Page 630 - Disaster Accident
Centre to send official team to Kerala to assess flood damage
Assuring support to states hit by floods, the government today said it will soon send a team of officials to assesss the damage in Kerala and decide on the quantum of relief to be provided to the state. Intervening in a discussion on flood and drought situation in the country, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said the Centre would not discriminate against any state while providing funds to deal with these natural calamities. "No state has been discriminated for funds. Rs 80 crore has already been released to Kerala to meet the immediate requirements. "We have constituted an inter-ministerial team. They will visit Kerala soon and they will assess the quantum of damage and the high-level committee under the Home Minister will look into their report and decide on the quantum of assistance," he said. Observing that disaster management was a priority for the government, he assured members that the Centre would provide all support to Kerala to deal with the ...
Over 3 lakh in Odisha affected by rain-related incidents
More than three lakh people in 20 districts of Odisha have been affected in rain-related incidents, official sources said here today. A preliminary assessment indicated that 7,772 houses have been partially or fully damaged in the deluge that lasted for around four days, beginning on July 20, they said. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi stated that the district authorities have been asked to complete the assessment of damages to private properties in two weeks and furnish a report for allotment of funds in the affected areas. The situation has changed for better over the past two days in many rain-affected districts, but the low-lying areas in Sambalpur are still grappling with a flood-like situation. "The officials in Sambalpur are running 23 free kitchens for the flood-affected population. Apart from that, emergency assistance is also being provided to people living in the low-lying areas of the district," Sethi said. Sources in the Met department today said ...
MPs seek urgent central aid to Kerala for flood devastation
Terming the flood situation in Kerala as "severe", the opposition today asked the government to declare the situation a natural calamity and provide funds for relief and rehabilitation beyond the NDRF stipulation. Initiating a discussion in the Lok Sabha, CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran said this is one of the worst floods in the history of Kerala and about 120 people have already lost their lives. The intense rainfall has resulted in large scale devastation across various parts of the state and relief package from the central government was needed immediately, he said. Given the serious nature of flood, he said, the Centre should declare this as a natural calamity and provide funds beyond what is due under the NDRF. He expressed displeasure over not getting the due from the Centre after the devastation caused by the Okhi cyclone. "We got very little after the Okhi cylone from the Centre," he said. Expressing the concern over the working of the Indian Meteorological ...
Low intensity quake hits Himachal's Kangra
A low intensity earthquake measuring 2.9 on the Richter Scale hit Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district this evening, the Meteorological Department said. Its epicentre was at a dept of 10 km, the department said, adding that tremors were felt in and around Kangra district. However, there are no immediate reports of any damage to property.
Railway safety commissioner to probe accidents at Chennai suburban train station
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle) will probe the two accidents in which six people travelling on footboards of crowded suburban trains died after crashing into a concrete track fence at a station here, officials said today. The accidents occurred on July 23 and 24 at the St Thomas Mount railway station in a little over 13 hours. Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle) K A Manoharan, who inspected the spot today, told reporters that an inquiry would be held on July 30 at the divisional railway manager (DRM) office here. "We are taking measurements (between the fence and the track). The data will be analysed," he said. The general public can also take part in the inquiry, he said. Authorities have also announced changes in the schedules of fast suburban trains. DRM Naveen Gulati has said that all suburban trains would only run on suburban lines till further direction, according to railway sources. "Even fast suburban trains will run on suburban lines and ...
Mudslides claim five lives in Bangladesh
Five persons, including four children, were killed in two major incidents of rain-triggered mudslides in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, police said on Wednesday.
Laos PM says 131 missing from dam collapse as 26 bodies recovered
The Laotian prime minister said today 131 people are still missing two days after a dam collapse swamped several villages in the country's south, killing at least 26 people. In a rare televised press conference by the leader of the secretive communist country, Thongloun Sisoulith gave the most specific figure so far for the number unaccounted for. Earlier official reports spoke of hundreds missing in Attapeu province. "One hundred and thirty one people have been reported missing," he said, adding all of them were Lao nationals. Survivors have questioned why they got little warning of the deluge, which inundated several villages across a vast area with several metres of flood water. Two South Korean contractors said they had reported damage a day before parts of the Xe-Namnoy dam gave way Monday and unleashed a wall of water. Thai consular official Chana Miencharoen, at the scene of the relief effort told AFP that by late afternoon Wednesday 26 bodies had been recovered. "Seventeen ...
