Page 592 - Disaster Accident
BJP leader among 3 killed in road accident in UP
Three people, including a BJP leader, were killed in neighbouring Hamirpur district today when their vehicle collided with a private bus, police said. At least 24 people sustained serious injuries in the accident, they said. Superintendent of Police, Hamirpur, Ajay Kumar Singh said the accident took place in the Bharua Sumerpur area of Hamirpur in the evening. Shailendra Shukla (49), regional vice-president of BJP's Kanpur-Bundelkhand region, along with two others died on the spot, he said. The injured have been hospitalised, Singh added. Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey has expressed grief over the demise of Shukla, a party spokesperson said.
Respite from rains, Kerala CM announces relief
The flood situation in Kerala remained grim with vast swathes of land submerged in Idukki, Ernakulam an Thrissur districts, but there was some respite from rains on Saturday, even as the government announced Rs 10 lakh each for the families which lost their homes and properties.
Rajnath to conduct aerial survey of flood-hit Kerala on Sunday
Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh will conduct an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Kerala on Sunday, a Ministry statement said on Saturday.
Brief let-up in rains in Kerala, death toll now 37
After being pounded by rains for the past few days, there was a brief let-up in the downpour today but the government remained on high alert with more rains forecast, even as the toll in the monsoon fury since August 8 climbed to 37. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who undertook an aerial survey of rain ravaged areas of Idukki and Wayanad, said Kerala was in the midst of an unprecedented flood havoc and the calamity has caused "immeasurable misery and devastation." He said Rs 10 lakh compensation would be given to people who lost their homes and land and Rs four lakh to those who lost a member of their family. Though there was a respite from rains across the state today, especially in catchment areas of Idukki dam, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a 'Red alert',asking people to be cautious as there was a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in most places in Idukki, Wayanad, Kannur, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Malappuram. Two fishermen drowned today when .
'A few screws loose': Seattle pilot opens up to control tower
The "suicidal" mechanic who commandeered and crashed a plane without passengers from a US airport in Washington state seemed excited, confused, and at times calm while talking with the air traffic control tower. The 29-year-old man identified as "Rich" or "Richard" flew out of the Seattle-Takoma airport with a twin engine, 76-seat turboprop Bombardier Q400 belonging to Horizon Air at around 8 pm Friday (0300 GMT Saturday). Two F-15 fighter jets were scrambled as "Rich" flew the passenger plane in an aerial loop, then headed south. He died when the plane crashed after a 90 minutes "joy ride." The local sheriff's office quickly described him via Twitter as "suicidal," but audio from his conversation with the Sea-Tac control tower portrays a more complex picture. "Rich" said in a matter-of-fact way that he fueled the airplane "to go check out the Olympics," according to audio posted by The Seattle Times newspaper. He then expresses about fuel -- it "burned quite a bit faster than I ...
Heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in 16 states in next 2 days: NDMA
Heavy to very heavy rains are expected in 16 states, including Kerala, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, in next two days with fishermen are advised not to venture in central Arabian sea, the NDMA said today. In a statement, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said heavy rains are also expected in large areas along Bay of Bengal. Red warning for heavy to very heavy rain at a few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Uttarakhand tomorrow and Monday, theNDMA said quoting a bulletin of the India Meteorological Department. Rough to very rough sea conditions are likely to prevail over west central Arabian Sea. Fishermen are advised not to venture into this area, it said. Heavy to very heavy rains are likely at isolated places over Uttarakhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka,Tamil Nadu and ...
Rajnath to visit flood-hit Kerala tomorrow
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake an aerial survey of flood-hit Kerala tomorrow to take stock of the situation in the southern state. Singh, accompanied by Tourism MinisterK J Alphonsand senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs, will visit the floods and landslides affected areas, a Home Ministry statement said. He will review the search, rescue and relief measures taken by the Kerala government and central government agencies with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ministers of the state government, the Chief Secretary besides the senior officers of the central agencies and the state administration, the statement said. In a telephonic conversation yesterday, Singh had assured Vijayan all central help to the state government to deal with the rains and floods. During the current South-West monsoon season, various parts of the Kerala reported to have been affected by heavy rains and rain-oriented calamities of varying degrees. As many as 14 teams of NDRF ...
UP CM lobbies for hosting Aero India
Lobbying hard to host Aero India, the country's biennial air show and aviation exhibition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today said his government would provide all possible help to organise the event. He said it would be beneficial from the point of view of defence production. The chief minister was speaking at an event where an announcement of a defence corridor encompassing the Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi and Chitrakoot corridor was made. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, her deputy in the ministry Subhash Bhamre, Uttar Pradesh Industries Minister Satish Mahanadi and senior officials of the defence ministry and Uttar Pradesh government were present at the event. "I request the defence minister to hold the Aero India show in Uttar Pradesh. We will provide every type of facility. In this context, I request her to announce this at the earliest so that we can proceed with the preparations," Adityanath said. Bengaluru has been the host city for the event ...
Lightning kills 6 in Bihar
At least six people were killed and three injured as lightning struck parts of Bihar on Saturday, officials said.
Kerala floods: Here's how Twitter can save you from fake news
If you are in Kerala and are affected by the devastating floods, using Twitter may help you steer clear of fake news.
Greek fire death toll at 94: officials
The death toll from Greece's deadliest fire disaster rose to 94 today after one more victim died in hospital, the fire brigade said. Reports said the latest casualty was a 57-year-old woman. More than 30 people are still hospitalised after the July 23 wildfire in the coastal resort of Mati near Athens. Four senior officials including the minister responsible for the police and the heads of the police and fire brigade have been removed from their posts. The government had insisted that with winds blowing at speeds of up to 120 kilometres an hour, there was little time to mount an effective evacuation. It later emerged that the police had failed to properly seal off the area because the fire brigade had not alerted them to the location and size of the blaze. As a result, many drivers were inadvertently diverted into Mati's narrow streets and trapped. Residents fleeing the flames with just the clothes on their backs were also left unaided on the beaches for hours. A judicial ...
