Page 603 - Disaster Accident
Trump blames environmental laws for California fires
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed "bad environmental laws" for California wildfires and said the state is burning because the laws aren't allowing available water to be properly utilised."California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren't allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire from spreading," President Trump tweeted.The US President further wrote that California Governor Jerry Brown must allow the 'free flow' of water from the North which he said was 'foolishly being diverted' into the Pacific Ocean."Governor Jerry Brown must allow the Free Flow of the vast amounts of water coming from the North and foolishly being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Can be used for fires, farming and everything else. Think of California with plenty of Water - Nice! Fast Federal govt. approvals," read the ...
UN chief condoles deaths in Indonesia quake
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed condolence over the devastating loss of life, injuries and damage caused by the earthquake in Indonesia's Lombok island.
Bangladesh approves new road safety law, mulls death penalty
The Bangladesh Government on Monday approved the draft of the Road Transport Act 2018, extending the punishment for rash driving deaths.The decision was taken to pacify the agitated students, who were protesting over the deaths of two college students, killed by a speeding bus in Dhaka on July 29.According to the new law, traffic offenders will be punished with a penalty of five years' of non-bailable imprisonment as compared to the country's existing transport law that entitled the maximum penalty of three years behind bars with the provision of bail.As per reports, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Government has also promised to consider capital punishment for fatal road accidents.The draft of the road transport law was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Xinhua reported. "Under the new law, a convict will get the maximum punishment if he or she causes death or severe injury via reckless driving or negligence in driving. These offences are also ..
Father, twin daughters die in light plane crash in France
A father and his twin teenage daughters died today when their light aircraft crashed in central France in as yet unexplained circumstances, the rescue services said. "The accident occurred at 12:30 pm (4 pm IST). The plane crashed and broke up without catching fire," the rescue services said, confirming a report in the local La Montagne newspaper. The circumstances of the accident, which involved a single-engine two-seater aircraft, were not yet clear. "The weather conditions were actually quite good at the time of the accident," the rescue services said. The crash occurred in a mountainous area in the Mazoires commune of the Puy-de-Dome department. The father, who was said to be aged "about 40" and his 14-year-old twin daughters were from the Paris region. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash. There has already been a number of accidents involving light aircraft in France this summer, including one in the Ardennes on July 28 in which the pilot and one of ...
2 killed in different road accidents in UP
Two youths were killed and one suffered serious injuries in road accidents in different parts of Amethi district today, police said. SHO Jagdishpur said Mahtab Khan (23) of Akra village was run over by a truck near Loshanpur on the Varanasi Lucknow national highway. He died on spot, police said. In the other road accident, Dharmaraj (22) died on the spot after his motorcycle was hit by a vehicle near Jalali village, police said. His friend Raju, who was riding pillion, was admitted to hospital with serious injuries.
Maha bus mishap: Tawde lauds trekkers who helped in rescue ops
Maharashtra Sports Minister Vinod Tawde today met and lauded the efforts of trekkers who took part in the rescue operations mounted during the July 28 bus mishap in the state's Raigad district. Tawde assured the trekkers that the state government would offer help, including equipment, required during rescue works and would also provide them with group insurance cover. According to a statement issued by the minister's office, Tawde also said that accreditation would be given to these mountaineers through the National Disaster Response Force. "Unselfish, self sacrificing gesture of mountaineers played an instrumental role in rescue operation of Mumbai-Goa road tragedy. "Govt aims to empower these brave mountaineers by providing them kits, medical insurance & official accreditation, strengthening their pro social skills," Tawde tweeted later. Thirty staff members of Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Agriculture University at Dapoli in Raigad were killed when their bus fell in a .
Indonesia earthquake: Death toll mounts to 98
The death toll in Sunday's earthquake that jolted two islands of Indonesia has increased to 98.The islands hit by the earthquake are popular tourist locations, including Bali and Lombok.CNN quoted the head of Indonesia's disaster management department, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as stating that the majority of those killed in the quake were hit by falling debris from collapsing buildings.He further said that around 2000 people have been displaced following the destruction caused by the calamity.The tourists have been moved from the quake-affected islands and rescue operations are underway.It is to be noted that the Lombok airport will be operating around the clock and the flight schedule has been increased for easy evacuation and safety of tourists.The quake, which was 31 kilometers (19 miles) deep and near Loloan on the north end of Lombok, also triggered a brief tsunami warning.The tremor was also felt on Bali to the west.Most of the victims died in northern Lombok, informed Haji Rum, ...
