Page 616 - Disaster Accident

Malaysia's civil aviation chief resigns following MH370 report

Malaysia's civil aviation chief resigned on Tuesday, a day after a report into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 showed lapses by Kuala Lumpur's air traffic control centre.

12 more die in UP rains; toll rises to 92

Twelve persons were killed and seven others injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of Uttar Pradesh during past 24 hours, pushing the toll to 92 since last week, official sources said here today. As per latest reports, three persons were killed in Kanpur dehat, two in Hathras and one each in Chitrakoot, Auraiya, Allahabad, Unnao, Amethi, Jaunpur and Fatehpur, they said. "The toll since last week in such incidents has reached 92 while the total number of those injured is 91," they said. In these incidents, 59 cattle lost their lives and over 600 houses were also damaged. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed senior officials of all the districts to alert people and asked them to undertake extensive tours in the affected areas and identify dilapidated buildings and get them vacated, a government spokesperson said here. Adityanath has directed officials to provide immediate financial and medical assistance to people severely affected by rains.

6 killed, 3 injured in 2 separate road accidents in Raj

Six people were killed and three others injured in two separate road accidents in Rajasthan's Bikaner district today, police said. A jeep collided head-on with an oil tanker near Palana village on the Bikaner-Jodhpur highway, killing five people, said Subhash Bijarniya, the SHO of Gangashahar police station. The deceased were identified as Alpu Ram Jat (27), Kanaram Jat (70), Suresh Jat (35), Shivraj Jat (30) and Jagdish Jat (43), he said. In another incident, one person died and three others were injured in a collision between two trucks, the police said.

Rail traffic again suspended on old Yamuna bridge

Rail traffic was on Tuesday again suspended on the old Yamuna rail bridge as a precaution after the river crossed the danger mark.

Uber applies brakes on self-driving trucks, refocuses on autonomous cars

Global cab-hailing platform Uber has stopped developing self-driving trucks and instead will refocus on its autonomous car programme as the truck business was no longer viable in the freight shipping industry, the company announced.

Nearly 120,000 displaced in Myanmar floods

Nearly 120,000 people have been displaced after floods submerged a vast swathe of southeastern Myanmar, killing 11 people and sending panicked residents fleeing for dry ground with children perched on their shoulders and few belongings in tow. An official told AFP today over 118,000 people have taken refuge in 285 camps so far, as the toll climbed to 11 dead -- including three solders -- with more deaths feared. Swirling, muddy waters reached thatched-roofed homes and wiped out farmland in four provinces as officials scrambled to set up rescue centres amid continued torrential rains today. Rescuers in boats tried to pluck people from floodwaters in Hpa-an in Karen state while other residents tried to escape by any means possible, balancing on makeshift rafts or wading out carrying children and plastic bags of goods. "There could be a few more casualties but we are still collecting the information," Social Welfare Ministry Director Phyu Lei Lei Tun said. "Water is going down in some ...

Water level continues to rise in Yamuna, evacuation process on

Water level in the Yamuna river continued to rise and stayed over the danger mark for the fourth consecutive day today even as more than 10,000 people have been evacuated to safer places. The river was flowing at 206.04 metres this noon with the danger mark being 204.83 metres, officials said, adding the water level is expected to rise further. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated due to rising water levels and shifted to safer places, a government official said. A total of 1,149 tents have been set up to accommodate the evacuated people. Food and medical help is also being extended to them, he said. Meanwhile, discharge from the Hathani Kund Barrage rose further as water was being released at intervals, the Delhi government's flood control room said. It was 5,13,554 cusecs yesterday. Amid the crisis, Revenue, Flood and Irrigation Minister Kailash Gahlot visited the affected areas yesterday and asked officials to ensure proper arrangements for the evacuated people. Traffic ...

Yamuna in spate, more people shifted

The water level of the Yamuna river which has already crossed the danger mark in the capital, is constantly rising as it reached 206.03 m early on Tuesday.

Malaysia's civil aviation chief quits over Flight 370 lapses

Malaysia's civil aviation chief says he has resigned to take responsibility after an investigation report highlighted shortcomings in the air traffic control center during Flight 370's disappearance four years ago. The report released Monday raised the possibility the jet may have been hijacked even though there was no conclusive evidence of why the plane went off course. Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said in a statement today the report didn't blame the civil aviation department for the plane's loss but it found the air traffic control center failed to comply with operating procedures. He said he has tendered his resignation and will step down in two weeks. The jet carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished March 8, 2014.

Twin wildfires threatening 10,000 California homes

Twin wildfires tearing through vineyards and brushy hills threatened some 10,000 homes in Northern California today yet another front in the seemingly endless summer of wildfires that have ravaged some of the most scenic areas of the state. The two fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties had burned seven homes by Monday night along with some 107 square miles (277 square kilometers) of rural land. About 100 miles (160 kilometers) north, the so-called Carr Fire that has burned more than 800 homes and killed six people has become the ninth most destructive wildfire in California history, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In Lake County, evacuation orders were in effect for the 4,700-resident town of Lakeport along with some smaller communities and a section of Mendocino National Forest. In all, some 10,000 people have been warned to flee, fire officials said. Lakeport, north of San Francisco, is the county seat and a ...

