Page 588 - Disaster Accident
Wife, mother get Rs 54.14 lakh for man's death in accident
The widow and the mother of an accident victim have been awarded a compensation of Rs 54.14 lakh by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) here. Dilip Pathak (then aged 35 years) was going to Shirdi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on August 6, 2011 with his friends when their car rammed into a stationary truck on the Kalyan-Nagar road in Thane. Pathak, who was sitting next to the driver, received grievous injuries and died on the spot. The petitioners told the tribunal that the accident occurred due to the negligence of the truck driver as he had not turned on the vehicle's tail lights when it was in the stationary position. They sought a compensation of Rs 70 lakh. The deceased worked as a fitter in a shipping company based out of Mumbai and earned USD 1,236 per month, they told the tribunal. MACT member N M Waghmare noted that the petitioners have alleged that the offending truck did not have tail lights or reflector when it stopped all of a sudden on the road. Therefore, ...
Road Connectivity Key To National Development Says Vice President
The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that road connectivity is key to national development and added the connectivity has the potential to bring a positive change in lives of people living in remote corners of rural India. The Vice President said that infrastructure development is not only a condition of development of the country, but the criteria for development. It ensures social capacity and security, he added.
Fire breaks out in basement of Ashok hotel in Delhi
A fire broke out in the basement of The Ashok Hotel at Chanakyapuri today, said a senior officer from the Delhi Fire Service. A call was received at 12.20 pm about the fire in the hotel's records kept in the basement and eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot, he said. No one was injured. The fire was doused at 3.15 pm, the officer added.
Kerala contiues to reel under floods, colossal damage to
Fresh rains lashed several parts of Kerala today as the state continued to reel under the impact of unprecedented floods, even as the weatherman issued a warning cautioning fishermen against venturing into the sea, officials said. Some respite appeared on the the horizon for the worst-hit Idduki hill district where the water in the Idukki dam receded to 2,397.58 ft, alleviating concerns about floods in fresh downstream areas, particularly in Ernakulam district. The current level does not warrant issuing any warning, they said. Over 60,000 people have been displaced and rendered homeless with the death toll rising to 39. The weatherman has issued a fresh warning asking fishermen not to venture into the sea, saying the coasts of Kerala and Lakshadweep may experience winds packing speeds of 35 to 45 kmph, sometimes going up to 60 kmph. Ten columns of Army, a unit of Madras Regiment along with personnel of Navy, Air Force and the NDRF were engaged in relief and rescue ...
Four teachers among 7 killed in road mishaps in MP
Seven people, including four teachers, were killed in two road accidents in Madhya Pradesh, police officials said today. Four people, all government teachers, were killed when the SUV (sports utility vehicle) they were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck parked on the roadside on the Gwalior-Biaora Highway in Shivpuri district, an official said. Four other occupants of the car were injured in the mishap that took place near Shripur village, about 55km from the district headquarters, at around 5.30 am, Rajiv Tripathi, in-charge of the Badarwas Police Station in Shivpuri district, said. A group of eight teachers was travelling in the SUV and returning to Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh from a trip to Agra in adjoining Uttar Pradesh when the mishap took place, he said. The deceased were identified as Bharat Singh (55), Vishnu Sen (47), Ramesh Chandra Rai (50) and Makhan Singh (42), all posted in government schools in Sehore district, Tripathi added. In the ...
Four killed in MP road accident
Four teachers from Madhya Pradesh were killed early on Monday while returning from a tour of Agra, police said.
Death toll in Indonesia earthquake reaches 436
Indonesian authorities on Monday raised the death toll from a devastating 7-magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Lombok on August 5 to 436.
Delhi govt asks schools to discourage students from flying kites
The Delhi government has directed all schools in the national capital to discourage students from flying kites and sensitise them about the danger it can pose for humans and birds. "Flying of kites is a common feature in Delhi as a hobby of youth and generally increases before festivals and national holidays. Flying of kites sometimes leads to accidents causing harm and injury to humans, animals and birds," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a communication to schools. "It becomes lethal and hazardous because of metal coated string used in flying kites. Often accidents involving kite flying have been reported causing injuries - small, grievous and sometimes fatal. "It is a matter of grave concern and therefore, the passion for it among the students should be discouraged by creating awareness about the danger it can pose for people, animals and birds around," it added. The government has directed that school principals should direct staff members during the school assembly ...