20 gates of Hirakud Dam opened to release excess water
Five more sluice gates of Hirakud Dam was opened today, in addition to the 15 spillways yesterday, to release excess water into river Mahanadi, an official said. Heavy rainfall in Odisha over the past week had led to a rise in water level in the dam. After draining out 2.5 lakh cusecs of floodwater through 15 sluice gates yesterday, the authorities decided to open five more spillways around 2am today in view of the full moon on July 27, said Jyotirmaya Rath, the chief engineer of Hirakud Dam. "As full moon leads to swelling of seas, water from the reservoir cannot be effectively drained into the river during that period. Keeping that in mind, we decided to open five more gates after midnight," he said The season's first floodwater, released around 12 noon yesterday, was expected to reach Mundali near Cuttack this evening, he said, adding that the level at the reservoir has come down to 615.41 feet at 12 noon today from 616.31 feet around 6 am, Rath said. Meanwhile, ...
New model can predict landslides caused by earthquakes
Scientists have developed a model that can estimate the likelihood of landslides caused by earthquakes anywhere in the world. The estimates can be available within minutes, providing potentially life-saving information to people who are affected by earthquakes and the agencies and organisations charged with responding to them. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, China, killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless, said researchers at Indiana University in the US. About 20,000 deaths - nearly 30 per cent of the total - resulted not from the ground shaking itself but from the landslides that it triggered, they said. "Earthquakes can be devastating, horrific and stressful events," said Anna Nowicki Jessee, a postdoctoral research fellow at Indiana University. "The ultimate goal of this work is that fast, regional estimates of landslide occurrence would provide a way for those who are affected to receive the aid they need more quickly and efficiently," said Jessee, ..
222 road rage cases registered in Delhi in 2015-17: Ahir
A total of 222 road rage cases were reported in the national capital in the last three years, Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir told the Rajya Sabha today. In 2015, 92 cases of road rage were reported in which four people lost their lives and 80 were injured. As many as 106 people were arrested in these cases, Ahir said. In 2016, two people were killed and 55 injured in 66 cases, while 80 people were arrested. In 2017, three people were killed and 55 injured in 64 cases and 29 were arrested. Till June 30 this year, 22 cases of road rage were reported in which 23 people were injured and 29 people were arrested, the MoS said. Due to heavy flow of traffic on Delhi roads, particularly during peak hours, the speed of motor vehicles is affected and congestion is observed on main roads in the national capital, he said. Ahir said the Delhi Police makes optimum deployment of traffic police personnel and some of the steps being taken by the police to combat traffic congestion include ...
2 killed as truck hits bus
Two persons were killed and nine others injured when a truck rammed into a reserve bus at Beliatore area of Bankura district today, police said. The accident took place when the bus coming from temple town of Tarapith in Birbhum district stopped by the road side near Markha more. The pipe laden truck hit the bus from behind there injuring 11 persons. Two of them died in hospital, police said adding that others were admitted at the Bankura Medical College and Hospital. Rest of the passengers of the bus were taken to Bankura railway station from where they would take a train Kharagpur. The reserve bus was supposed to take them to Kharagpur, police said.
Rlys not comparable with airlines, not losing passengers over high-fares: Minister Gohain
Railways are not comparable with airlines, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain told Lok Sabha today and also denied that the national transporter was losing passengers because of high fares. He said that fares of trains "may or may not be higher than airfares" and that the two are different modes of transport. "It is the choice of the passenger to opt for either railway or airlines for travelling. Further, the fares on airlines between same origin-destination are different in different airlines as well as in different services during the day in the same airlines. "Hence, fares of Indian Railways are not comparable with airlines," he said. Gohain also said that during 2016-2017, the number of originating passengers who travelled by trains was 8116 million vis-a-vis 8107 million in 2015-2016, registering an increase of 0.11 per cent. A Comptroller and Auditor General Report earlier this week had criticised the railways over its flexi-fare scheme and said that a comparison with ..
