Page 65 - Disaster Accident
Surat fire: Tyres used as chairs in class, fire tenders were 45 mins away
Presence of inflammable materials, including flex and tyres, and fire tenders stationed away from the spot contributed to the blaze at a commercial complex in Surat and hampered the fire fighting operation, Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh said Sunday. Twenty-two students, including 18 girls, of an art and craft coaching institute died in the devastating fire that engulfed the four-storeyed Takshashila Arcade in Sarthana area of Surat on Friday. Preliminary probe revealed that use of highly inflammable materials and tyres, which doubled up as chairs in the coaching class, caused the fire to spread rapidly, Singh said. "The fire spread very quickly because highly inflammable materials, such as flex, were used... The ceiling (of the coaching institute) was just five feet high. Since one cannot sit on a chair in such a room, the owner used tyres instead of chairs for the students," the chief secretary told reporters here. "High-capacity fire tenders took time to reach the spot as they ..
Apparent tornado levels Oklahoma motel, kills at least 2
An apparent tornado killed at least two people as it destroyed a motel, roared through a nearby mobile home park and caused other significant damage in the Oklahoma City area, officials said Sunday. El Reno Mayor Matt White said during a news conference that officials were working to notify relatives of the two people who were killed. He didn't say how or where they died and he said search and rescue efforts were ongoing. The suspected twister hit El Reno, which is just west of Oklahoma City, on Saturday night as a powerful storm system rolled through the state, Rick Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Norman, told The Associated Press. The American Budget Value Inn was levelled. Images from the scene showed emergency crews sifting through rubble after part of the motel's second story collapsed into a pile of debris strewn about the first floor and parking lot. Elsewhere, overturned cars and twisted metal could be seen briefly as intermittent lightning flashed across ...
Mumbai: Car catches fire on Western Express Highway
A car on Sunday caught fire on the Western Express highway here, following which traffic blocks were created on the route.A huge cloud of smoke was seen emanating from the car in the middle of the 25.33 kilometre-long highway amidst moderate traffic on this afternoon. The cause behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.The Western Express Highway stretches from the suburb of Dahisar to Bandra.No casualties were reported in the incident.
Surat fire: Former CM Shankersinh Vaghela seeks resignation of Mayor, Police Commissioner
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela on Sunday sought the resignation of Mayor Jagdish Patel and Police Commissioner Satish Sharma in the wake of the coaching centre blaze which claimed the lives of 20 people, mostly students.Speaking to ANI, Vaghela said, "The mayor and municipal commissioner should resign on moral grounds.""It was a man-made disaster. Who gave necessary permission to the establishment? It is the moral duty of the concerned officers to follow the rules. Lives could have been saved if fire brigades had sufficient water in their tanks. This must be investigated," he added.He further claimed that the best example of the corruption prevalent in the present government is the fire at Takshashila complex. "Government must strictly observe it. It must not be callously dealt with," he added.A blaze ripped through the coaching centre in city's Sarthana area on Friday, killing as many as 20 people and injuring many others. Several students were seen jumping off the
SpiceJet adds 100th aircraft to its fleet
Budget airline SpiceJet on Sunday said it has added a new Boeing 737 aircraft to its fleet, taking its total strength to 100 aircraft.
Gujarat orders crackdown on illegal structures after Surat shock
Shaken out of stupor by the devastating fire at an illegal structure in Surat that claimed 22 lives, the Gujarat government on Sunday asked the builders of more than 9,000 properties in the state, including over 1,100 in the diamond city, to equip themselves with fire safety installations within three days or face closure.
