Page 625 - Disaster Accident

Argentina prepares to launch geo-satellite in September

Argentina is preparing for the launch of the first of four satellites into space to help monitor geological conditions and manage disasters, according to its national space agency..

Apple to fix devices damaged by Japan's floods for free

Apple wants to help Japan flood victims in its own way possible. The company is promising to fix any repairable Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad damaged during the disaster.Apple will fix these devices at no cost. Customers need to call Apple Support to get their devices picked up for repair, Cnet reported.It is to be noted that Apple typically does not cover liquid damage, however, it has made an exception in case of its affected Japanese customers who can get their devices fixed until the end of September.

Haryana's Hathnikund barrage releases water, floods threaten Delhi

With heavy rains continuing in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, authorities in Haryana's Hathnikund barrage on Saturday released excess water into the Yamuna river, posing a flood threat to New Delhi.

Himachal roads closed due to heavy rains

With heavy rainfall continuing, most roads in Himachal Pradesh remained closed to traffic on Saturday, stranding travellers and commuters. The worst affected were Sirmaur and Kullu districts.

Four killed in US car crash

Four persons have been killed and three others injured, including a six-year-old child, in the US state of Georgia, authorities said.

Rain claims 33 lives in UP in 2 days

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), on Saturday released a report stating that 33 people have died in Uttar Pradesh on July 26 and 27 due to storm, lightning, and heavy rainfall.Based on the data, six people have died in Agra, four each in Meerut and Mainpuri, three in Muzaffarnagar and Kasganj and two in Bareilly.According to the report, 23 people have been injured in the state due to the aforementioned and a total of 104 houses were damaged and nine animals were harmed.Meanwhile, in the national capital, a flood-like situation has aroused as the water-level of the Yamuna river rose beyond danger level due to heavy rainfall.In, Himachal Pradesh, landslide followed by heavy rainfall led to the blockage on National Highway-20 at two places in Maigal and Kotropi district.On Friday, traffic was disrupted on NH-5 at Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh as heavy rains triggered a landslide.All government and private schools were ordered to be shut for July 28 and an alert was also issued .

37 killed in UP rains in two days

At least 37 people have been killed in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh in the past 48-hours since Thursday, an official said on Saturday.

2 killed in rain-related incidents in UP's Muzaffarnagar

Two people, including a minor girl, were today killed and 13 others injured when part of their house collapsed due to heavy rains in the district, police said. A 10-year-old girl was killed and eight of the family injured in house collapse at Kulhedi village in the district, they said. In Khanpur villagem, one person was killed and five others injured in house collapse, police said. The injured have been admitted to a hospital, they said. Yesterday, four people were killed in rain-related incidents in the district and more than 50 people were injured in the last two days.

Train accident averted in UP

An apparent derailment attempt of the Etawah-Mainpuri passenger train was averted in Uttar Pradesh, an official said on Saturday.

Disaster-hit Japan braces for powerful typhoon

A powerful typhoon hurtled towards Japan today, with western areas recently devastated by floods and landslides in the storm's cross-hairs. Typhoon Jongdari, packing winds of up to 180 kilometres (110 miles) an hour, is forecast to make landfall on the country's main island today night or early tomorrow, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency. The storm, currently some 400 kilometres southeast of Tokyo, is expected to barrel towards the western Chugoku region tomorrow, where record rainfall earlier this month unleashed flooding and landslides, killing around 220 people. Authorities are warning of heavy rain, landslides, strong winds and high waves, and urging people to consider early evacuation. "We want people especially in the downpour-hit regions to pay close attention to evacuation advisories," meteorological agency official Minako Sakurai told reporters. More than 150 domestic flights have been cancelled so far because of Typhoon Jongdari, news reports said. The flooding in ..

California wildfire burns 500-plus structures

Firefighters say 500 structures have been destroyed in a raging Northern California wildfire and another 5,000 are threatened. Cal Fire released the updated figure yesterday, though the number of homes burned in the so-called Carr Fire is expected to increase. Earlier yesterday, fire officials said 65 structures had been destroyed by the fast-moving blaze in Shasta County. The blaze grew to 194 square kilometers by last night. It began Monday with a mechanical failure of a vehicle. It grew completely out of control on Thursday, tearing through two small communities and reaching the city of Redding. Tens of thousands of people fled the city in fear of their lives from the blaze, which has killed two firefighters.

Tweets could be reliable indicator of air quality during wildfires

A new study by scientists with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service suggests that what people tweet in areas affected by wildfire can be a reliable indicator of air quality conditions.

