Page 674 - Disaster Accident
Soldiers to stay with Thai children trapped in cave
A group of 10 soldiers will remain with the 12 children and their coach trapped in a partially flooded cave in Thailand until they are rescued, the authorities said on Wednesday.
Amarnath Yatra: 3 killed in landslide, death toll rises to 10
Three pilgrims were killed in a landslide even as another died due to cardiac arrest, taking the death toll during this year's Amarnath Yatra to 10, officials said today. A rescue team recovered the body of Delhi resident Shailendra (30) from the landslide-hit area along the Baltal route of the pilgrimage today, a police official said. He added that the bodies of two other pilgrims -- Jyoti Sharma (35) from Delhi and Ashok Mahto (51) from Bihar -- were recovered last night itself. Five others -- two pilgrims and three ponywallas -- were injured in the landslide, which was triggered by heavy rainfall between Railpatri and Brarimarg on the Baltal route of the annual pilgrimage, the police official said. The Jammu and Kashmir police had yesterday said in a tweet that five people had died in the landslide. However, the police clarified this morning that the death toll in the landslide stood at three. The police official also informed that a 60-year-old pilgrim from Gujarat, Naniben Parma,
Two children killed as roof of house collapses due to heavy rain
A four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy were killed when the roof of their house collapsed due to heavy rain in Dabwali in Haryana's Sirsa district, police said today. The house was old and the roof collapsed due to heavy rain yesterday, Station House Officer (SHO), City Dabwali, Hawa Singh said. "The roof of the old house collapsed due to heavy rain. A four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy were killed in the incident, while some of the other family members were injured," he added. Several parts of Punjab and Haryana continued to be lashed by rains for the third consecutive day today. Chandigarh, the common capital of both the states, received light showers in the morning and the mercury dropped by a few notches, a MeT department official said. The Southwest Monsoon arrived in Punjab and Haryana on June 28, a day before its scheduled arrival.
Rajnath grieves death of Amarnath pilgrims
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday mourned the death of five pilgrims after a landslide hit Brarimarg on the Baltal route.Singh took to Twitter to express his grief."Anguished beyond words on the loss of precious lives due to a landslide on the Baltal route of Shri Amarnathji Yatra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and my prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured," he tweeted.Five people were killed and three injured after a landslide hit Brarimarg on the Baltal route.The group was travelling along the 14-kilometre Baltal route to visit the Amarnath shrine.Rescue teams were immediately pressed into action.
Scores dead or missing in Indonesia ferry accident
Some 70 people are dead or missing after a ferry ran aground off the coast of Indonesia, according to an updated official toll today, the latest deadly maritime accident in the Southeast Asian archipelago. The KM Lestari was carrying about 140 passengers and dozens of vehicles when the accident happened yesterday about 300 metres from shore near Sulawesi island, north of Indonesia's most populous island Java. Images from the scene showed terrified passengers clinging to the side of the tipped over ferry, while others floated in the sea awaiting help. Waves swamped the boat's deck, taking trucks and other vehicles into the sea, as rescuers battled high winds and rough seas to pluck victims from the water. Indonesia's disaster agency said 29 people died in the accident while another 41 are still missing. Nearly 70 people have been rescued, it added. The deadly incident came on the same day authorities officially called off the search for more than 160 people missing after another ferry .
Amarnath landslide toll reaches 5
The death toll from a landslide on a trek route to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir have increased to five, police said on Wednesday.
Californian wildfires spreading rapidly
A Californian wildfire that began on the weekend has rapidly spread across 70,000 acres, authorities said today, with a growing number of areas affected by mandatory evacuation orders. The County Fire was sparked in the northern Yolo County on Saturday, fanned by high winds and hot temperatures. An update by Cal Fire today said the potential for growth remains high as crews battle the fire in difficult terrain. "Firefighters continued to work through the day to construct new containment lines and defend structures impacted by the fire," the authority said, noting that only five percent of the fire had been contained. More than 2,000 firefighters are now involved in battling the blaze, deploying 187 fire trucks and 18 helicopters. Another blaze -- the Pawnee Fire affecting Lake County, had burned 14,500 acres and destroyed 22 buildings, but was 80 percent contained as of Sunday. Last year was California's deadliest on record for fires. The Thomas fire, in the Santa Barbara area in ...
