Page 595 - Disaster Accident
4 killed in Canada shooting
At least four people were killed in a shooting on Friday in the Canadian city of Fredericton, police said.
10 dead in Ebola flareup in eastern DR Congo
Ten people have died in an outbreak of Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a toll issued today that said 27 other deaths were suspected to be Ebola-related. Forty-four confirmed and probable cases have been recorded since the disease broke out in the province of North Kivu on August 1, the health ministry said. Two suspected cases in Goma, a city of about a million people, "turned out to be negative" yesterday after lab tests, it said. The outbreak is the country's 10th since 1976, when the disease was first identified in the DRC near the Ebola River, a tributary of the Congo. The latest outbreak is centered in North Kivu's Beni region, which shares borders with Uganda and Rwanda. The area is plagued by violence -- a problem that the World Health Organization (WHO) has said will hamper the emergency response. Targeted vaccination, aiming primarily at front-line health workers, began on Wednesday. Ebola causes serious illness including vomiting, diarrhoea and in
Rs 1.22 cr compensation to kin of man killed in accident
A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded over Rs 1.22 crore to the kin of a businessman who was killed in a road accident in Haryana in 2014. MACT presiding officer Amit Bansal asked Iffco Tokio General Insurance Co Ltd, insurer of the offending vehicle, to pay Rs 89,05,000 as compensation and Rs 33,39,374 as interest, totalling an amount of Rs 1,22,44,374 to the family of the deceased. The tribunal awarded the compensation to the family of north Delhi resident Rajesh Jain, who was killed on January 5, 2014 while he was returning home from one of his factories. According to a complaint filed by Jain's wife, his car was hit from behind by a truck driven in a rash and negligent manner at Samalkha in Haryana. "In view of the discussion and the material and evidence which has come on record, it is held that the petitioners (family of Jain) have been able to prove on the basis of preponderance of probabilities that the deceased (Jain) expired on above mentioned date, time and ...
Kerala rains: Several evacuated from Cheruthoni town
Scores of people residing in Cheruthoni town were evacuated from their homes on Friday as torrential rains triggered flash flooding in the region.Speaking to ANI, Idukki district collector Jeevan Kumar assured that they have safely shifted people to the relief camps set up in Munnar and several other nearby districts where the water level is comparatively low."Our rescue team are taking all the necessary measures in order to combat with the current situation. We have helped the people in shifting to relief camps set up in Munnar as the water level rose in Cherurhoni due to heavy downpour. The state is expected to get much heavier rainfall for the next couple of days," he said.Not only that, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) also opened all the five shutters of the Cheruthony dam in order to release the excess inflow of the water deposited in the catchment areas of the reservoir from the past couple of days.The floodgates were opened to increase the water flow into the Periyar .
Goa police launches crackdown against drunk driving
Goa police today launched a crackdown against drunken driving to curb road accidents in the state. Around 200 teams of policemen will be on the streets across Goa as part of the drive that begins today, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Dharmesh Angle told reporters. "If a motorist is caught driving under the influence of liquor beyond permissible limit, his vehicle would be confiscated by the police and a charge-sheet would be filed against him in the court," he said. He said checks would be conducted on all the highways as well as internal roads across the state. The police will carry alcometres to measure the liquor content in the breath samples of drivers, the officer said.
Rebuilding mosques priority for devout on quake-hit Lombok
On Indonesia's earthquake-devastated Lombok island, people are reeling as they mourn more than 300 dead and sleep in makeshift shelters, but foremost in the minds of some is rebuilding the collapsed mosques that were the heart of their communities. Villagers in Tanjung district prayed in a field Friday in front of their former mosque and made plans for a replacement. "We are very sad because our mosque we loved very much is now destroyed," said Sunarto, a worshipper. "Our Imam, who is our leader, also died in the mosque." The magnitude 7.0 quake on Sunday killed at least 319 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 68,000 homes. Nearly 500 schools were damaged and more than 270,000 people were made homeless or otherwise displaced. It also upended daily religious life, with 15 mosques collapsing and 50 musholla or prayer rooms damaged. Like most of Indonesia, Lombok is majority Muslim. A minority on the island practice Hinduism, a legacy of its historical domination by Hindu Balinese ...
