Page 618 - Disaster Accident
Woman, 18 months old son killed as car falls into deep gorge in U'khand
A woman and her 18 months old son were killed while one person was injured when their car fell into a deep gorge in Lohaghat area of Champavat district today, police said. The accident occurred at around 10 am near Jindi Saurad when the car which was on its way to Nidil from Lohaghat fell into a 200-metre deep gorge as the driver lost control over the vehicle, the state emergency operation centre here said. Mamata Devi (21) and her son Priyanshu were killed in the accident. The driver of the car was inured in the accident, the police said, adding that he was referred to the Sushila Tiwari Hospital in Haldwani.
Over 7% of classrooms in schools in India require major repairs: HRD Ministry
Over seven per cent of classrooms in schools across the country require major repairs, the Lok Sabha was informed today. In response to a question about whether the government has done any study to identify schools running from unsafe buildings across the country, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha said as per the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), 2016-17 (Provisional), 0.67 per cent schools are having buildings in dilapidated condition. He said as per the UDISE, 7.73 per cent classrooms in the schools across the country require major repairs. Kushwaha said the HRD Ministry had issued guidelines in October 2014 to all states and Union Territories for ensuring safety and security of school children, including preventive mechanisms and procedures required to be put in place in the schooling system along with relief and redressal strategies in case of any incident. As per the CBSE Affiliation bye-laws, before grant of affiliation, a
Cabin crew not treated on par with pilots while assessing fatigue: Plea in HC
A body representing airline cabin crew members today moved the Delhi High Court claiming that aviation regulator DGCA's draft regulations on flight duty timings and rest does not treat them on par with pilots while assessing fatigue. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar allowed the All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) to be made a party in a PIL by a Kerala-based lawyer. The lawyer has claimed that fatigue of pilots and the air crew can be dangerous to the safety of a flight and its passengers. The court also issued notice in the application by the association and listed it for hearing on September 20. The AICCA, represented by advocate Sanjoy Ghose, has raised concerns regarding the draft civil aviation requirement (CAR) of May 14 this year, claiming that it does not treat cabin crew on par with pilots. The association has also said the earlier CAR on flight duty time limitations (FDTLs) by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had the
NHAI to install CCTV surveillance system to map congestion on toll plazas
To map real-time congestion on toll plazas, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will install CCTV surveillance system on 210 toll plazas, Parliament was informed today. These systems will be installed initially at 10 toll plazas to be rolled out to another 200 toll plazas, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply. "NHAI had invited e-bids from the eligible bidders for setting up Central Command & Control Centre at NHAI-HQ connected with regional offices and CCTV Surveillance and monitoring of vehicular congestion on 210 toll plazas on National Highways," the minister said. The project will be executed on service model and the period of engagement shall initially be five years, he said. "After successful demonstration of proof of concept at 10 plazas, the system will be rolled out to another 200 toll plazas where daily traffic flow is more than 10,000 vehicles," he said.
Patna road cave-in: PIL seeks action against guilty
A public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed on Monday in the Patna High Court over the caving in of a part of a road here following heavy rains that lashed the state capital on Saturday-Sunday.
Heavy rains lash parts of UP, normal life affected
Heavy rains disrupted normal life in various parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, leading to waterlogging and traffic snarl-ups in several cities including the state capital.
Greek PM Tsipras visits scene of wildfire disaster
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras today paid his first visit to the area ravaged by the country's worst ever wildfires as anger mounts over his government's response to the disaster that left scores of people dead. His trip was not announced beforehand in what local media said was a bid to avoid protests by residents of the hard-hit seaside villages east of Athens -- Mati and Rafina. Tsipras met the region's local authorities and fire brigade officials for about an hour, the brief official statement said. His government has faced mounting criticism as residents battle to resume their lives with the help of the authorities and volunteers. The fires struck the coastal villages popular with holidaymakers on July 23 and burned with such ferocity that most people fled to the safety of the sea with just the clothes on their backs. The death toll rose to 91 yesterday and another 25 people remain missing, but many may be among 28 victims whose bodies are being examined by forensic ...