Rlys suffered loss of around Rs 90 lakh in Mumbai bridge collapse: MoS Rajen Gohain
The railways suffered a loss of around Rs 90 lakh in the Mumbai road overbridge (ROB) collapse earlier this month, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain informed the Lok Sabha today. On July 3, the ROB had collapsed on rail tracks in suburban Andheri amid heavy rains, hurting five people. "Estimated loss of property in the collapse of the road overbridge in Mumbai is Rs 88.54 lakh. The Commissioner of Railway Safety, Western Circle, has been nominated to conduct an inquiry. The inquiry is in progress," the MoS said. On October 3, 2015, a similar incident took place in Gujarat, in which the losses amounted to Rs 8.50 lakh and there was no loss of life, he said. After the accident, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had said a joint safety audit will be conducted by the railways, the BMC and IIT at 445 road overbridges, foot overbridges and bridges over the pipelines in Mumbai over the next six months as part of efforts to improve safety of the commuters.
Jharkhand Olympic Association vice president killed in road accident
Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) vice president Rashid Khan and his wife died in a road accident early on Wednesday in Lohardaga district, police said.
Frantic search for survivors continues after Laos dam collapse
Rescuers are searching for survivors after an under-construction hydroelectric dam collapsed in Laos on Tuesday, leaving at least 19 people dead and over 3,000 still to be rescued, media reports said on Wednesday.
State media says Laos dam disaster kills 19
Rescuers were searching today for villagers left missing when part of a newly built dam broke in southeastern Laos, flooding the surrounding countryside and killing at least 19 people. More than 6,000 people lost their homes when the dam gave way on Monday, flooding surrounding villages. The exact number of victims was unclear. The official Lao news agency KPL said yesterday afternoon that hundreds of people were missing, without providing details. More recent reports put the number missing in the dozens. KPL today said that the death toll had risen to 19. Photos and videos posted on social media showed people sitting on rooftops to escape the surging water, while others were carried to safety or rescued by boat. State media said helicopters were also being used to rescue people. SK Engineering & Construction, one of two South Korean partners in the project, said the top of one of five auxiliary earth-fill dams at the project "got swept away" on Sunday night after heavy rains. But
The Latest: Greek wildfires death toll rises to 79
Greece's fire department says the death toll from wildfires that decimated seaside communities near Athens has increased to 79. Spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri today said rescue crews continue to search the areas northeast of Athens that were the worst affected by the fire. Crews have been going house-to-house and searching burned cars and the scorched coastline to locate any further victims. Malliri said authorities have received dozens of calls for missing people, adding that some of those reported as missing could be among the dead, or might have already returned to their families without authorities having been informed. There was no official number released as to how many people might be missing. Some people have taken to social media and Greek television stations with appeals for information on their loved ones.
Airport in Germany reopens after heat damaged runway
The airport at Hannover in northern Germany has reopened after damage caused to the runway by persistent heat forced operators to shut it for repairs. News agency DPA reported that airport officials said departures resumed with a flight to Amsterdam just after 6.30 am today. The airport expected some cancellations and delays before operations return to normal around midday. The airport was shut yesterday evening because parts of the surface of one of the runways buckled as a result of the heat and the other runway was closed for maintenance work. The closure hit during the busy summer holiday period, and some passengers spent the night at the airport. Like much of Europe, Germany has been experiencing prolonged high temperatures.
Several killed in heavy rain, flood in Sudan
Between seven and ten people have been killed in heavy rains and floods across Sudan that have also led to the collapse of a large number of buildings, media reported.
At least 27 feared dead in Myanmar jade mine landslide
At least 27 people are feared dead following a landslide at a jade mine in northern Myanmar, police said today, as heavy rains hampered the search for survivors. The poorly-regulated and notoriously corrupt multibillion-dollar industry in remote Kachin state is frequently hit by fatal disasters, and the victims often come from poor ethnic communities. The latest disaster hit remote Set Mu sub-township early Tuesday following heavy rains in the area, burying at least 27 people, mostly from the impoverished ethnic Rawang group, local police officer Aung Zin Kyaw told AFP. "We haven't found any dead bodies yet. We will search again today with the Red Cross and fire brigade," he said. With only about 70,000 members, the mainly-Christian Rawang are one of Myanmar's smallest ethnic groups and live predominantly in the mountainous north, with many employed in the informal mining sector. With few regulations and little oversight in the hugely profitable sector -- mostly fuelled by soaring ...