4 die, 6 injured in separate road accidents in Vizag
Four persons died and six others were critically injured in twoseparate accidents on the National Highway-16 heretoday, police said. In the first accident, V Sagar (27) and his wife V Rajani (25) died on the spot, while their two-year-old son V Dev and their family friend M Narayana Raju of Hyderabad suffered head injuries and their condition is said to be critical, they said. The accident took place when Sagar,a businessman, who was driving the SUV from Srikakulam to Rajahmundry of EastGodavari district to visit a temple, lost control over the vehicle and hit the back of a stationary lorry, the police said. A vehicle moving ahead of the SUV hit a motorcycleand sped away, they said. As the motorcyclist fell down, Sagar swerved the SUV to the left to avoid hitting the biker and rammed into the parked lorry, the police said. Sagar and Rajani were native of Srikakulam, but were residing in Vizag, they said. In the other accident, two persons died on the spot and four ...
DGCA fresh norms for cabin crew; maximum duty period fixed at 22 hours
Aviation watchdog DGCA has come out with a set of norms for flight duty time and rest hours of cabin crew members, fixing a maximum duty period of up to 22 hours in long-haul flights. The new norms, which came after a directive from the Delhi High Court, have said that in case of unforeseen operational circumstances, the flight time can be extended to a maximum of one-and-a-half hours and the duty period to four hours. The senior cabin crew in consultation with all the cabin crew members will convey their willingness to the 'pilot in command' for operating the flight. Only one extra landing may be carried out in the event of a diversion to complete the flight. The stipulations would come into force from November 1 this year. The unforeseen operational circumstances would include an "unplanned event, such as unforeseen weather, natural calamity, medical emergency, national requirement for relief and rescue operations (mission oriented), equipment malfunction, runway closure, passenger .
At least 67 injured in tanker explosion in Italy
At least 67 people were injured when a tanker that was transporting flammable contents along a ring-road exploded in Italy's Bologna city on Monday, emergency sources said.
Fuel truck explosion in Italy kills 2, injures up to 70
A tanker truck carrying flammable material exploded today on a highway overpass near the northern Italian city of Bologna, killing at least two people and injuring up to 70 as it partially collapsed the raised roadway, police said. Some people were reportedly hit by flying glass as windows shattered in nearby buildings. Italian police said between 60 and 70 people had been injured, some with severe burns, in the midday accident on a major highway north of the city. Officials did not immediately know what kind of explosives were in the tanker, but the news agency ANSA said it was liquefied petroleum gas. The explosion reportedly came after a traffic accident. Videos show flames shooting up in the air after the explosion, replaced later by a thick black cloud of smoke. Aerial photos showed a gaping hole in the raised highway next to the tanker. Italian television Sky TG24 said the flames fell to the lower level, setting off secondary explosions in a car lot below. It said some of the ...
709 dead in rains, floods during monsoon
As many as 709 people have lost their lives in incidents related to floods and rains in seven states during the monsoon season so far, the Home Ministry said today. According to the Home Ministry's National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), 166 people lost their lives in Uttar Pradesh, 158 people have died in West Bengal, 142 have died in Kerala and 139 have died in Maharashtra. As many as 52 people lost their lives in Gujarat, 44 died in Assam and eight perished in Nagaland. A total of 16 people were also missing in Kerala (10), West Bengal (5) and Nagaland (1), while 207 others received injuries in rain-related incidents in the states. The deluge and rains have hit 26 districts in Maharashtra, 22 in West Bengal, 23 in Assam, 14 in Kerala, 11 each in Uttar Pradesh and Nagaland and 10 in Gujarat. In Assam, 11.45 lakh people have borne the brunt of rains and floods, which also hit crops in 27,552 hectres of land. Altogether 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are ...
Stranded Shaheen Air passengers return to Lahore
Around 200 passengers travelling by Shaheen Air flight who were stranded at Guangzhou airport in China for over a week returned to Lahore on Monday.According to Geo News, Shaheen Air International rescued the passengers by sending in their own aircraft following the reports of Pakistan International Airlines launching a rescue mission for the stranded Pakistani nationals.The passengers were abandoned at the airport after the cancellation of their flight due to a tiff between the airline and Civil Aviation Authority over the payment of dues amounting to Rs1.5 billion.A spokesperson for the Foreign Office of Pakistan had earlier said that around 214 passengers reached home using alternate airlines with the cooperation of the Pakistani consul general, while 46 others preferred to return via Shaheen Airlines.The official further said that the stranded passengers were lodged in a hotel in Guangzhou and were provided food and other facilities.
1 killed, 2 injured in shooting on San Francisco bridge
Authorities say a man was killed and two others were injured in a shooting on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that caused a multiple-vehicle collision and shot down all traffic lanes for hours. California Highway Patrol Officer Bert Diaz says the men were riding in an SUV heading from San Francisco to Oakland early today when a vehicle pulled alongside it and someone opened fire at the SUV, which collided with another car. Diaz says the driver of the SUV died at the scene and another man was shot and wounded. A third man suffered injuries from the collision. Both were taken to a hospital. The highway patrol says two of the five eastbound lanes of the major traffic artery in the area remained closed today.
