Jammu and Reasi districts experienced heavy rains since last evening which caused hardships to residents of many localities as water from overflowing streams entered houses and also damaged some roads. The rains also triggered several landslides along the Panjtherthi-Nagrota road in the city, the officials said. The department concerned has started the clearance operation to ensure smooth traffic, they said. According to the local MeT office, Jammu recorded 76.2 mm of rainfall till 0830 hours, while Reasi experienced the highest 92.0 mm of rains since last evening.
Three killed in Bhopal wall collapse
A woman and her two children were killed after a wall of a house collapsed here due to heavy rain, police said on Tuesday.
Floods wash away Onam, Bakrid spirit in Kerala
With over 10 lakh people still in relief camps in Kerala, their homes devastated by the savage monsoon that has claimed 223 lives since August 8, 'Onam' and Bakrid are going to be a subdued affair this year in the state. While 'Onam' falls on August 25, Bakrid is being observed in the southern state tomorrow. Considered the state's harvest festival, 'Onam' falls in the beginning of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people across communities. Elaborate feasts, folk songs, elegant dances and energetic games mark the annual festival. But this time, many families have decided against any festivities. Sixty two-year-old Sister Christabelle, former Principal of St Teresa's college in Kochi, said there will be no onam celebration for the regular and retired staff this year and the money will be used for relief works for flood victims. Mariamma Varghese, President of the Elders Forum in Panampilly Nagar in Kochi, ...
Bajaj Auto announces Rs 2 cr contribution for Kerala flood relief
Bajaj Auto today announced contribution of Rs 2 crore in aid of flood-hit Kerala. While Rs 1 crore is being contributed directly to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, the balance Rs 1 crore will be deployed by Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha (JBGVS), for distribution of survival kits, the company said in a statement. The contribution is in addition to the Rs 50 lakh already contributed by various Bajaj Trusts, it added. JBGVS is an institution that undertakes various corporate social responsibility initiatives of Bajaj Auto. "Through this amount, Bajaj Auto aims to support at least 1,000 families with a basic startup kit for those who have been affected by the floods," the statement said. Bajaj Auto President (Intra-city Business) RC Maheshwari said, "We at Bajaj Auto are extending our support through our dealerships in the state to aid the relief operations and to bring some respite to the victims of this unforeseen natural calamity." The survival kits, including water filter, ...
Rain battered Kerala begins massive task of recovery
With rains easing and water receding in some areas of flood-ravaged Kerala, people started returning to their homes as Union Ministrer K J Alphons today appealed for cooked food and skilled workers to rehabilitate more than 10 lakh displaced people. Though there has been some respite from the rain in the last two days, the water level has not come down in several areas of the worst-hit Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Kollam districts, the officials said, a day after the Union Home Ministry declared the flood a 'calamity of severe nature'. An estimated 223 people have lost their lives since August 8 in Kerala's worst floods in decades that has caused damage worth more than Rs 20,000 crore. About 10.78 lakh people, including 2.12 lakh women and one lakh children under 12, have been sheltered in 3,200 relief camps, officials said. Rail and road traffic services have been restored in most places, they said. As relief agencies, local governments and people across the ...
Rahul hails people of Suntikoppa as oasis of hope
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hailed the people of Suntikoppa, a small town in Karnataka, for working together to help the flood victims of the state and described them as an "oasis of hope".
Special train brings hundreds of stranded people to Kolkata
A train carrying hundreds of people stranded in the flood-ravaged Kerala reached here, a South Eastern Railway (SER) spokesman said here today. The passengers, mostly labourers from West Bengal, reached Howrah station late last night in the 21-coach special train from Thiruvananthapuram. Two more trains, which left Ernakulam on Sunday evening, are scheduled to reach the city today, the spokesman Sanjay Ghosh said. Mostly labourers in different professions like skilled workers to hotel staff, these people were stranded in several places in Kerala, which has been severely affected by floods. The passengers were ferried to their destinations in buses arranged by the West Bengal government. The relatives of the passengers heaved a sigh of relief with their near and dear ones reaching safely. A railways medical team, including two doctors, accompanied the passengers and they reported that nobody needed any medical assistance, he said.
1 killed, 4 injured after being hit by train at Mathura station
At least one person was killed and four were critically injured today after they were hit by a train while trying to board another train from the tracks at a station in Uttar Pradesh, an official said today. They were trying to board the Agra Intercity Express from the "non-platform side" and were hit by the Chattisgarh Sampark Kranti Express that was passing through the Kosi Kalan railway station in Mathura, a railway spokesperson said. The injured persons, all in their early 20s, were admitted to different hospitals in the city. "The Agra Intercity Express was at platform number one of the Kosi Kalan Station in the Agra Railway Division. Six persons tried to board it from off side (non-platform side). Meanwhile, the Chattisgarh Sampark Kranti was passing through and they were hit by it. "One person is suspected dead while four others are injured," a railway spokesperson said.
J-K: 11 pilgrims dead after vehicle rolls down gorge
At least 11 people were killed after a vehicle carrying 'Machail Mata' devotees rolled down into the Chenab River.The accident happened 28 kilometres from Kishtwar- towards Padder on Tuesday morning.Initial reports suggest that a 5-year-old child is the lone survivor who is undergoing a treatment in a nearby hospital.Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir, SP Vaid tweeted, "Another major accident in Kishtwar, a vehicle carrying Yatries to Machail Mata rolled down in river Chenab 28 kilometres from Kishtwar towards Padder, 5 yrs child lone survivor, about dozen feared dead."The DGP added that "11 dead bodies recovered from accident spot, injured 5-year-old baby shifted to hospital."Thousands of devotees undertake the pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Goddess Chandi around this time of the year.The 40-day Machail Mata Yatra, as it's commonly called, started on July 25 this year. Scores of pilgrims tread through the treacherous mountainous route to reach the shrine nestled .
1 killed in UP train accident
A man was killed and six others were critically injured early on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh' Mathura district after being hit by a train, police said.
More relief materials arrive at Cochin port
The Cochin Port Trust has earmarked two godowns for free storage of relief materials, arriving from across the country, for people affected by the unprecedented floods in Kerala, a port trust official said. The first truck carrying relief materials, mobilised by all major ports under the Union Shipping Ministry, was dispatched through the VOC Port Trust in Tuticorin and will be arriving at the port here today, he said. Four containers of relief materials sent by the shipping fraternity from Tuticorin under the initiative of the ministry was delivered for distribution yesterday, the official said. The coastal crude vessel Swarna Godavari, with 50,000 MT of crude from Mumbai, was diverted by BPCL to the Cochin Port to meet the fuel demand of Kerala. It arrived yesterday, he said. More relief materials from different parts of India have started arriving at the Cochin port through coastal shipping. Naval Ship INS Deepak carrying relief materials from Mumbai had arrived at the Cochin port .