Page 605 - Disaster Accident

116 Assam villages flooded after excess water released from dam

Thousands of people in 116 villages of Assam's Golaghat district have been affected by flooding after excess water was released from a dam located at Nagaland's Wokha district, officials said.

DGCA suspends 2 Jet pilots for Riyadh incident

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended two pilots of a Jet Airways flight which overshot the runway at Riyadh prior to take off on August 3, an official said on Monday.

Guatemala volcano erupts again

Guatemala's Fuego volcano, which caused havoc in June, has erupted again.

1,200 tourists being evacuated from Indonesia quake islands: disaster agency

More than one thousand tourists were being evacuated from Indonesia's tiny Gili islands on Monday after a powerful quake struck neighbouring Lombok, killing 91 people and injuring hundreds. The Gilis are three coral-fringed tropical islands popular with backpackers and divers, a few kilometres off the northwest coast of the larger Lombok island. Footage posted online by rescue officials showed hundreds of panicked tourists and locals crowded onto powder-white beaches desperately waiting for transport off the normally paradise islands. Muhammad Faozal, the head of West Nusa Tenggara's tourism agency, said there were about 1,200 mostly foreign tourists on the Gilis. "We cannot evacuate all of them all at once because we don't have enough capacity on the boats. It's understandable they want to leave the Gilis, they are panicking," he told AFP. He said extra boats, including at least two navy vessels, were on their way. Lombok, a volcanic island that towers over the flatter Gilis, bore ...

91 killed in massive Indonesia quake

At least 91 people were killed and hundreds others injured in a massive quake measuring 7 on the Richter scale that struck Indonesia's Lombok Island, authorities said on Monday.

Laos dam collapse death toll rises to 31, scores still missing

The death toll from a massive dam collapse in southern Laos has jumped to 31, officials said, with scores still missing weeks after the unprecedented disaster that swept entire villages and farmland away. Information about the number of dead and missing has trickled out of the disaster zone since the July 23 dam collapse in the secretive state unaccustomed to organising large-scale rescue operations -- and the global media scrutiny the deadly disaster has drawn. An official in southern Attapeu province said the death toll had climbed and scores were still missing weeks after the dam burst, unleashing a wall of water across a large swathe of the province. "The operation over the past day, teams have found dead bodies which put the death toll at 31 while the number of missing is at 130,"Ounla Xayasith, the deputy governor of Attapeu, told reporters yesterday. The number of dead and missing has fluctuated wildly since the disaster, with officials and state media offering conflicting ...

Indonesia evacuates tourists after Lombok quake kills 91

Indonesia evacuated hundreds of tourists from popular resorts and sent rescuers fanning across the holiday island of Lombok after a powerful quake killed at least 91 people and reduced thousands of buildings to rubble. The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake sparked terror among tourists and locals alike, coming just a week after another deadly tremor surged through Lombok, killing at least 17 people. Rescuers on Monday searched for survivors in the rubble of houses, mosques and schools that were destroyed in the latest disaster which struck on Sunday evening. "91 people died, 209 suffered from serious injuries," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. "There are challenges: the roads were damaged, three bridges were also damaged, some locations are difficult to reach and we don't have enough personnel." An operation was also under way Monday to evacuate some 1,200 tourists from the Gili Islands, three tiny, coral-fringed tropical islands a few kilometres off the ...

900 tourists being evacuated from Indonesia quake islands: disaster agency

Some 900 tourists were being evacuated from Indonesia's tiny Gili Islands today after a powerful quake struck neighbouring Lombok, killing 91 people and injuring hundreds. National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told reporters some 200 "domestic and foreign" tourists had already been taken off the islands. "There are 700 more tourists still waiting to be evacuated," he added.

Fire breaks out at Kolkata cinema hall, no casualty

A fire broke out at the Priya Cinema Hall in south Kolkata's Deshapriyo Park area during a late night show, fire brigade officials said today. Four members of the theatre owner's family and a staff member were trapped on the roof and were evacuated safely by fire brigade personnel. There is no report of any casualty. Cinemagoers managed to exit after smoke filled the theatre at around 10:15 pm yesterday, shortly before the show was to end, officials said. West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sovan Chatterjee, who reached the spot after the incident, said all angles, including the possibility of the fire originating from a ground floor restaurant, would be investigated. The fire was likely caused by a short circuit, sources said.

Chicago shootings: 44 people shot, 5 killed

As many as 44 people were shot in 14 hours in Chicago shootings on Sunday out of which five were killed, according to police records."The city of Chicago experienced a violent night. Some of these instances were targeted and were related to gang conflicts in those areas," CNN quoted Bureau of Patrol Chief Fred Waller as saying.In at least one incident, shooters opened fire into a crowded street party, Waller said.Earlier there were six shootings, none fatal, on Friday, and 15 shootings, one fatal, on Saturday.As per records, the Sunday shootings occurred between midnight and 2 p.m.