Vaishno Devi: Battery car track suspended following landslides
Vaishno Devi pilgrimage via the new battery car track has been suspended after the Reasi-Udhampur highway was blocked due to landslides triggered by heavy rains.Also, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is closed for operation due to a landslide at Udhampur's Kheri, which has brought all traffic to a halt. A road clearing operation is underway.Earlier on July 15, a landslide in Seher Baba waterfall near Reasi district killed five people and injured 29 others, while on July 12, 13 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were injured after the tempo they were travelling in crashed into a parked truck near Birma Bridge in Udhampur.Incessant rainfall has also wreaked havoc in various parts of Himachal Pradesh, with the National Highway-3 (Chandigarh-Manali) blocked due to a landslide near the town of Mandi.Meanwhile, the Parvati Valley area of Mandi is witnessing a flood like situation, with landslides also occurring in the region's Banala area on National Highway-3.
Hundreds injured in Spain festival promenade collapse
More than 250 people have been injured, five of them seriously, after part of a wooden promenade collapsed at a music festival in Spain, local officials said today. The seafront platform, which was 30 metres (98 feet) long by 10 metres wide, was packed with people watching a rap artist in the northwestern city of Vigo when it suddenly collapsed just before midnight yesterday, Vigo mayor Abel Caballero told reporters at the scene. "The causes have yet to be determined. Everything indicates that no one is trapped underneath," he added. Witnesses told Spanish media that people struggled to scramble for safety from under the debris of the structure. A total of 266 people were injured, five of them seriously with broken bones requiring hospitalisation, the regional health minister in the northwestern region of Galicia, Jesus Vazquez Almuina, told local radio. "These are provisional figures, patients are still being evaluated. At the moment 266 patients have been treated, the vast majority .
Kerala continues to reel under floods
Kerala's worst-affected Idukki district continued to reel under the impact of unprecedented floods today even as fresh rains were reported from several other parts of the state. The weatherman has issued a fresh warning asking fishermen not to venture into the sea, saying the coasts of Kerala and Lakshadweep may experience winds at the speed of 35 to 45 kmph, sometimes going up to 60 kmph. The water level in the Idukki hydro-electric dam has receded to 2,397.58 ft, alleviating concerns about floods in fresh downstream areas, particularly in Ernakulam district, officials said. The current level does not warrant issuing any warning, they said. However, the five shutters of Cheruthoni dam, part of Idukki reservoir, will continue to remain open. Water level in the dam had come down to 2,398.68 ft last evening. Meanwhile, Ernakulam district authorities said more people who had taken shelter in relief camps in the district have gone back to their homes. At present, 3,095 ...
Six miners killed, 13 trapped in coal mine explosion in Pakistan
At least six miners have been killed and 13 others were trapped after a methane gas explosion in a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said today. The explosion took place last evening in the mine situated in Sanjadi area, about 50 kilometres east of the provincial capital, Quetta. Rescue workers have so far recovered the bodies of six miners while efforts are on to rescue those trapped inside the coal mine, the Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said. According to Deputy Commissioner Quetta, Capt (retd) Tahir Zafar Abbasi, at least 13 miners were still trapped after the underground methane gas explosion. "According to our estimates, at least 13 miners are still trapped in a 4,000 feet deep pit inside the coal mine," Abbasi was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. Senior officials, including Balochistan's Chief Inspector of Mines, have also reached the accident site to monitor the rescue efforts, which has slowed down due ..
16 feared dead in helicopter 'hard landing' in Tajikistan
Up to 16 people, including 13 climbers and 3 helicopter crew, were unaccounted for after a "hard landing" in the mountains of Tajikistan, the Central Asian country's emergency committee said today. The accident took place yesterday at 1130 GMT, the committee said. Two helicopters have been sent on a rescue and recovery mission to the crash site, it added.
