Page 68 - Disaster Accident
Volcano on Indonesia's Bali erupts, flights cancelled
Bali's airport has cancelled flights following an eruption of the Mount Agung volcano that spread ash over the south of the Indonesian island. The national disaster agency said the eruption Friday night lasted about four minutes and 30 seconds and spread lava and incandescent rocks about 3 kilometers from the crater. Nine villages experienced thick ash fall. But the agency said it wasn't raising the alert level for the volcano and its exclusion zone remains a four kilometre radius around the crater. The Directorate General of Air Transportation said four flights to Bali were diverted and five flights out of the popular tourist destination were cancelled because of volcanic ash. Agung became active again in 2017 after more than a half century of slumber following a major eruption in 1963.
Surat fire: Guj CM orders fire safety audit of schools, malls
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Friday ordered a fire safety audit of schools, colleges and coaching centres following a massive blaze which engulfed a four-storey commercial complex in Sarthana here, killing at least 19 teenage students, many of whom jumped and fell to their deaths while some were suffocated. Visiting the site of the tragedy, Rupani said the audit would find out if educational establishments in the state have proper equipment and facilities to deal with fire incidents. He said the fire audit would also cover hospitals, malls and other commercial buildings of major cities and towns in the state. "Nineteen youngsters, all in their 20s, have died in the fire incident here. I'm told these youngsters were trapped in the building as the fire destroyed the staircase. Around three to four died after they jumped off the building," he said. "We have already ordered an inquiry into the incident. To avoid such tragic incidents, I have asked officials to conduct fire safety
Surat fire tragedy: Death toll reaches 20
A massive fire engulfed a multi-storey building, housing a coaching centre, located in the Sarthana area here and claimed as many as 20 lives, including that of several students.The Takshashila Complex caught fire and several students of a coaching centre situated in it were seen jumping off the building to escape the inferno. Some people were unable to escape and died on the spot.As the rescue operations were carried out, charred bodies of women and children were taken out. The fire was reportedly triggered by a short circuit.Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has ordered an investigation and announced financial help of 4 lakh each to the families of students who died in the tragedy.Rupani said: "Twenty people have lost their lives in the tragedy in spite of our rescue efforts. Students of around 20 years of age were trapped in the coaching centre when a fire broke out in the stairway."We have asked the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department Principal Secretary, Mukesh Puri .
France: 8 people injured as blast rocks Lyon
At least eight people were injured after a blast rocked Lyon on Friday, according to local authorities.French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the explosion as an "attack," according to Deutsche Welle."Explosion at #Lyon corner rue Victor Hugo and rue Sala. The perimeter of security put in place. For your safety avoid the area. First assessment: 8 minor injuries. The Regional Prefect and the Public Prosecutor are on site," the official account of the Prefect of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Rhone regions tweeted.While prosecutors believe that the explosion was caused by a 'parcel bomb', the police have stated that they're yet to determine the source of the explosion.The area has been cordoned off while people have been advised to stay away from the area. No casualties have been reported yet.
Several hurt in suspected package bomb blast in France
Several people were wounded Friday by a suspected package bomb blast on a pedestrian street in the heart of Lyon in southeastern France, the local prosecutors' office said. The area where the explosion occurred, on the narrow strip of land between the Saone and Rhone rivers in the historic city centre, has been evacuated, according to AFP journalists at the scene. A police source told AFP the package contained "screws or bolts" and had been placed in front of a bakery on the corner of the two popular streets. Police said eight people had been injured but that none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. President Emmanuel Macron called the blast an "attack" during a live Facebook interview, adding that no deaths had been reported "for the time being." "It's not for me to give a toll but it appears there are no casualties. There have been injuries, so obviously I'm thinking of these injured and their families," Macron said.
Oil slick spotted after Saudi tanker sabotaged
A Saudi tanker damaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in mid-May appears to have leaked a trail of oil, satellite images released on Friday show. Radar satellites operated by the Finnish company Iceye photographed the vessel Amjad on May 14, two days after it and three other ships, including another Saudi tanker, were mysteriously sabotaged in the Sea of Oman. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE, both close allies of the United States, have yet given details on the exact nature of those attacks, which come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Riyadh's arch rival Tehran. "There is a trail of oil that is on the surface of the sea," Iceye's vice president Mikko Keranen told AFP. "The trail is linked to the vessel Amjad and we have had a third party verify that for us," Keranen said, adding that images taken by the European Space Agency satellite Sentinel-2 also seem to confirm the presence of oil around the ship. Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said ...
Seven hurt in suspected package bomb blast in France's Lyon
At least seven people were wounded Friday by a suspected package bomb blast on a pedestrian street in the heart of Lyon, southeast France, the local prosecutors' office said. The area where the explosion occurred, on the narrow strip of land between the Saone and Rhone rivers in the historic city centre, has been evacuated, according to AFP journalists at the scene. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, a spokesman for the prosecutors' office said.