Small plane lands on Chicago's busy Lake Shore Drive

A small plane made an emergency landing on Lake Shore Drive, one of the main thoroughfares through downtown Chicago, temporarily halting traffic at the beginning of evening rush hour on the roadway hugging Lake Michigan. Authorities say no vehicles were struck when the single-engine aircraft landed during the early stages of Friday's evening rush hour. Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford says the pilot reported the engine lost power and he had no choice but to land the aircraft on the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive. It wasn't immediately known from where the aircraft took off or where it was headed. Aerial views broadcast by local TV did not show any damage to the two-seat aircraft. Langford said the pilot was not injured.

Nepal: One Indian among those dead in bus accident

At least 8 people, including an Indian passenger, died in a road accident on Friday afternoon.The mishap took place when a commuter bus en route to Pokhara from capital Kathmandu collided with a truck in Nepal's Chitwan district.The deceased Indian passenger was identified as Firoz Miya from Betiya, Bihar, the police informed."We felt like that the driver had hit the brake of the bus but it went forward and collided. The bus fell into the river bank," one of the injured, identified as Pramod, told ANI.

Another building collapses in Ghaziabad

Less than a week after a building collapse claimed two lives, another five-storey building has collapsed here on Thursday.As per an eyewitness, the building, situated in Khoda area, housed a clothes showroom, which had to be shut down due to the poor condition of the building."The building was old, nobody stayed there. A clothes showroom was there but that too had been shut down as the condition of the building was not good," a local told ANI.Following the collapse, National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) and other rescue teams were pressed into action to clear the rubble."The building was not in good condition, it was 8-10 years old and had been evacuated already. NDRF and other rescue teams are present at the spot," Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ritu Maheshwari told reporters here.No casualties have been reported.

30 killed as heavy rains lash Uttar Pradesh

As many as 30 people were killed as heavy rains wreaked havoc in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, an official said today. Thundershowers are likely to continue at many places across the state, the MET office said. While five people died in Agra, four deaths were reported in Mainpuri, three each in Muzaffarnagar and Kasganj, two each in Meerut and Bareilly and one each in Kanpur Dehat, Mathura, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Jhansi, Rae Bareli, Jalaun and Jaunpur , the government spokesperson said. Three deaths were reported from Saharanpur today, SP Saharanpur (Rural) Vidya Sagar Mishra said. As many as 12 others were injured in different parts of the state, the spokesperson said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to launch relief and rescue work on a war footing and asked district magistrates of the affected areas to immediately provide necessary monetary help, as per the rules, in cases of house collapse. Directions were also issued for taking all necessary steps to ensure ...

App for Mumbai weather forecast launched

The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) today launched a mobile application that will provide information on extreme weather events in Mumbai. The MoES also launched a mobile application for Chardham andAmarnath yatra pilgrims. The Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand usually experiences extreme weather events like heavy rains and thunderstorms. Speaking at the ministry's foundation day, Secretary of MoES M Rajeevan said they were working on an air-pollution emergency prediction system, which could be ready for launch by October. He said the MoEs was improving day by day in providing services in monsoon forecasting and other weather or climate parameters, ocean state, earthquakes, tsunamis and other phenomena related to earth systems for public safety and socio-economic benefits.

5-story building crashes in Ghaziabad, no casualty reported

A five-storey partially damaged building collapsed in Ghaziabad on Friday evening, police said.

5 storeyed building collapses in Ghaziabad

A five-storeyed building collapsed in Khoda municipality here this evening, triggering fears that some people might be trapped in the debris. Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna today said the possibility of people being trapped in the debris could not be ruled out but it was too early to comment on it. A team of the National Disaster Response Force team (NDRF) was called in at the scene, he said. Two showrooms were running in half portion of the building in Lok Priya Vihar colony and the rest of it was under repair as a crane had rammed into it a few days back, he said. After getting information abut the incident, the district magistrate and police chief reached the spot, the police said.

Flood warning issued in Delhi as Yamuna water rises due to rains

An alert has been sounded by the Delhi government after the water level of Yamuna river crossed the danger mark, an official said. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the city government has made preparations to evacuate 100 people residing in low-lying areas. "The Water Level of River Yamuna at Delhi Old Rly Bridge reached at 204.10 metres at 7 PM on July 27 (above the warning level) and having rising trend," a statement issued by the East Delhi district administration said. "All the EEs (Executive Engineers)/ sector officers are directed to keep in close contact with the control room in relation to the discharge, water level at ORB (Old Railway Bridge) and the advisory or forecast from CWC (Central Water Commission)/MET, and requested to take appropriate measures/steps accordingly to avoid flood-like situation," it said. "Our men are on the field through QRT (Quick Response Team) vehicle and three boats have been pressed into service today which are making announcements ..