Page 671 - Disaster Accident
Noida school bus narrowly escapes accident
A school bus filled with children narrowly escaped plunging into a canal here on Thursday morning.The front wheel of the bus, carrying nearly 48 children, was hanging over the edge of a canal in Jewar area of Greater Noida.According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the bus lost control and drove it to the edge of the canal. However, the bus came to a sudden halt, thereby averting a major accident.The children, who are students of Agrasen Public School of Dayanatpur village, were rescued by those present in the area, after which the bus was pulled back.No casualties have been reported.No case has been registered against the driver.Meanwhile, the police reached the spot after getting to know about the incident through social media.
Army rescues stranded passengers on Mughal road in Poonch
The Army has rescued over 250 passengers trapped due to massive landslides on the Mughal road in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, an official said here today. On the night of 3rd and 4th July, a massive landslide was triggered due to heavy rains near Behramgala in Poonch district, a defence spokesman said. About 50 vehicles and a large number of travellers got stranded on the stretch, he said adding that a call for help was received by the Army, which immediately sprang into action. The rescue operation was assisted by J&K Traffic Police and Border Roads Organisation personnel from Surankote, he said. Over 250 passengers were rescued, the defence spokesman said. Medical aid was provided to the injured while blankets and food were also given to the stranded. The rescue operation, conducted under harsh weather conditions, lasted till early hours of 4th July and all persons and vehicles were safely evacuated, he said.
Linda Hunt recovering after car crash
Oscar-winning actress Linda Hunt says her health is improving after her car crash.
One dead as heavy rain hits Japan prompting evacuation orders
A construction worker was killed in Japan today after being swept away by heavy rains that have prompted landslide warnings and evacuation orders for thousands of people, officials said. The man was one of three workers swept away by flooding in Hyogo prefecture in western Japan, with the other two men rescued and taken to hospital, a local police spokesman told AFP. Parts of Japan have been drenched in recent days by heavy rain, including from a typhoon system, and the country's meteorological agency warned Thursday of more to come. In a statement it forecast "extremely heavy rains that could continue intermittently for several days to a record-setting level." It also issued warnings of rain-induced landslides across large parts of the Japanese archipelago including Kyushu, Shikoku and western Honshu, three of the four main islands. Local authorities in several areas have ordered residents to evacuate, including in parts of tourist magnet Kyoto. The orders were also issued in parts ..
Rain misery in Pithoragarh, three persons missing
Three persons are missing and around 45 villages and the last Indian outpost along the border with China in Milam Valley have been cut off as rains wreaked havoc in the higher reaches of Pithoragarh for the fourth consecutive day today. Two bridges have also been washed away and a number of rural roads damaged due to the torrential rains. "Due to washing away of two bridges at Zimighat and Bogdyar on Munsiyari-Milam trek route, connectivity to the last Indian outpost on Indo-China borderin this valley has been delinked. We have instructed agencies concerned to reconstruct bridges immediately,"Pithoragarh District Magistrate C Ravishankar said here today. About 17 rural roads have also been damaged by the current spell of rains which started on the night of July 2 cutting off about 45 villages in Darma, Vyas and Baram valleys of the district so far and affecting around 25,000 residents, he said. However, there is no shortage of foodgrains in the villages that have been cut off as three
Death toll touches 15 as heavy rain continues to lash Pakistan's Lahore
The death toll from the heaviest rain to fall on Lahore in 38 years rose to 15 today as torrential rains continued to lash Punjab, the worst hit province of Pakistan, according to a media report. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement yesterday that the heavy downpour started hitting the country on Tuesday and continued for 24 hours. Most of the deaths have occurred due to electrocution and building collapse caused by the heavy downpour, according to the officials. The NDMA said that several low-lying areas have been inundated by the rains as water logging at different areas of Punjab was reported. The authority said that Punjab was worst hit by the rains where 15 people were killed, 50 others injured and one house was washed away by the rain water, the report said. The rescue work is underway to clear the standing water by the provincial disaster management authority. Choked drains, broken roads and faulty wiring have led to enormous damage and loss of .