Accident at Spain music festival leaves many injured
Dozens of people have been injured, four seriously, after a section of wooden promenade collapsed at an urban sports and music festival in Spain's Galicia, police said, confirming that no life was lost.
Traffic suspended on Jammu-Srinagar NH
Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was suspended today after being blocked by multiple landslides triggered by heavy rains in Ramban and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. However, Mughal road is open for two-way traffic. The nearly 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by landslides at Seri in Ramban district and Kheri in Udhampur district, they said. They said no damage or casualty was reported in the landslides but it led to a massive traffic jam leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Over 300 vehicles were stranded at various places en route, they said. The men and machines of BRO are working to clear the highway of landslides and make it trafficable, they said. Traffic officials said the Mughal Road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian district, was open for two-way traffic.
Death toll from quake that hit Indonesian island passes 430
The death toll from the earthquake that rocked the Indonesian island of Lombok a week ago has passed 400 and the government is estimating economic losses of at least several hundred million dollars. The national disaster agency said Monday the August 5 quake killed 436 people, most of whom died in collapsing buildings. It said damage to homes, infrastructure and other property is at least 5 trillion rupiah (USD 342 million), calling that a temporary figure that will rise as more assessments are made. The agency said rebuilding will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The magnitude 7.0 quake flattened thousands of homes and according to the disaster agency's latest estimate has displaced about 350,000 people.
6 dead, 8 trapped in Pakistan mine explosion
At least six people have been killed and eight are still trapped following a gas explosion in a coal mine in Pakistan's Balochistan province, police said on Monday.
Toll in ship-fishing boat collision goes up to five
The body of one more fisherman who went missing when a vessel hit their fishing boat in the high seas nearly a week ago was recovered last evening, a Defence spokesman said here today. With this the number of fishermen who died in the incident has risen to five. A total of nine fishermen had gone missing after the incident on August 7. The body of another missing fisherman was recovered on August 11. The spokesman said the body recovered yesterday was brought to the Munambam harbour near here. Relatives of the fisherman have have identified the body. It was taken to Ernakulam General Hospital for further procedures. Search is on to trace seven other missing fishermen, the spokesperson said. Vessels of the Navy and Coast Guard and fishing boats are continuing to search for the missing fishermen. The fishermen went missing when their boat capsized after being hit by a ship about 24 nautical miles off Munambam harbour near here on August 7. At the time, 14 fishermen were on .
Kerala floods: Death toll reaches 39
As many as 39 people have lost their lives in flooding and landslides, following heavy and incessant rains in Kerala.Yesterday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had informed that as per the preliminary report, the total damage due to floods in the state is estimated to be worth Rs 8316 crore.Vijayan requested for an additional Rs 400 crore from the Home Ministry to carry out immediate relief and rehabilitation work in the state.The state government had also requested the Centre to declare the calamity a 'rare severity' and provide the required funds and assistance within four weeks.Earlier on Sunday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, after meeting flood victims in Kerala and taking an aerial overview of the situation in the state, announced an additional Rs 100 crore flood relief.The Home Minister also approved the release of the second installment in advance for the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to supplement the efforts of the state government.Flash floods due to ...
Twelve killed when Ecuador bus with football fans crashes
Twelve people were killed and 30 injured when a bus carrying fans of Barcelona SC, Ecuador's most popular football club, crashed, officials said. The bus was heading from the southern city of Cuenca to the coastal city of Guayaquil yesterday, where Barcelona is based, after a local tournament game. The vehicle apparently ran off the road and flipped around 2130 GMT, Ecuador's Transit Commission (CTE) said in a statement. The president of Barcelona Sporting Club, former national goalkeeper and World Cup veteran Jose Francisco Cevallos, published the death toll on Twitter. "We received the news of the accident of our fans... with much pain," wrote Cevallos, who is also the governor of Guayas province where Guayaquil is located. "We are making arrangements to quickly get the bodies to give them a Christian burial," added Cevallos, who is also a former sports minister. Transit authorities had initially said that 10 people had died and 35 were injured in the accident. Cevallos later told ..