Coal Ministry to allocate 27 more mines
The coal ministry said today that it has issued directions to Nominated Authority to allocate 27 more mines to sectors including steel and cement. Under Coal Mines Special Provision Act, 2015, 84 coal mines have already been allocated, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said. "Further, directions have been issued to the Nominated Authority for allocation of 27 more coal mines," he said in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha. Giving the breakup of 27 coal blocks, he said that "6 coal mines for the end use Production of Iron and Steel, 13 coal mines (are) for the end-use 'iron & steel, cement and captive power plants...2 coal mines for state government company or corporation for sale of coal, 6 coal mines for the purpose of own consumption for power". The minister further said that state-owned Coal India Ltd and its subsidiaries have planned 15 greenfield projects having peak rated capacity of 104.8 million tonnes per year. "There is a gap between demand and domestic supply of coal which ...
Sena targets Fadnavis govt over Raigad bus accident
The Shiv Sena, an ally of the ruling coalition, today criticised the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra for the death of 30 people in a bus accident in Raigad district. It said the 'king' is responsible for the death of soldiers who don't take part in wars. Development does not mean laying of "Japanese bullet train tracks", but averting such road accidents which kill people en masse, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. It criticised the Centre for focusing on its ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, instead of repairing the railway's (existing) signalling system and tracks. Thirty staff members of an agriculture university at Dapoli in Raigad were killed when their bus fell in a gorge at Ambenali Ghat near Poladpur town on Saturday, while they were going on a picnic to Mahabaleshwar in Satara district. "An accident is an accident. The chief minister and other ministers expressed grief over the (Raigad) accident. But it is not good that the ...
Armed attackers killed 4 tourists in Tajikistan: Police
Four tourists, including two Americans, were killed in Tajikistan yesterday by armed attackers in what was originally reported as a hit-and-run road accident, the interior minister said today. "(The suspects) had knives and firearms," minister Ramazon Hamro Rahimzoda said of the attack that left tourists from the United States, Switzerland and the Netherlands dead and two others injured. The dead were on a cycling tour in the impoverished ex-Soviet nation, in a group with three other tourists from Switzerland, the Netherlands and France. "One tourist received a knife wound and is being given medical assistance. The victim's condition is stable," said Rahimzoda without mentioning nationality. Another was being treated in hospital, while the French citizen survived without injury and was being questioned by the police, he added. Two suspects in the case were killed after they "resisted arrest" and a further four have been detained, the minister said. Police are also pursuing other ...
Earthquake hits Gondal in Gujarat
A light intensity earthquake measuring three on the Richter scale today hit parts of Rajkot district in Gujarat, an official said. No casualty or damage to property was reported, he said. The earthquake was experienced by residents of Gondal town of the district, around 255 kms from Ahmedabad, and nearby regions after 12 noon, he said. "An earthquake measuring 3 on Richter Scale was felt at 12:37 pm today. Its epicentre was located 9 kms west-north-west of Gondal," said the official of the Gandhinagar-based Institute of Seismological Research. Rajkot district Collector Rahul Gupta said no report of damage to property or life was received.
Nepal flight delayed after captain fails alcohol test
A Dubai-bound flight from Nepal was delayed by nearly 10 hours after the captain tested positive for alcohol, according to a media report. The Fly Dubai flight FZ 8018, scheduled to take off for Dubai International Airport with 153 passengers at 9:40 am yesterday, was grounded after the captain failed the pre-flight alcohol test, The Kathmandu Post reported. "We received a complaint from the airline's crew about the strange activities of the flying crews. We conducted a preliminary alcohol test through a breathalyzer," said Raj Kumar Chettri, general manager of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). "Medical tests of both the flying crews were conducted and flight captain N Hussain tested positive and he was immediately grounded," he said, adding the civil aviation authority of Dubai and Fly Dubai was immediately informed about the issue. "Legal action will be initiated against the drunk crew members as per the Dubai's civil aviation law," said Chettri. According to him, another ...
