Page 576 - Disaster Accident
Fire breaks out in Jaipur shopping complex
A fire broke out today in a shopping complex in Haldiyon Ka Rasta here in the walled city which damaged five shops, police said. The blaze broke out in a saree shop on the third floor of the complex located in a narrow lane which soon engulfed four other shops in the morning, they said. However, no one injured in the fire, they added. Chief Fire Officer Jagdish Fulwari said 12 fire tenders were pressed into service and a short circuit was the cause of the fire, he said.
NCMC reviews rescue operations in flood-hit Kerala
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Friday held a review meeting to take stock of the rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas in Kerala.In the meeting, chaired by Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha and attended by the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it was decided to mobilise additional resources of all agencies including Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide the required assistance to Kerala.The Cabinet Secretary directed these organisations to provide boats, helicopters, life jackets, life buoys, raincoats, gumboots, inflatable tower lights etc. Kerala Chief Secretary requested for motorised boats so as to reach people marooned in flood-affected areas.So far, the Centre has mobilised deployment of 339 motorised boats, 2,800 life jackets, 1,400 life buoys, 27 light towers and 1,000 raincoats. Further, 72 motor boats, 5,000 life jackets, 2,000 life buoys, 13 light towers and 1,000 raincoats are ...
Rains savage Kerala, death toll mounts to 173
As a murderous monsoon savaged Kerala claiming 106 lives on a single day yesterday, the state plunged deeper into misery today with hospitals facing shortage of oxygen and fuel stations running dry, officials said. The deadliest deluge in close to a century has claimed 173 lives since August 8, and dealt a body blow to the scenic state, wrecking its tourism industry, destroying standing crops in thousands of hectares and inflicting huge damage to infrastructure. Personnel of the three services, besides the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) resumed the gigantic task of evacuating people stranded on rooftops, highlands where hills came crashing down blocking roads and cutting them off the rest of the world, and those marooned in villages that have turned into islands. Hundreds of people, including women, children and the elderly trapped in places inaccessible by boats were winched up by defence helicopters and shifted to safety. TV channels telecast disturbing ...
Floods hit operations at CUMI's hydel power plant in Kerala
Carborundum Universal Ltd, manufacturers of abrasives, electro-minerals and industrial ceramics, has said its hydel power plant at Maniyar in Kerala, was not generating power as it was flooded due to the heavy rainfall in the state. The city-based group company of Murugappa Group said its facilities in Edapally, Koratty (Thrissur district) and Kakkanad (near Kochi) were safe and continue to be in 'operation'. "However, the hydel power plant generating power for captive consumption of the electrominerals division at Maniyar has been flooded and currently is not generating power. The employees at the facility have been moved to safety", the company said in a statement. The non-generation of power has not impacted its operations in Kerala, it said. Electro-minerals division contributes about 26 per cent of the revenues operating from the region to the company. "The extent of damage caused and the restoration of power generation at the unit can be assessed only after the ...
Crude shipments to BPCL refinery delayed due to heavy rains - sources
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude oil shipments to Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd's Kochi refinery in southern India were delayed due to heavy rains preventing vessels from berthing, two industry sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Odisha urges Kerala to provide food to 130 flood-hit Odias
The Odisha government today urged its Kerala counterpart to provide minimum assistance like food and water to the people from the state taking shelter at a flood ravaged place, official sources said. The state government's action came soon after it received an SOS message from one Anil Sethi, who informed that about 130 people from Odisha have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, Near Asha Munnar Post Office. Sethi informed that they were not even able to get food and drinking water for immediate sustenance. "I would, therefore, request you to kindly make necessary arrangement for providing support in terms of food, drinking water and other necessities to the above mentioned flood affected people Odisha." the state's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi wrote a letter to P H Kurian, Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management, Kerala. When contacted over phone, Anil Sethi told PTI, "we are virtually starving and even not in possession of a ..
Moved 4,000 people to safety, 51 teams in Kerala: NDRF
The NDRF said today it has moved more than 4,000 people to safer places and rescued another 44 from flooded areas in Kerala during the past nine days, even as its personnel struggle to reach remote areas cut off due to landslides. Kerala has been severely hit by monsoon rains and rivers and dam reservoirs are overflowing, inundating a large part of the state. At least 100 people died yesterday in rain-related incidents, State Disaster Management Authority officials said in Thiruvananthapuram. A National Disaster Response Force spokesperson said in New Delhi that its 51 teams, out of the total 53 deployed, are operating on the ground. Two more teams will reach Kerala soon, he added. "So far, over 4,319 persons have been evacuated and 44 people have been rescued by our teams since their deployment in Kerala. Operations are still going on," he said. The rescue and evacuations operations by the NDRF entered its ninth day today. The spokesperson said despite heavy rains and unfavourable ...
Explore possibility to reduce water level in Mullaperiyar dam: SC
Expressing grave concern over the flood "crises" in Kerala, the Supreme Court on Friday suggested that the Disaster Management sub-committee, National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and the court-appointed committee should meet to explore the possibility of reducing the water-level in the Mullaperiyar Dam reservoir there to 139 feet.