Coal import by power sector in Apr-Jun period 14% less than last yr
The import of coal by the country's power sector in the April-June quarter was 14 per cent less than the amount imported in the same period last fiscal, Parliament was informed today. "In 2018-19 (up to June 30, 2018), coal import by the power sector is 14 per cent less than the import in the corresponding period of last year," Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha. The country's coal import has fallen from 217.7 million tonnes (MT) in 2014-15 to 190.9 MT in 2016-17. During 2017-18, coal imports increased to 208.27 MT due to increase in demand by consuming sectors. "While there is a slight increase in import due to the enhanced domestic coal supply to power plants, coal import by power plants has reduced from 80.58 MT in 2015-16 to 56.41 MT in 2017-18," the minister said. The country's raw coal output increased from 565.77 MT in 2013-14 to 676.48 MT in 2017-18. "Absolute increase in all-India coal production from 2013-14 to 2017-18 (four years) is ...
Rajnath assures Kerala CM of central help for floods
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on phone and took stock of the flood situation in the state, besides assuring him of all central help.
Thakur thanks centre for granting NDRF battalion to Himachal
Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur thanked the central government for approving a dedicated National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalion for Himachal Pradesh. Thakur said, Himachal Pradesh is prone to various types of disasters which cause destruction of life and property. I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh for taking cognizance of this and approving the NDRF battalion. As per National Disaster Management Policy 2009, the primary responsibility in case of a disaster lies with the states. During BJP rule with Prem Kumar Dhumal at the helm in 2010, the battalion was stationed in Nurpur, Kangra district. However, when the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress Government came to power, they chose politics over safety of people and did not pursue the safety cause. The Union Cabinet has approved four new battalions of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). They will be based in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and .
13 die in fiery inferno as digger hits bus in Nigeria: police
Thirteen people burnt to death when a bus burst into flames after a head-on collision with a digger near Nigeria's oil hub of Port Harcourt, police said today. "A pail loader (digger) skidded off the road and had a head-on collision with an oncoming bus," Rives state police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni told AFP. He said the bus had left Port Harcourt for Lagos yesterday morning with the driver and 13 passengers on board. "The bus went up in flames and all except one person were burnt beyond recognition," he said. The survivor, who sustained severe burns, was taken to the hospital for treatment. Accidents are common on Nigeria's poorly maintained inter-city roads due to speeding, disregard for traffic regulations and the fact that many vehicles are not road-worthy. In June, 12 people died when a petrol tanker caught fire and exploded on one of the busiest roads in Nigeria's commercial hub, Lagos.
Parijat launches campaign to educate farmers about ill effects of crop residue burning
In a bid to create awareness about the ill effects of crop residue burning and management, Parijat Urja Chakra in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) organized a special campaign at Fatehgarh village of Ambala in Haryana.The special focus of the campaign was to create awareness among farmers about proper management of crops residue and the ill effects of stubble burning after harvesting. The meeting was attended by dozens of farmers.The burning of agricultural Crop Residue (CRB) has been identified as a major health hazard, in addition to causing exposure to extremely high levels of Particulate Matter concentration to people in the immediate vicinity.Senior scientist from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Dr. Guruprem sensitized the participants about the importance of straw management and the need of creating awareness among the rural masses. He also explained about the recommended machinery and techniques of straw management."Such type of campaign is necessary to sensitize the farmers
Parijat campaign to tell farmers about ill effects of crop residue burning
The special focus of the campaign was to create awareness among farmers about proper management of crops residue and the ill effects of stubble burning after harvesting
Rajnath assures Kerala CM all help to deal with rains, floods
The Centre today assured the Kerala government of all possible help in rescue and relief operations in the wake of rains and floods, which so far have claimed 26 lives in the state. The assurance was given by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during a telephonic conversation. "Spoke to Kerala CM Shri Pinarayi Vijayan and discussed the prevailing flood situation in the state. I have assured all possible assistance from the Centre to the state government. The relief and rescue ops are going on. MHA is closely monitoring the flood situation," Singh tweeted. The South-West monsoon has been vigorous over Kerala, resulting in heavy rains in various parts of the state for the last two days. So far, 26 people have been killed, including 11 due to landslides in high-range Idukki yesterday, as rain continued to pound the southern state. As heavy rains continued to lash various parts of Kerala, two more shutters of the Cheruthoni Dam, part of the Idukki ...