Surat fire tragedy: NGO writes to PM, seeks strict fire safety law
An NGO working in the field of fire safety and prevention has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding that a strong law be enacted to prevent fire tragedies. The United Human Rights Federation (UHRF) made the demand in the wake of a fire in Gujarat's Surat district on Friday that led to the death of 22 students attending coaching classes. "In February, 17 people died in a fire in a Karol Bagh hotel and now it is Surat, where innocent students have been killed in a fire tragedy. How many more fire accidents will we see before we get a strong fire law?" UHRF president Santosh Bagla said. "We recently wrote to PM Modi to bring a strong law to prevent fire tragedies. We had even demanded that the BJP include it in its election manifesto," he said. Bagla said unfortunately, no political party has so far shown strong will to bring stringent laws despite the Supreme Court's directions in this connection. "India's growth story cannot be complete without a central law in respect of
'We're trapped': Likely tornado rips through Oklahoma town
A likely tornado destroyed a motel, swept through a nearby mobile home park and caused significant damage in the Oklahoma City area, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Rick Smith in Norman told The Associated Press that the suspected twister hit El Reno on Saturday night as a powerful storm system rolled through the state. Crews were expected to arrive on the scene Sunday to determine the severity of the damage to the town located just west of Oklahoma City. No information was immediately available about possible fatalities The American Budget Value Inn was destroyed by the storm. Images from the scene showed emergency crews sifting through rubble after part of the motel's second story collapsed into a pile of debris strewn about the first floor and parking lot. Elsewhere, overturned cars and twisted metal could be seen briefly as intermittent lightning flashed across the sky and the wailing sirens of approaching emergency vehicles were heard in the ...
4 missing after 2 cargo ships collide off Japan's east coast
At least four people are reportedly missing after two cargo ships collided in the Pacific waters off the east coast of Japan in the wee hours of Sunday.The incident occurred at around 2:10 am (local time), when two Japan-flagged cargo ships -- Sensho Maru and Sumiho Maru -- collided about 12 kilometres from country's easternmost city of Inubosaki, reported Xinhua.The Sensho Maru, carrying about 1300 tonnes of steel, sunk at the scene of the incident. A coastguard patrol boat rescued the captain of the ship, while the rest of the crew members remain missing. All crew members on the Sumiho Maru ship are safe, the coast guard said.At the time of the incident, the visibility in the area was low due to dense fog.The coast guard has deployed patrol vessels and helicopters to find the missing men.
8.0-magnitude earthquake hits Peru, no injuries reported
An 8.0-earthquake struck northern Peru in the early hours of Sunday but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The US Geological Survey said the epicenter was at a depth of 110 kilometers (68 miles). The agency has previously said that most big quakes in South America occur at a maximum depth of 70 kilometers. The quake hit at 0741 GMT about 75 kilometers southeast of the town of Lagunas, along the Amazon basin near the border with Brazil. "Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localized," USGS said in a preliminary assessment. The Geophysics Institute of Peru said the quake measured 7.2 magnitude while Peruvian authorities said the tremor caused alarm among locals but no damage was reported. The earthquake was felt in northern and central Peru, including the capital Lima. "Based on all available data... there is no tsunami threat because the earthquake is located too deep inside the earth," the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning ...
7.5 magnitude earthquake rattles northern Peru
An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale rattled Northern Peru, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.The quake occurred at 2:41 pm (local time) at a depth of 105 kilometers, according to IMD.There were no immediate reports of casualties as a result of the earthquake.Further details are awaited.Peru is situated on the 'Ring of Fire', an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean which is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Magnitude-8 earthquake strikes north-central Peru
The US Geological Survey says a large earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 has struck in north-central Peru. The quake, at a moderate depth of 114 kilometers struck at 2:41 am, 80 kilometers southeast of the village of Lagunas and 158 kilometers east-northeast of the larger town of Yurimaguas. Earthquakes that are closer to the surface generally cause more destruction. The Peruvian government's emergency department tweeted that it registered a magnitude of 7.2, and that the quake was felt in the city of Callao, and the capital, Lima.
10 killed in gas leak in cargo ship in China
At least 10 people died and 19 others injured after carbon dioxide leaked from a cargo ship's fire preventing system at Longyan Port in eastern China's Weihai city, officials said on Sunday. The accident happened around 4 p.m. on Saturday, when the ship owned by the Fujian Shipping Company was being repaired. Ten people were killed in the accident, the local government said. Nineteen people injured in the accident are receiving medical treatment at a local hospital and their condition is stable, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday. A preliminary investigation showed that carbon dioxide leaked from the fire preventing system due to improper operation of crew members. Those responsible for the accident are under police custody.
Theatre stage collapses in China; 1 child killed, 14 injured
A theatre stage collapsed during a dance audition, killing one child and injuring 14 others in Zhangzhou city in China's Fujian province. The Jinshuixian theatre in Zhangzhou Development Zone hosted a children's dance audition Saturday night. During the audition, part of the stage collapsed in which a 13-year-old participant was killed, state-run China Daily reported on Sunday. The injured participants are receiving treatment in hospitals. Companies and organisers involved in the accident are in police custody, the report said.