Ensure water level of Mullaperiyar Dam remain under control: SC
The Supreme Court on Friday asked Kerala's subcommittee to examine and find out ways to ensure that the water level in the Mullaperiyar Dam won't exceed 139 feet.The Top Court further stated that it is not an expert body who will look into the Kerala flood issue, but has asked the National Crisis Management Committee's (NCMC) to scale up rescue, relief and rehabilitation programme across the state.The Apex Court's order comes after petitioner Manoj George knocked the doors seeking a direction from Centre over the water level mark.As per the latest reports, the death toll in Kerala floods has risen to 167. Around 15,000 people have been rescued from the flood-hit state in the last nine days. The numbers have been given by Army Karnataka and Kerala (K&K) Sub-Area, headquartered at Bengaluru, under the name, 'Operation Sahayog'.Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will be visiting the state to review the situation. He took to social media to say, "Had a telephone ...
Three bodies recovered from MP waterfall
The bodies three of the six people swept away in the Sultangarh waterfall in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district have been recovered, police said on Friday.
Modi to visit flood-battered Kerala
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who talked to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the flood situation on Friday, will travel to the state for an aerial of the affected areas on Saturday.
Kerala floods: NCMC meets again, directs mobilisation of add'l resources
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the country's apex body to handle emergency situation, met for the second time in two days today and directed to mobilise additional resources to all agencies who were engaged in rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Kerala. So far, the central government has mobilised deployment of 339 motorised boats, 2,800 life jackets, 1,400 life buoys, 27 light towers and 1,000 raincoats, an official spokesperson said here. Further, 72 motor boats, 5,000 life jackets, 2,000 life buoys, 13 light towers and 1,000 raincoats are being deployed, 1,00,000 food packets have been distributed and arrangements are being made to supply another 1,00,000 food packets. Provision has been made for supply of milk powder as well. The railways has provided 1,20,000 water bottles. Another 1,20,000 bottles are ready to be despatched. It is also running a special train carrying 2.9 lakh litres of drinking water that will reach Kayamkulam tomorrow. The NCMC meeting,
New South Wales fires: Helicopter crash kills pilot
A helicopter crashed during a firefighting operation in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) on Friday, resultantly killing the pilot.The incident happened at Woodstock, near Ulladulla, with an NSW Ambulance spokesperson saying that the water-bombing helicopter crashed into a tree, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.The NSW Police confirmed the pilot's death when they found a wreckage with the male pilot, the only occupant of the craft, deceased at the spot.The NSW Rural Fire Service also confirmed the mishap, saying that "one of its contracted water-bombing helicopters working on a bushfire in the Shoalhaven area" was involved in "a serious incident."In a statement, NSW Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant offered his condolences over the incident for the deceased pilot's friends and family, saying, "This is a tragic event and my deepest sympathies are with the pilot's family and friends.""My thoughts and prayers are also with the emergency services community, especially the many ...
164 dead in Kerala floods, massive rescue underway
More than a dozen helicopters, hundreds of defence personnel, NDRF teams and ordinary fishermen with their motor boats on Friday launched a massive rescue operation in Kerala as rains subsided but the death toll touched 164 in 10 days.
Atlantia group to hold board meetings Aug. 21, 22 on Genoa bridge - source
MILAN (Reuters) - Italian toll-road operator Autostrade per l'Italia is expected to hold an extraordinary board meeting next Tuesday to discuss the Genoa bridge disaster, a source said.
Hundreds stranded in Manila airport as plane crash lands
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the Manila airport on Friday after a Chinese airline plane crash-landed amid heavy rains, forcing authorities to shut the runway.
Kerala floods: Death toll rises to 167
As per the latest reports on Friday, the death toll due to Kerala floods has risen to 167.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the same during a press conference here.Around 15,000 people have been rescued from the flood-hit Kerala in the last nine days.The numbers have been given by Army Karnataka and Kerala (K&K) Sub-Area, headquartered at Bengaluru, under the name, 'Operation Sahayog'. The operations were carried out by the Pangode military station, Pangode and Defence security cops, Kannur.Operation 'Karuna', carried out by the Indian Air Force, has rescued almost 170 people through airlifting and winching.The ongoing flood situation led the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation to cancel 8,415 tickets. The KSRTC has refunded Rs. 52,78,126 to the passengers from August 9 to August 17.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that he will be visiting the flood-hit state in the evening to review the situation."Had a telephone conversation with ...
Kerala death toll rises to 154, massive rescue underway
More than a dozen helicopters, hundreds of defence personnel, NDRF teams and ordinary fishermen with their motor boats on Friday launched a massive rescue operation in Kerala as rains subdued and the death toll touched 154 in 10 days.
Firefighting helicopter crashes near Sydney
A firefighting helicopter crashed near Sydney while battling a wildfire on Friday, a spokesperson from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority said.
Typhoon Rumbia makes landfall in Shanghai
Typhoon Rumbia made landfall in Shanghai on Friday bringing torrential rains and strong winds of up to 23 metres per second, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC).