Page 649 - Disaster Accident
Villagers fall ill after drinking contaminated well water
Nearly three dozens people fell ill after drinking contaminated water from a well in a village near here in Madhya Pradesh, officials said today. The well is located in Batamtara village, about 40km from the district headquarters, they said. The affected people, numbering nearly three dozens and including women and children, were admitted to the Community Health Centre at Chapara last night, Block Medical Officer Dr D Banerjee told PTI today. The patients complained of colic, vomiting and frequent bowel movements, he said, adding all of them are now out of danger.
3 killed as explosion hits restaurant in Pakistan
At least three people were killed and 25 others injured when a blast hit a restaurant in Pakistan's central Multan district on Monday, the media reported.
Salvage operations on for MV SSL Kolkata: Shipping Ministry
Salvage operations of container vessel MV SSL Kolkata, that had caught fire last month, are underway in adverse weather conditions, the government said today. On June 18, the Shipping Ministry had said salvage operations were held up due to adverse weather and sea conditions. The vessel was grounded at about 8 nautical miles off the ecologically sensitive Sundarbans after its cargo area had caught fire following an explosion. All 22 crew members were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard. The Directorate General of Shipping and its allied office, Mercantile Marine Department, Kolkata, Government of West Bengal, the Indian Coast Guard and various authorities have been constantly monitoring the developments as the salvage efforts continue, the statement said. "There is no apparent damage caused to the environment as of now except a minor oil leakage from vessel which is being attended to with means of oil spill combating gear. Investigation by the Directorate is under progress," it added.
DGCA to regulate air traffic controllers, says govt after ICAO flags concerns
With global aviation watchdog ICAO giving low score to India after safety oversight audit, the government has decided to entrust the regulation of air traffic controllers with the DGCA. Senior Civil Aviation Ministry officials today said India's score after the latest ICAO audit fell to 57.44 per cent from the previous level of 65.82 per cent. The decline was mainly due to ratings of air traffic controllers being given by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is also the provider of air traffic control services, the officials said. Now, the ministry has decided that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would be carrying out regulatory and safety oversight of air traffic controllers, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey told reporters here. The DGCA is currently developing a system to oversee the controllers of AAI, which once in place, would improve the effective implementation levels as required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ICAO ...
Two dead as Rajdhani Express hits vehicle
Two persons were killed when the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express hit a vehicle between Dikom and Chabua stations in Tinsukia in Assam on Sunday night, railway officials said on Monday.
Waterlogging, traffic snarls in several states after heavy rains; NDRF deployed in Gujarat
Heavy rains in several parts of the country led to landslides, waterlogging and traffic disruptions in many states, including Gujarat, where the administration deployed the NDRF and put the Air Force on alert after four villages were marooned. The national capital also received heavy precipitation resulting in waterlogging on several roads and traffic jams at various intersections. The Safdarjung observatory, recording of which is considered official for the city, received 32 mm rainfall between 8.30 AM and 5.30 PM. Areas under Palam, Lodhi Road, Ridge and Ayanagar recorded 25.2 mm, 30.8 mm, 38.6 mm, 1.7mm rains respectively during the same period. The humidity oscillated between 79 and 100 per cent. Several districts of Gujarat received heavy rainfall today resulting in four villages getting marooned in the worst affected Gir Somnath district, even as the NDRF had to be deployed to rescue 70 passengers of a metre gauge train and the Air Force was put on alert, officials said. Chief ..
Rain claims 12 lives in the last one week in Kerala
: Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds that lashed Kerala have claimed 12 lives in the last one week, besides causing widespread damage to property and crops. With low-lying areas under flood water,over 5000 people have been shifted to relief campus across the state, the state control room monitoring the rain incidents here, said. Two people, one each at Malappuram and Kottayam districts, died in rain related incidents today, the control room officials said. A high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with District Collectors through video conference, reviewed the flood situation in the state. The Chief Minister asked district authorities to dispense the compensation to flood-affected people without any delay. Train services via Ernakulam were disrupted as a major railway station in Kochi city was hit by rain waters. Flight services were not affected at Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery, an airport spokesman said. Road traffic was also hit
Coast Guard evacuates sick crew member of fuel tanker
The Coast Guard evacuated a severely sick crew member of an India-registered fuel tanker which was in mid sea and brought him to Haldia for medical treatment in the early hours today, an official said here. A Coast Guard vessel evacuated 27-year old Mridul Singh from 'MT Hansa Prem' at 3.00 pm yesterday after receiving medical evacuation request from the master of the ship, which was then situated approximately 100 nautical miles in the Bay of Bengal from Haldia Dock complex, which is about 120 km from here. "The vessel requested Indian Coast Guard for immediate evacuation of severely sick crew member Mridul Singh, suffering from severe abdominal pain with swelling for last two days," ICG (North-East region) spokesperson assistant commandant Chitra Biswas said. Coast Guard maritime rescue sub-centre at Haldia diverted ICG ship 'Anmol', which was on routine EEZ patrol, to provide medical assistance to the patient. The on-board Coast Guard medical team administered ...