Low-intensity quake hits WB's Bankura district
A low-intensity earthquake, measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale, shook Bankura district of West Bengal at 10.39 am Sunday, the Met department said here. There was no report of any casualty or damage to property so far, an official said. The epicentre of the tremor was 10 km below the surface of Earth at latitude 23.3 degrees north and longitude 86.9 degrees east.
4.8 magnitude earthquake jolts West Bengal
An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale rattled Bankura district of West Bengal on Sunday morning, the Indian Meteorological Department said.The quake struck at around 10:39 am and the tremors were felt in the neighbouring states as well.No casualties has been reported so far.Earlier, two medium intensity earthquakes measuring 5.0 and 4.8 on the Richter Scale hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands region in early hours of Saturday.
Surat fire tragedy: NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of media reports
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday took suo motu cognizance of media reports on the Surat fire tragedy which claimed lives of 20 people, mostly students.Considering the incident as a grave violation of the human rights of the young students, the Commission issued a notice to Gujarat government and its Chief Secretary Jagdip Narayan Singh seeking a detailed report in the matter including status of the criminal cases registered against the building owner and others found guilty along with the action taken against the public servants concerned.Singh has been asked to submit a report on the legal status of the building, its construction, fire fighting measures, fire safety clearance and relief granted to the grief-stricken families. The response from the state government is expected within 4 weeks."The Commission also expects that the best and free of cost treatment is provided by the State to the injured persons," NHRC statement read.Issuing the notice, the NHRC has .
NGO provides fodder to cattle, meals to farmers in Aurangabad
With Maharashtra in the grip of a severe drought, an NGO has taken upon itself to feed and look after the over 6,000 cattle at a fodder camp at Lasur village in Aurangabad. Along with cattle, their owners are also provided meals.The NGO Aarita Foundation along with Indian Jain Organisation and MLA Prashant Bam have been taking care of cattle and providing meals to people at Rs 10, without any aid from the government.Fodder camp aka 'Chara Chawani' for cattle in the drought-hit village was set up by the state government to provide shelter home, fooder and water to cattle of 1200 farmers from three tehsils. Around fifty shades have been arranged for cattle.Every person who brings his cattle here is also provided meals two-times. The food includes pulse, rice, vegetable, chappati and sweets.[{25484a52-95a9-4889-9991-29712b68c036:intradmin/Meal.JPG}]"I came here with my cattle. We are impressed with the job of the foundation. They not only provide good-quality fodder to our cattle but ...
Mexico confirms 6 killed in crash of military helicopter
Authorities in Mexico have confirmed that six people died when a military helicopter that was helping fight forest fires crashed in the north-central state of Queretaro. The Russian-made MI-17 transport helicopter was carrying water to firefighters when it went down Friday in the pine-covered mountains known as the Sierra Gorda. The crash occurred near the township of Jalpan de la Sierra, located on a high mountain range that drops abruptly onto Mexico's Gulf coast plain. The National Forests Commission said Saturday that one of its workers died in the crash, raising the death toll to six. Five Navy crew members also died. Mexico has suffered hundreds of brush, pasture and forest fires in recent weeks amid very hot, dry conditions.
4 missing after cargo ship sinks off Japan
Four crew members were missing Sunday after their steel-carrying cargo ship sank following an overnight collision with another ship off Japan, a coastguard official said. Japan-flagged cargo ships Senshomaru and Sumihomaru collided around 2:10am Sunday (local time) in Pacific waters off Chiba prefecture, the official said. "Senshomaru seems to have sunk at the scene of the collision. Coastguard patrol boat Matsushima rescued the captain of Senshomaru, but four others -- the rest of the ship's crew members -- remain missing," local coastguard official Hiromitsu Kawaguchi told AFP. All four crew on the 499-tonne Sumihomaru were safe, there were no details immediately available about the scale of the damage it had suffered. Dense fog was covering the area at the time of the accident, Kawaguchi said, adding that oil had been seen in the water around the collision. The Senshomaru was carrying 1,600 tonnes of steel from Kashima in eastern Japan to Osaka, Japan's western commercial hub, he .