Centre to provide all assistance to flood-hit Kerala: Rajnath
The Centre will provide all possible help to flood-hit Kerala, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today assured the MPs from the state in the Lok Sabha. Singh said he had also sent Kiren Rijiju, his deputy in the ministry, to the state for a survey of the affected areas. "We will provide all necessary assistance to the state," Singh told the MPs from Kerala during the Zero Hour. CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran said six districts in the state have been badly affected. At least 20 people have died in the Idukki district due to heavy rains and floods, while five people lost their lives in Wayanad, he said demanding military assistance. K C Venugopal (Congress) said Wayanad district in the state has been cut off from the rest of Kerala due to landslides. "For the first time, shutters of 22 dams were opened to release excess water while water from the Idukki reservoir was also released after 26 years, flooding the Periyar River," Venugopal said and demanded a special financial package for
Parijat educates farmers about ill effects of crop residue burning
In a bid to create awareness about the ill effects of crop residue burning and management, Parijat Urja Chakra in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) organized a special campaign at Fatehgarh village of Ambala in Haryana.The special focus of the campaign was to create awareness among farmers about proper management of crops residue and the ill effects of stubble burning after harvesting. The meeting was attended by dozens of farmers.The burning of agricultural Crop Residue (CRB) has been identified as a major health hazard, in addition to causing exposure to extremely high levels of Particulate Matter concentration to people in the immediate vicinity.Senior scientist from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Dr. Guruprem sensitized the participants about the importance of straw management and the need of creating awareness among the rural masses. He also explained about the recommended machinery and techniques of straw management."Such type of campaign is necessary to sensitize the farmers
Kerala flood: Centre to provide all possible help, says Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the Centre will provide all possible assistance to Kerala for controlling the flood situation in the state.
Helicopter with nine aboard crashes in central Japan
A rescue helicopter with nine people aboard crashed today in a mountainous area in central Japan during a training flight, officials said. Aerial footage broadcast on Japanese TV showed the wreckage of the crashed helicopter surrounded by trees in Gunma prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, and officers in navy uniforms examining the site. "Eight people were found near the site, but we don't know their condition," a defence ministry official told AFP. The Bell 412 helicopter left its base earlier today on a two-hour flight to observe climbing routes between Gunma and Nagano prefectures from the air, according to public broadcaster NHK. But the helicopter did not return by its scheduled arrival time and lost contact with air traffic control, said Hiroshi Yoshida, a local official. Passengers included disaster management officials and firefighters, he added. The defence ministry official confirmed that the crashed helicopter in Gunma was the one that went missing. Helicopter accidents are not
Kerala floods: Two more shutters of Idukki dam opened
As heavy rain continues to lash Kerala, two more shutters of Idukki dam were opened on Friday morning to accommodate the additional flow of water.The floodgates were opened to increase the water flow into the Periyar river to 125 cuses (1, 25,000 liters/second).On Thursday, the administration was compelled to open the sluice gates of Cheruthoni dam on Idukki reservoir, for the first time in 26 years as the inundation was so severe.At least 26 people have lost their lives so far across rain-battered Kerala due to flooding and landslides caused by the torrential downpour in the state.The deluge has ravaged several districts of the state, with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) working in a fire-fighting mode.The heavy downpour, caused by the annual south-west monsoon, has also hampered the train services between Kanjikode and Walayar and adversely affected flight services as well.
700 pilgrims stranded on Uttarakhand highway after landslide
A massive landslide on the Gangotri highway in Uttarakhand has left 700 pilgrims stranded, an official said on Friday.
China says will impose controls after African swine fever outbreak
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Friday it will implement stricter controls on the slaughtering and transportation of pigs following the outbreak last week of African swine fever.