ICG taking out diesel from ship to avert sea pollution
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) began today the task of taking out diesel from a merchant vessel that ran aground near the Porbandar coast to avert any possible oil spillage into the Arabian Sea. MV Henry, a Panamanian ship that was apprehended by the ICG around a year ago with 1,500 kg of heroin worth around Rs 3,500 crore, was yesterday temporarily shifted to an inner anchorage at the Porbandar coast to make way for an inbound vessel, a defence release said. It drifted due to snapping of its anchor cable and ran aground outside the Porbandar harbour, around 400km from here, it said. Since the ship carried around 230 kilo litre of high- speed diesel on-board, there was apprehension of oil spillage which could have caused sea pollution, necessitating the defuelling exercise, the release said. "Though this vessel did not pose any threat to the navigational safety, the potent threat of oil pollution continued to loom over the pristine coast of Gujarat as it houses about 230 .
Cloudburst washes away houses in Chamoli, one killed after falling in canal
Several houses, shops and vehicles were swept away following a cloudburst in Tharali and Ghat areas of Chamoli district early today, while a woman died after falling into an overflowing canal in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. While five houses were damaged in Kundi village, ten houses suffered damage in Maukhmalla village of Ghat area where two animals were also washed away, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC)said here. About 10-15 shops and ten vehicles including three motorcycles were washed away in Ratgaon in Tharali area of Chamoli district,it said. However, no human casualty was reported in these incidents. Relief and rescue teams consisting of police and SDRF personnel were rushed to affected areas, Chamoli District Magistrate Ashish Joshi said. Meanwhile, the body of a woman was recovered from a canal in Munsyari area of Pithoragarh district today. The 36-year-old Haruli Devi had fallen into the swollen Bathiraula canal after slipping off a rock yesterday, the .
NDRF, Air Force on alert as heavy rains lash Gujarat; more precipitation likely in next 5 days
Several districts of Gujarat received heavy rainfall today resulting in four villages getting marooned in the worst affected Gir Somnath district, even as the NDRF had to be deployed to rescue 70 passengers of a metre gauge train and the Air Force was put on alert, officials said. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani held an emergency meeting to assess the preparedness. He said that six to seven districts were affected due to the rains and 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force, as well as the Air Force, had been put on alert. "We have sought five more NDRF teams. While the situation today is under control, the disaster management machinery has been asked to remain prepared as the forecast is of heavy rains in the next five days," Rupani told reporters. As many as 70 passengers of the Delvada-Veraval metre gauge line had to be rescued by the NDRF after the train got stranded due to waterlogging at Gir Gadhada railway station, a disaster management official said. Additional Chief ...
Sister Sudiksha declared head of Sant Nirankari Mission
Sister Sudiksha was today declared as the spiritual head of the Sant Nirankari Mission, an official of the organisation said. The youngest daughter of late Baba Hardev Singh, who died in a road accident in Canda in 2016, will be anointed as the Nirankari Satguru in a ceremony at Burari here tomorrow, the Mission's Member In-charge, Kirpa Sagar, said. "As desired and blessed by the present Nirankari Satguru Mata Savinder Hardev Ji Maharaj, Holy Sister Sudiksha Ji has been declared as Nirankari Satguru and the spiritual head of the Sant Nirankari Mission from today," he said in a statement. The Mission was established in 1929 by Buta Singh. The sect follows the satguru tradition that professes realisation of god through the teacher. Mata Savinder became the head of the Mission after the death of Nirankari Satguru Baba Hardev in the road accident. The accident occurred when he was travelling to attend a spiritual gathering in May 2016 in Canada.
Maharashtra Minister apologises for remarks on bad roads
Maharashtra PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil apologised today in the Legislative Council for his remarks on pothole-ridden roads which have led to a string of fatal mishaps in the Mumbai region. "I express apology if my statement (on bad roads) conveyed insensitivity on the issue," he said in the House. Speaking to reporters in Sangli on Saturday, Patil had said pothole-ridden roads alone can't be blamed for accidents. "When you talk about a death in such an accident, you forget that five lakh other people have travelled on the same road. You can not put the entire blame on the (condition of) roads alone," he had said. Patil's comments had invited criticism from opposition parties. Five people lost their lives due to damaged roads in the Mumbai region in the last two weeks. Speaking in the Upper House today, the minister said it was the responsibility of municipal corporations to fill up potholes in their respective limits. Patil said he has been constantly monitoring the ..