Railways eliminates unmanned level crossing gates in Bengaluru
The South Western Railway (SWR) on Tusday announced that it has eliminated all unmanned level crossing gates in and around Bengaluru to enhance safety of rail and road users.
5 killed in landslide on Amarnath Yatra route
Five people were killed and three others suffered injures in a landslide on the Baltal route of the Amarnath Yatra in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir tonight, police said. "A landslide hit between Railpatri and Brarimarg on the Baltal route," a police official said. He said five people -- four men and a woman -- were killed, while three others were injured. He said the identities of the deceased and the injured were yet to be ascertained and the bodies were being brought to the Baltal base hospital. Police and other security forces and rescue agencies were on the job, the official said, adding medical response teams were fully alert. Earlier, a minor flash flood hit the car parking of the Baltal base camp, but there were no casualties.
Two Amarnath pilgrims killed in landslide
Two Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were killed and four others injured in a landslide on the trek to the Jammu and Kashmir cave shrine from the Baltal base camp on Tuesday, police said.
2 killed in landslide on Amarnath Yatra route
Two persons were killed and four others suffered injures in a landslide on the Baltal route of the Amarnath Yatra in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir tonight, police said. "A landslide hit between Railpatri and Brarimarg on the Baltal route," a police official said. He said two persons were killed while four others were injured. Among the injured, one person is critical, the official said. He said the identities of the deceased and the injured were yet to be ascertained and the bodies are being brought to the Baltal base hospital. Police and other security forces and rescue agencies are on the job, the official said, adding medical response teams were fully alert. Earlier, a minor flash flood hit the car parking of the Baltal base camp, but there were no casualties.
Defence projects exempted from coastal regulation norms
The Union Environment Ministry on Tuesday relaxed the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, clearing way for the defence projects and development of important infrastructure in the ecologically-critical areas.
Mumbai: 445 bridges to undergo safety audit, says Piyush Goyal
After a part of a foot over bridge caved in at Mumbai's Andheri station, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that 445 bridges in Mumbai suburban will undergo safety audit.He said, "I got the design of this bridge studied. This bridge is Cantilever bridge and is around 40 years old. Safety audit will be done of 445 bridges in Mumbai suburban. As per findings of audit, necessary action will be taken at the earliest."This comes after Gokhale Bridge, which connects Andheri East and Andheri West, collapsed in Mumbai's Andheri station on Tuesday morning, injuring at least six people.Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, taking stock of the situation, spoke to the Commissioner of Police of Mumbai and asked him to ensure smooth traffic movement.The Fadnavis government also announced a compensation of Rupees one lakh to those injured.Meanwhile, the BJP-led state government has also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner to increase the frequency
Flash flood hits Baltal Yatra base camp, pilgrims safe
A flash flood hit the Baltal base camp of Amarnath Yatra in north Kashmir on Tuesday evening, officials said. Authorities have confirmed that all Yatris are safe.
Thai official: Boys may have to dive from cave despite peril
Heavy rains forecast for northern Thailand could worsen flooding in a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach are waiting to be extracted by rescuers, possibly forcing authorities to have them swim out through a narrow, underwater passage in the cavern, a top official said today. The 13, who disappeared when flooding trapped them in the cave they were exploring on June 23 after a soccer game, were found by rescue divers late Monday night in the cavern in northern Chiang Rai province during a desperate search. The effort drew international help and has riveted Thailand. The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach were described as healthy and being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks. While efforts to pump out floodwaters are continuing, it's clear that some areas of the sprawling cavern cannot be drained, said Interior ...