Shimla-Rohru road closed after landslides

Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district triggered landslides at several places this morning, leading to closure of the Rohru-Shimla road, an official said. The road is likely to be restored by tomorrow. Following closure of the Rohru-Shimla road, motorists are using Tahu road and this road is witnessing a huge traffic jam due to heavy rush of vehicles, the police said. Police have requested motorists to use Narkanda road to reach Rohru from Shimla or vice versa to avoid traffic jam on Tahu road.

Rescuers search for survivors after Indonesia quake kills 82

Indonesian security forces and emergency workers raced Monday to aid victims of a powerful earthquake on Lombok that killed at least 82 people, as strong aftershocks sparked terror on the holiday island that suffered another deadly quake just a week ago. Rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble of houses, mosques and schools that were among the thousands of buildings destroyed in the disaster that struck on Sunday evening. "The search and rescue team is still scouring the scene and evacuating (people)," national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. "We estimate the number of victims will rise." The quake triggered a tsunami warning, which was later cancelled, and was also felt on the neighbouring island of Bali, one of Southeast Asia's leading destinations, where tourists ran onto the streets as the tremor struck. The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake sent thousands of Lombok residents and tourists scrambling outdoors, where many spent the night as strong aftershocks ...

82 killed as powerful quake jolts Indonesia

At least 82 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale jolted the Indonesian island of Lombok, officials said.

Emergency chiefs sacked over Greece fires

Greece has appointed new heads of key emergency services following last month's deadly wildfires near Athens.

California's raging wildfires cause another death

California's deadly Carr wildfire -- now the state's sixth most destructive -- has claimed another life with a power linesman killed on the job its seventh fatality, officials said today. The Carr Fire, located some 322 kilometers north of San Francisco, is still growing, CalFire said today. Its intensity was so great at one point, that it generated a tornado-like whirl of fire -- as well as its own weather system. PG&E power company identified the worker today as Jairus Ayeta, who was killed in a remote area of Shasta county where crews were working to restore electricity. "The safety of our employees and our customers is PG&E's top priority. Our thoughts and prayers are with our fallen team member, his family and our extended team," the company said in a statement. "We are working with law enforcement to investigate the circumstances of the incident," it added. The Carr Fire has scorched 154,524 acres of land since July 23, when authorities say it was triggered by the ...

Five killed in small plane crash in US

Five persons have been killed after a small aircraft crashed in Santa Ana city in the US state of California, officials said.

20 killed after vintage plane crashed in Swiss Alps

All the 20 passengers and crew members of a vintage plane died after it crashed in the Swiss Alps on Saturday evening, the police said.As per the CNN, a Junkers JU-52, which is a mid-century plane, crashed in the Piz Segnas mountain range, near the Austrian border. It was on a flight between Locarno in Switzerland, to Dübendorf, a suburb of Zurich.All the 17 passengers and three crew members on board, aged between 42 and 84, died on the spot.The Federal Prosecutor's Office, in collaboration with local Swiss authorities, is investigating the reason behind the cause of the crash.Following the incident, the operator JU-Air has suspended all flights until further notice.

Indonesia earthquake leaves 82 dead

The death toll in Sunday's earthquake of magnitude 6.9 that jolted two islands of Indonesia, has increased to 82.The powerful earthquake and strong aftershocks rocked Bali and Lombok island of Indonesia, causing thousands of people to rush out of their homes and take outdoor shelters, reported CNN.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, head of the West Nusa Tenggara Disaster Management Agency.The natural disaster, which was the second powerful temblor on Lombok in a week, hit the island in the evening after the sunset.A 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook the island on July 29, which claimed lives of more than a dozen people.All the landline and cellphone services have been reported down in Lombok's Tanjung town, which is nearest to the epicenter.

Indonesia earthquake: Death toll rises to 37

The death toll in Indonesia earthquake, which took place on Sunday, has risen to 37.A powerful earthquake of 6.9-magnitude and strong aftershocks rocked Bali and Lombok island of Indonesia, causing people to rush out of homes, hotels, and restaurants, reported CNN.The epicenter of the earthquake was 31 kilometers (19 miles) deep and struck near Loloan on the north end of Lombok. The tremor was also felt on Bali.Haji Rum, head of the West Nusa Tenggara Disaster Management Agency informed that all the fatalities in the incident were on Lombok.The natural disaster, which was the second powerful temblor on Lombok in a week, hit the island in the evening after the sunset.Initially calling it a 7.0 magnitude quake, the United States Geological Survey slightly downgraded it to 6.9.A 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook the island on July 29, which claimed lives of more than a dozen people.All the landline and cellphone services have been reported down in Lombok's Tanjung town, which is nearest to .

37 killed as powerful quake rocks Indonesia

At least 37 people were killed and dozens of others wounded after an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale rocked Lombok and Bali islands in Indonesia on Sunday, an official said.