Tent collapses during PM's Midnapore rally, 67 injured
A makeshift tent collapsed at the venue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally here today when he was midway through his speech, injuring 67 people including 13 women, officials said. The tent was erected next to the main entrance of the rally venue to shelter people from the rain. The prime minister saw the tent collapsing during his speech and immediately instructed special protection group (SPG) personnel standing near him to look after the people and attend to the injured, officials said. P Kundu, principal of government-run West Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, said that 67 people including 13 women were admitted after the incident but no one was seriously injured. The local BJP unit as well as Modi's personal staff, including his doctor and SPG personnel, swung into action to help the injured, officials said. Modi also visited the injured at the hospital later. Many enthusiastic BJP supporters had climbed the makeshift marquee during the rally. The Prime Minister briefly
Three dead, five injured in two road accidents: Police
Three persons, including a woman, were killed and five others injured today in two separate road accidents in Udhampur and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. In the first incident, a car collided with a truck at Tikri in Udhampur district on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway this afternoon, resulting in injuries to six persons travelling, a police official said. He said the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where a woman died during the treatment. Earlier during the day, two youths were run over by an unidentified vehicle in Kathua district, the official said. The two victims were found lying dead on the roadside at Chak Gotta area along the Jammu-Pathankot highway, he said. He said preliminary investigation suggested that the two were hit by a vehicle while walking by the roadside around 5.30 am. The identity of the deceased is being ascertained, the official said.
Two killed, one injured as train hits car at level crossing
Two members of a family were killed and one was injured when their car was hit by the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express at a railway level crossing in Upper Assam's Dibrugarh district today, police said. Additional Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Surjeet Singh Paneswar said three members of family - Bimal Kumar Sarma, his son Arnab and wife Deepa - were returning to their home in Tinsukia district when the accident occurred at Sialkoti. Bimal and Arnab were killed in the accident while Deepa, who received serious injuries was admitted to Assam Medical College and Hospital at Dibrugarh, the ASP said. The local people alleged that the gateman was not on duty at the level crossing at the time of the accident. They held up movement of the train for sometime alleging that the gateman was seen in an inebriated condition and was not on duty at the level crossing at the time of accident, police said. Relatives of Sarma's also alleged that there was no railway personnel ..
200 armed force personnel becoming disabled due to injuries every year, says top Army doctor
Nearly 200 armed forces personnel become disabled every year, a senior doctor for the forces has said, citing road accidents and snow avalanche, especially in hilly terrains, and battle injuries as the prime reasons. Lt Gen Bipin Puri, Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Service, said the disability armed forces personnel suffer are not only related to spinal cord and limbs - one of the most commonly noticed. Many a time there are cases of crippling of intestine and lungs due to injury to abdomen and chest, Lt Gen Puri said. He said in the armed forces medical service, the primary motto is to save life by resorting to damage-control surgery. "Every year 200 armed forces personnel suffer from serious disability. It is a huge number. Battle injuries are of course the reason, but more of our injuries are because of accidents in hilly terrains, snow avalanche," Puri told PTI, citing the data available with him for the past 10 years. The Indian Army is engaged in anti-militancy ...
Childline issues clarification after receiving calls for collecting leftover food
Childline, the nationwide emergency helpline for children, has issued a clarification that it does not collect left over food from parties after a spam mail suggesting it circulated online. The message circulating around says that "if you have a function or party at your home and when you see food wasted, please don't hesitate to call 1098. They will come and collect the food. Please circulate this message which can help feed many children". A Childline representative said they are receiving several calls from people who ask them to collect leftover food after a party. "We tell all such callers that Childline is an emergency helpline that provides help to children who are in distress," the representative said, without giving the exact number of calls. She said they have even issued a warning on their website. "We understand there is a chain mail circulating that says - one should call up 1098 to pick up left over food after a party etc so that it is not wasted. This is not true. We ...
18 killed in Pakistan as trailer truck rams into parked bus
At least 18 people returning from a wedding function were killed when a speeding trailer truck rammed into a parked bus in Pakistan's southern Sindh province early today, police and rescue officials said. Another 30 people suffered injuries and have been hospitalised, they said. The accident took place in Hala area of Hyderabad district. The bus was parked along a national highway to change a deflated tyre when the trailer truck rammed into it from behind, the police said. The police said 18 people were killed in the accident. The victims were all residents of Hyderabad and were returning from Sakrand, where they had gone to attend the wedding, officials said. Officials at the Edhi ambulance service said that they shifted 30 injured to Hala and Hyderabad civil hospitals. Six people were critically injured. "The impact was so strong that it killed 15 people on the spot, including five members of the same family," an official of the Edhi Trust said. "The total casualties are now 18, ...
Thailand retrieves final body in boating disaster
Thailand has recovered the last body after a boating accident killed dozens of Chinese tourists this month off the southern resort island of Phuket. The Phoenix was carrying 105 people -- mostly Chinese -- when it sank on the way back from a popular snorkeling spot on July 5. Divers and the navy spent more than a week retrieving bodies, some from inside the boat, as outraged relatives waited for news. Phuket's public relations department said in a statement late Sunday that the "last body of the dead from the Phoenix boat accident" was recovered that night. "All missing found," the statement added, putting the final death toll at 47. A minute's silence was held for the victims at a ceremony attended by the Chinese ambassador. The Phoenix was among three vessels which ignored a bad weather warning against day trips to the islands around Phuket. The disaster was one of the worst boating accidents in recent history in Thailand, which has a poor safety record despite being heavily reliant