Miraculous escape for tourists in Himachal accident
Three people travelling in a taxi, including its driver, had a miraculous escape after their vehicle met with an accident in Himachal Pradesh.The incident took place at the mountainous Patlikuhal-Pangah road in the Kullu district on Saturday.The occupants of the car jumped out after it skidded off the landslide-battered road and hit an uprooted tree.Driving on treacherous roads in the mountains gets riskier during annual monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other hilly states, especially when landslides hit the region.Authorities put glow signs on roads and turnarounds to help drivers in navigation.
Water level in Mettur dam reaches maximum for second time
The water level in Mettur dam reached its maximum of 120 feet today, the second time since July 23, following heavy discharge of water from Karnataka reservoirs. Official sources said heavy inflow of 1.34 lakh cusecs resulted in the dam reaching its full level of 120 feet around 2 pm. A flood alert has already been sounded in the cauvery delta districts, including Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, besides those downstream following discharge of large quantity of water with 16 sluice gates of the Mettur dam being opened, they said. The outflow from the dam was 1.10 lakh cusecs today.
Siliguri : Part of flyover collapses, no casualty
A portion of National Highway 31D's railway flyover guarder collapsed in Goaltuli, Siliguri early Saturday morning. No casualties were reported from the accident site.Speaking about the incident, construction manager said, "We are doing the technical analysis and it is only then we can ascertain the actual reason behind the collapse".Restoration work is underway.Villagers blocked NH-31D in protest against the incident.In a similar incident this morning, at least four people were injured after a flyover lintel collapsed on National Highway 28 in Basti District of Uttar Pradesh.
Kerala rains: Rahul writes to PM, seeks release of adequate funds
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release sufficient funds to the Kerala government to help respond to the flood crisis and restore critical infrastructure in the state. In a letter to the prime minister, Gandhi said the torrential rains, floods and wide-scale landslides have left behind a trail of destruction across Kerala. Terming it as the "most severe disaster" that has struck the state in the last five decades, he said this natural calamity has resulted in massive economic and human losses "At this juncture, it is critical to acknowledge the looming humanitarian crisis facing Kerala, he said. He expressed the hope that the Centre would cooperate with the state government in the massive relief and rehabilitation efforts which were underway. "I request you to release sufficient funds immediately to the state government, to enable the state to respond effectively, and work towards restoring critical infrastructure," Gandhi said in his letter
One killed, four injured as two-storey building collapses
A man was killed and four members of his family, including a six month old baby, were injured after a two-storey building collapsed in Chokhandi locality in Vadodara in the wee hours today, police said. The building, which is nearly eight decades old, caved in around 2 am, chief fire officer of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), Dipak Gunjal said. "One man was killed and four others of his family were injured as the building collapsed when they were asleep," he said. Heavy rains last month might have weakened the structure and led to its collapse, he added. "After being alerted about the incident, a fire brigade team rushed to the spot and rescued five members, including 58-year-old Bhadruddin Dudhwala, who later succumbed to his injuries," Gunjal said. The victim used to run a shop on the ground-floor of the same building, he added. Superintendent of Sir Sayajirao General Hospital, Rajeev Daveshwar, said the injured have been identified as 47-year-old woman Jehrunisa
Kerala floods: Rahul pens letter to PM Modi, urges release of funds
As torrential rains continue to lash Kerala, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi apprising him of the situation and urging the latter to release sufficient funds immediately to the Kerala government for their relief and rehabilitation efforts.Flash floods, caused by incessant rains, have wreaked havoc in several districts of the state, killing nearly 30 people since July end.Rahul wrote, "The most severe disaster to have struck the state in the last five decades this natural calamity resulted in massive economic and human losses."He said that the fishermen community were the most affected group due to flash floods and landslides caused due to heavy downpour."At a time when the fishing industry is yet to recover from the adverse impact of Ockhi cyclone, this disaster has a deadly blow, especially to fishermen," Rahul continued.He added, "The widespread destruction of critical public infrastructure like power supply lines and roads .
Heavy rains lash coastal, south Karnataka
Heavy rains of up to 15 cm lashed coastal and southern Karnataka, causing rivers to overflow and creating a flood-like situation in villages and towns in the region, said an official on Saturday.
'Suicidal' mechanic steals and crashes empty plane from Seattle airport
A "suicidal" mechanic stole an empty passenger plane from the Seattle-Tacoma airport, took it for a brief flight that included an aerial loop, then crashed it in an incident officials said was unrelated to terrorism. Two military F-15s were scrambled to chase the stolen plane, but "were not involved in the crash," local officials said. Video taken by a bystander late yesterday showed the passenger airplane making an unlikely upside-down loop, then flying low over Puget Sound before crashing into the sparsely populated Ketron Island in the northwestern US state of Washington. The crash sparked a fire in the dense forest. Flames lit up the night as they spread from the burning wreckage to nearby trees. Officials said there were no victims on the ground. The stolen plane was a twin engine turboprop Q400 airplane belonging to its sister carrier Horizon Air, Alaska Airlines said on Twitter. It normally carries 76 passengers. "This is not a terrorist incident," Ed Troyer with the Pierce ...
Death toll in Indonesia earthquake reaches 387
Indonesian authorities on Saturday raised the death toll in Lombok island earthquake to 387, while the number of injured and displaced went up to 13,688 and 387,067, respectively.