Over 250 stranded Indian Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims in Hilsa evacuated
Over 250 Indian pilgrims were evacuated safely from Hilsa today as rescue work intensified to bring back over 1,500 Indians who have been stranded in Nepal's mountainous region due to heavy rain while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in Tibet. Two pilgrims - Leela Narayanan Mandredath, 56, of Kerala and Satya Laxmi of Andhra Pradesh - died yesterday due to high altitude sickness in Simikot and heart attack in Tibet respectively, the Indian Embassy said today. Their bodies were brought by special helicopters to Kathmandu and Nepalganj respectively, it said in a statement. "Over 250 people have been evacuated from Hilsa to Simikot," an Indian Embassy official told PTI. While Hilsa is extremely infrastructure lean, Simikot has decent boarding, communication and medical facilities. The official said that 158 people were evacuated from Simikot to Nepalganj, which is a fairly big city with all modern facilities and three hours road connectivity to Lucknow. "As per the head ..
Onus was on Railways to maintain ill-fated Andheri ROB: BMC
The Mumbai civic body said it was the Railways' responsibility to regularly check and maintain the 47-year-old road overbridge in suburban Andheri a portion of which collapsed today, injuring five people. The Gokhale road overbridge (ROB), built in 1971, collapsed near the eastern side of the Andheri railway station and part of it fell on rail tracks this morning. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the area where the mishap took place falls under the Railways' jurisdiction. "The area where a portion of the bridge collapsed comes under the Railways. Therefore, it was Railways' duty to conduct a safety audit and carry out maintenance of the bridge," a senior BMC engineer said. "We (the BMC) have no right to infringe on their territory. Its the Railways' responsibility to maintain property and infrastructure falling under their jurisdiction," the official said. He said the "BMC regularly pays the amount incurred on construction, reconstruction and maintenance
Flash flood in Amarnath Yatra's Baltal base camp, no casualties
A flash flood hit a car parking area at Baltal base camp of the Amarnath Yatra today, but no casualties have been reported so far, the police said. "A minor flash flood at Baltal (in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district) car parking. Men & machinery on job for dredging and creating additional flood channels. Camp area absolutely safe. Irrigation & Flood control Deptt (department) machinery alert. Small vehicles being shifted to Truck yard at Sonmarg," the police said on Twitter. They said State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team is at the spot along with police.
India witnesses 19.6 pc air traffic growth in June: Prabhu
India witnessed a 19.6 per cent growth in air passenger traffic in June, Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu today said. The minister, who was in Uttar Pradesh to flag off a SpiceJet flight from Kanpur to Delhi under the UDAN scheme, said the growth achieved was in line with the government's thinking of the entire country benefitting from the aviation sector. "Under #leadership of @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji #Aviation sector is doing rapid progress.We are fastest growing aviation market in world. Another record month of huge advancement, provisional air traffic growth for June is 19.6% which is in line with our thinking, let all benefit," the minister tweeted. The tweet, however, did not mention about the aviation body which prepared the traffic data. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in its latest traffic data for May, had said that domestic air passenger traffic grew 16.53 per cent to 11.86 million during the month over the same period a year ago. Twelve domestic ..
Mumbai over-bridge collapses barely 7 months after audit
Barely seven months after it was inspected for structural safety, the Gokhale over-bridge at Andheri railway station in Mumbai collapsed today, prompting the Railway Ministry to order a probe into it. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has asked the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Western Circle, to conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit his report within 15 days. A part of the 47-year-old over-bridge collapsed during heavy rains, disrupting train services, injuring five people. Goyal said that during the next six months, a joint safety audit will be conducted by the Railways, the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, at the 445 road over-bridges, foot over-bridges and bridges over pipelines in Mumbai as part of efforts to improve safety for the commuters. An audit of this particular bridge was conducted in November 2017, Goyal said, while a spokesperson of Western Railway told PTI that "no structural flaw was found in the ...