Ten more killed in rain-related incidents in UP
Ten more people were killed and eleven others injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of Uttar Pradesh since yesterday, officials said today. According to Relief Commissioner office here, three people were killed in Sultanpur, two each in Bahraich and Mainpuri and one died each in Gorakhpur, Unnao and Rampur. Eleven others were injured in incidents including house collapse, they said. Meanwhile, light to moderate rain and thundershowers occurred at a few places over eastern region and at few places over western districts of the state, the Met department said. Farridpur recorded rainfall of 6 cm, followed by Bhinga, Nanpara, Ayoadhya (5 cm each), Kakardariyaghat, Bijnor (4 cm each), Birdghat, Katerniaghat, Chanderdeepghat, Puranpur, Nakur, Baheri, Nagina, Saharanpur, Thakurdwara (3 cm each). The Met office has warned of heavy rain at isolated places in some areas of the eastern districts. Major rivers including Sai, Sharda and Ghaghra were flowing at dangerous levels at ...
NGT restrains HUL from upscaling mercury remediation at Kodaikanal plant
The National Green Tribunal has restrained FMCG major Hindustan Unilever from upscaling mercury remediation process at its Kodaikanal plant in Tamil Nadu and asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to obtain an expert opinion in the matter. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel was informed that experts in this field were available with IIT Delhi and IIT Madras in the chemical engineering department who deal with the subject of mercury contamination and bio-magnification. "Accordingly, with a view to proceed further in the matter, we consider it appropriate to direct the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to obtain an expert opinion in the matter from any institute having expertise in mercury contamination. The CPCB may also examine the trial results undertaken by NEERI in the present case... "The experts will be at liberty to visit the site, if it is so considered necessary. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) may not upscale the remediation process ..
Licence of 2 Jet Airways pilots suspended over take-off mess
The licence of two Jet Airways pilots has been been suspended for trying to use taxiway for taking off at Riyadh Airport last week, an attempt that had put at risk the lives of 148 people on board, officials said. Saudi aviation body Aviation Investigation Bureau (AIB) and its Indian counterpart Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) are conducting a safety probe into the incident that took place on August 3. The flight was bound for Mumbai from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh International Airport. The Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying 141 passengers and seven crew members on board, aborted the take-off on a taxiway that ran parallel to the runway and in the process overshot the taxiway at the King Khalid International Airport, the AIB said in a press release today. A taxiway is used by an aircraft to facilitate its movement between the runway and parking area. "Initial factual information confirmed that the aircraft attempted to take off from taxiway (K) parallel to take off .
Tanker truck fireball engulfs road near Bologna
A tanker truck today exploded on a motorway just outside the northern Italian city of Bologna, engulfing the area with flames and black smoke, the fire service said, with local media reporting one person killed. The explosion occurred near Borgo Paginale to west of the city, very close to Bologna airport, at around 2:00 pm (1200 GMT), the Italian fire service said on Twitter. The cause of the blast is not yet known. Italian news agency Ansa has reported that one person died and 40 others were injured following the blast. A video published on Twitter by the Italian fire service shows a huge column of black smoke billowing from the wreckage of the truck on the city's ring road. Images released earlier by the fire service showed burning cars in an adjacent car park. One video filmed by a motorist circulating on Twitter shows the moment the tanker exploded, when a black plume of smoke was suddenly swept away by a powerful ball of flame that takes over the entire horizon.
B'desh promises to consider death penalty for causing road deaths
In a bid to calm down the student protesters, Bangladesh today promised to consider the death penalty for deliberately causing road deaths and approved a new road safety law as violent clashes between the demonstrators and police continued to cripple normal life here. The protests sparked last week after two teenage students - a boy and a girl - were killed when two buses racing to pick passengers, a common occurrence in the city, hit them and wounded several others. One of the bus drivers fled the scene, although both were later arrested. Police today lobbed tear shells, used water cannons and charged batons to disperse a procession brought out by the Dhaka University students demanding safe roads and protesting the ongoing attacks on students, The Daily Star reported. The government rushed the new draft of the Road Transport Act 2018 to the Cabinet amidst pressure from student protesters for safe roads and an unannounced strike by bus operators in response to the ...
U.S. seeks $350 million annual sanctions in Indonesia trade dispute
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States has asked the World Trade Organization to let it impose sanctions on Indonesia after winning a trade dispute that it said cost U.S. business up to $350 million in 2017, a U.S. filing published by the WTO showed on Monday.