Nearly 1,000 Indian stranded Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims await evacuation
The ordeal of the stranded Indian pilgrims returning from Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet is still not over as nearly 1,000 of them continue to await their evacuation at Nepal's mountainous regions amidst inclement weather, according to Indian embassy in Nepal. Over 250 Indian pilgrims were evacuated from Hilsa yesterday, as authorities stepped up efforts to rescue those stranded there due to heavy rain while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. "As on 5 July morning 10 commercial flights operated taking 143 pilgrims from Simikot to Nepalgunj," the Indian embassy in Nepal said in a tweet. "According to the Embassy of India's official headcount, there are 643 people stranded in Simikot and 350 stranded in Hilsa. No casualty reported. It may be mentioned that the number of stranded pilgrims in resource lean Hilsa has been drastically brought down," the embassy tweeted. According to the District Police Office, hundreds of people are still at Simikot awaiting their ...
'Race against weather' to rescue trapped Thai children
Rescuers in Thailand are racing against the weather to free 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
US warns Pakistan against drug-resistant typhoid fever outbreak
The US has issued a health warning for Pakistan, alerting people against an ongoing outbreak of "extensively drug-resistant" typhoid fever that does not respond to most antibiotics.
14 school children injured in van-truck collision in Shamli
At least 14 school children were were injured, some of them seriously, when their van collided with a truck on Kairana bypass road in neighbouring Shamli district this morning, police said. The injured were admitted to different hospitals in the district, they said. The private vehicle, carrying students of different schools, was going from Bhura village to Kairana when the accident took place, police said.
ISRO tests crew escape system for human spaceflight
In its aim towards human spaceflight, Indian space agency ISRO on Thursday carried out the first in a series of tests to qualify a crew escape system.
Fire breaks out at Lucknow godown
A fire broke out at a cycle tyre godown in Lucknow's Kapoorthala area during the early hours of Thursday.Fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The situation is under control now.No casualties or injuries have been reported as of now.The reason behind the fire is yet to be ascertained.
Amarnath Yatra remains suspended due to bad weather
No pilgrim on Thursday was allowed to move towards the Kashmir Valley from here as the Amarnath Yatra remained suspended due to inclement weather.
Light plane crashes in China, kills pilot
A pilot was killed and another went missing when their small amphibious plane crashed during training in China's southern Hainan province, officials said today. The plane of the aerotour company Meiya Air plunged into a reservoir in the Wanning City yesterday. Both pilots on board were company employees, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. One pilot was pulled out of the water yesterday and was confirmed dead by the rescuers, it said, adding that search is on for the missing pilot. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Light plane crashes in China, 1 dead
A small amphibious plane of an aerotour company plunged into a reservoir during training in China's Hainan province, leaving one pilot dead and another missing, authorities said on Thursday.
14 killed, 19 injured as rains wreak havoc in Pakistan
At least 14 people were killed and 19 others injured as torrential rains wreaked havoc in Pakistan's Punjab and northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, officials said.
J&K: Flood alert issued in Poonch, Rajouri
Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall in Poonch and Rajouri areas and has issued flood warning.Speaking with ANI, the Poonch Deputy Commissioner said, "Weather advisory has been issued. Meteorological department has predicted rainfall in Rajouri and Poonch. We're monitoring water level in rivers. We request people in low lying areas to be alert. We are prepared for all situations."Life has been highly affected in the valley due to heavy rainfall for last three days.The district administration is monitoring water level in Poonch River and people living in the low-lying areas have been issued instructions.Last month, three people were killed in Kashmir valley due to incessant rains, following which the Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra had also called for an emergency meeting to discuss the flood-like situation in the state last week.
India to set up disaster database before 2020: Rijiju
Highlighting the need to systemise disaster data by setting up a database on a sustainable basis, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said it will be India's endeavour to set up disaster database expeditiously well before the target date of 2020, an official statement said.
Fire guts documents at Palani temple official's workplace
Several documents were destroyed in a fire that broke out in the office of Joint Commissioner of the famous Sri Dhandayuthapani Swamy temple here today, police said. Electrical short circuit was suspected to have caused the blaze, they said. The documents were gutted at a time when probe into the alleged irregularities in the making of an idol of Lord Muruga was on, the police said. Fire and Rescue Service personnel doused the flames after several hours of battle.
Rescue of Indian Mansarovar pilgrims continues on Day 2
Efforts to evacuate stranded Indian pilgrims in Simikot and Hilsa in Nepal's Humla district due to incessant rain and bad weather continued for the second day on Wednesday as only 200 pilgrims were evacuated.