1 killed as heavy rains lash Kerala; shutters of 3 dams opened

A 74-year-old man was electrocuted to death here today as heavy rains lashed different parts of Kerala, with the shutters of three dams being opened, officials said. The shutters of three dams in Thiruvananthapuram -- Neyyar, Aruvikkara and Peppara -- have been opened with the water level rising, a state disaster control room official said. The water level in the Idukki reservoir has reached 2,395.38 feet and there is heavy rain in the catchment areas. The man was electrocuted to death when he came in contact with a live wire this morning. Last night, orange alert was issued and people living in the catchment areas and low-lying areas were asked to remain cautious. This orange level warnings is for weather conditions which have the capacity to impact significantly on people in the affected areas. Holiday has been declared for all educational institutions, except professional colleges, in the city today by the district collector following heavy rains. In Alappuzha district, 12 new ...

Deadly month: Japan's weather-related deaths top 300 in July

More than 300 people died in July from weather-related disasters in one of Japan's deadliest months in recent years. First came record rainfall. Disaster authorities say at least 220 people were killed early in the month by severe flooding and landslides in western Japan, with nine more still missing and presumed dead. That was followed by record temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The heat has been blamed for 116 deaths. The toll was high, even for a country prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and typhoons. One of the wealthiest nations in the world, Japan has used its technological prowess to build substantial defenses against natural disasters. Rivers are lined with tall walls and man-made embankments to keep them from overflowing. Skyscrapers, built on shock-absorbing systems, are designed to sway in an earthquake instead of toppling. A big-enough disaster, though, overwhelms the defenses. Western Japan saw historic rainfall at the end of the ...

UP: Waterlogging disrupts lives of locals

Incessant rainfall in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district has given rise to a flood-like situation in the district, causing severe disruptions to routine life.As per locals, children are not able to attend school, as connectivity has taken a hit due to the torrential downpour."It's been over 15 days of the flooding for the sixth consecutive year. It's very difficult for us and our children. We can't take them to school and we can't even step outside to get medicines. We are getting no help from anywhere," another local told ANI.60 people have died and 53 others injured in rain-related incidents in 35 districts of Uttar Pradesh, in merely a week's time.Casualties were reported after rain wreaked havoc in different parts of the state, since Thursday.

Quake hits Indonesia: Nearly 700 hikers trapped on volcano

More than 680 people were trapped on a volcano on Lombok, an Indonesian tourist island, after a deadly earthquake claimed more than a dozen lives."689 people are still trapped on and around the 3,726 meter (12,224 ft) mountain following the shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Sunday morning," CNN quoted National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as saying.Currently, a rescue operation is underway to save those trapped tourists in landslides on Mount Rinjani, an active volcano on the Lombok island."According to Indonesia's national disaster management agency, 149 climbers are still believed to be stranded on the volcano itself, while 500 people are trapped in Sembalun Village on the volcano's slopes, and an additional 40 tourists are in nearby Batu Ceper," reported the CNN.An earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale struck off eastern Indonesia on Sunday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).Indonesia is located in the Ring of ...

Nepal agencies involved in rescue scam: Report

The Nepal government revealed in a report that some travel, trekking and rescue agencies have been involved in "unnecessary rescues" for foreign tourists to scam a large amount of premiums from insurance companies by making false claims.

Uber stops developing self-driving trucks

Global cab-hailing platform Uber has stopped developing self-driving trucks as the programme was no longer competitive in the freight shipping industry, the company announced.

Indonesia earthquake: Over 500 tourists rescued

At least 543 tourists have been rescued from a mountain in Indonsia's Lombok Island following a deadly earthquake that killed 16 people and cut off routes, a government official said on Tuesday.

California wildfires toll reach 8

The toll in the 17 wildfires that were currently blazing in California has increased to eight, according to authorities.

China launches high-resolution Earth observation satellite

China on Tuesday launched Gaofen-11, an optical remote sensing satellite, as part of its high-resolution Earth observation project. It will aid in the Belt and Road Initiative.

After 'Yamraj', Lord Ganesha campaigns for road safety in Bengaluru

After 'Yamraj', Bengaluru police has now turned to Lord Ganesha to spread road safety awareness in the capital city.A man dressed as 'Lord Ganesha' participated in the road safety drive in Bengaluru yesterday.Earlier this month, Bengaluru police created road safety awareness in the city with a man dressed as 'Yamraj' asking people to follow traffic rules and use helmets.Theatre artist was dressed up as the Hindu god of death, Yamraj, depicting the fatal outcome of contempt of traffic rules and regulations.The motive was to apprehend motorcyclists for not wearing helmets and car users for not wearing seatbelts. Yamraj proclaimed that "A small mistake can be deathly. Obey traffic rules and protect your life."This comes as part of a unique awareness drive conducted by Bengaluru traffic police, in collaboration with theatre artists, to raise awareness of traffic rules.