Building collapsed in MP, 3 injured
Three people were injured after a two-storey building collapsed in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha city on Monday.The injured have been rescued and rushed to a local hospital for treatment. The rescue operation is underway, and no casualties have been reported so far.Meanwhile, a wall at an under-construction site in Ahmedabad collapsed, damaging a car and a JCB digger. No injuries or causalities have been reported in this incident.
Water level in Yamuna continues to rise for third day
The water level in the Yamuna river continued to rise and stayed over the danger mark for the third day today, officials said. Traffic movement on Old Yamuna Bridge in the city was closed yesterday after the water level in the river rose due to rains, they said. Meanwhile, discharge from the Hathani Kund Barrage at 1 pm was 31,342 cusecs. The water level at Delhi Railway Bridge and Palla Barrage was 205.7 and 211.42 metres respectively, officials said, adding the danger mark is 204.83 metres. The water level in the river had reached 205.30 metres at 7 pm on Saturday, prompting authorities to evacuate people from the low-lying areas. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia yesterday took stock of the ongoing evacuation operation in the low-lying areas of the city, including Akshardham and Pandav Nagar, and appealed to the people to move to safer areas. After reports emerged that many people were forced to live on roads after their houses were inundated, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind ..
Rail traffic restored on old Yamuna bridge
Train traffic was on Monday restored on the old Yamuna bridge after being suspended since Sunday night due to the rising level of the river, officials said.
6 killed, 7 missing as California wildfire rages
At least six people have died in a deadly fire that has ravaged a large swathe of California and continues to grow amid dry weather conditions severely hampering efforts to control the blaze.
More than 500 mountaineers stranded after Indonesian quake
Rescue teams on Monday were trying to reach more than 500 mountaineers who have been stranded on Mount Rinjani on Lombok island in Indonesia, a day after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed at least 14 people and injured 162.
Rly traffic restored on Old Yamuna Bridge
The rail traffic on the Old Yamuna Bridge (Loha Pul) has been restored this afternoon, the railways said. In a statement issued by Northern Railways at around 1:12 pm, Northern Railways said that normal rail movement was restored with immediate effect. Traffic movement on the bridge was closed last evening with the water level in the river rising due to rains, a day after the flow breached the danger mark, officials said. "The Rail traffic earlier notified to be temporary suspended over Old Yamuna Bridge (Loha Pul) due to rise in water label in Yamuna River has been restored with immediate effect," the statement from the NR said. The river was flowing at 205.5 metres last evening with the danger mark being 204.83 metres. The city government set up a flood control room and a round-the-clock emergency operation centre to monitor the river situation. Old Yamuna Bridge, colloquially known as 'Lohe Ka Pul', is a road-cum-rail bridge on the Delhi-Howrah line that was built over 150 years .
Rains, fog didn't stop team from recovering bodies: Collector
Rains and fog could not dampen the spirit of rescue personnel engaged in recovery of bodies in the Poladpur bus accident which claimed 30 lives, a senior district administration official said today. "The rescue personnel did not rest till all the bodies were recovered from the 800-feet deep gorge where the bus fell on Sunday," Raigad district collector Dr Vijay Suryawanshi said. The accident site, near Poladpur in Raigad district, is around 180 km from Mumbai. All the bus passengers were from the Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth at Dapoli in Ratnagiri district. "At one moment, all those in the bus were laughing and having fun and the next moment everything was over for them, except for the lone survivor," Suryawanshi told PTI. "As soon as the news of the tragedy reached us, the district administration swung into action. We deployed 15 ambulances and five trekking groups and started the rescue operation," the Collector said. Suryawanshi, who reached the accident .
Death toll in Greece wildfire increases to 91
The death toll from last week's wildfire near the Greek capital city Athens reached 91 on Monday, according to the Fire Department.