Surat: 19 students die as fire engulfs commercial complex
A massive fire engulfed a four-storey commercial complex in Surat on Friday, killing at least 19 teenage students at a coaching centre, many of whom jumped and fell to their deaths while some were suffocated, officials said. In a video clip of the incident, some young students at the Takshashila Complex in Sarthana area, where the building is located, can be seen jumping off the third and fourth floors amid plumes of thick smoke. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said at least 19 students have died in the fire, but Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has put the figure at 20. "As per the information received, 20 students have died in the fire. Many others were injured and shifted to a hospital," Patel said. Students, mostly teenagers, died "either due to suffocation or jumping off from the complex", he said. "We have ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident. We will not spare those found guilty," the deputy chief minister added. Coaching classes at the centre were run in a shade built on .
Rajasthan CM expresses grief over Surat fire tragedy
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Friday expressed grief over the fire tragedy at a commercial complex in Gujarat's Surat district. He condoled the death of those who died in the tragedy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. "I pray peace for the departed souls and courage for their family members to bear the shock," Gehlot said in a statement. At least 18 students of a coaching class were killed when a major fire broke out in a four-storeyed commercial complex in Surat on Friday afternoon.
Konkan Railway Gears Up for Monsoon
Konkan Railway is gearing up for the onset of the Monsoon season and has completed all planned safety works on its route from Kolad to Thokur have been completed.Special attention has been paid to catch water drain cleaning and inspection of cuttings.The large scale geo-safety works executed along the railway line in the last 13 years have significantly reduced the incidences of boulder fall and soil slip.As a result, no major disruption to train services on account of boulder fall has taken place in the last 6 years.Konkan Railway will conduct Monsoon Patrolling as per the provisions of Indian Railway Permanent Way Manual to ensure the safe running of trains.About 630 personnel will be patrolling the Konkan Railway. Vulnerable locations will be patrolled round the clock and Stationary Watchmen will be deployed for 24 hours at critical locations.Speed restrictions will be imposed at vulnerable locations. BRN mounted excavators have been kept ready at all nominated points for quick ...
Fire in panchayat office in C'garh, no one injured
A fire broke out in the panchayat office in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district Friday, officials said, adding that there were no casualties. However, nine people, including six employees of panchayat office and three fire brigade personnel, were admitted to a local hospital after they complained of breathlessness. The fire started at around 10:30 am from the chamber of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bilaspur Zila Panchayat on the first floor of the building, located adjacent to Collector office in Bilaspur town. "I noticed fire in my chamber and alerted the fire brigade and police. It was doused in half an hour but several important documents were destroyed," said Ritesh Agrawal, CEO, Bilaspur Zila Panchayat. "Six employees, including a woman, and three fire brigade personnel had to be hospitalised after they complained of breathlessness. All of them are now fine," he added. While prima facie it seems short circuit may have led to the fire, a four member team has begun ...
Modi, Rahul express condolences for Surat fire tragedy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday condoled the fire tragedy in Gujarat's Surat which killed at least 15 students and left several others injured.
Fire at SAI's Bhilai Steel Plant
A fire broke out at Steel Authority of India (SAI)'s Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh's Durg district Friday. However, no casualty was reported, the BSP said in a statement. "A fire was reported at tar distillation unit in the Coke Ovens and Coal Chemicals (CO&CC) Department at 8.30 am," it said. Fire tenders were rushed to the site and the blaze was brought under control by some 50 firemen and officers of the Plant's Fire Services Department by 11.30 am, it said. A fire tender from NSPCL and two fire tenders each from Durg and Raipur municipal corporations also reached the spot. There was no disruption of normal operations, the statement added. A committee headed by Executive Director (Materials Management) will probe the cause of the fire, it said.
Surat fire tragedy: 17 dead; Ministers offer condolences
At least 17 people, including several students, lost their lives in a massive fire that engulfed a coaching centre located in the Sarthana area here.While some of the victims jumped from the fourth floor when the Takshashila Complex caught fire, many of them were not able to escape and died on the spot.As the rescue operations were carried out, charred bodies of women and children were taken out. The fire was reportedly triggered by a short circuit.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the bereaved and asked the Gujarat government and the local authorities to provide assistance to them. He also prayed for the recovery of the injured.BJP President Amit Shah also expressed his grief and asked the BJP workers to assist the people in need.Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet, wished speedy recovery for the injured while expressing his condolences to the bereaved families.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his condolences to the ...
Israel on high alert after wildfires destroy 40 homes
Israel remained on high alert on Friday after wildfires fed by tinder dry conditions destroyed around 40 homes. There were no reports of casualties from Thursday's fires as the emergency services evacuated homes in the path of the blaze in the centre of the country. Addressing a crisis meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked foreign governments which had helped tackle the blaze. Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and Italy sent firefighting planes, while Egypt, one of only two Arab governments that have signed a peace treaty with Israel, sent two helicopters. Several roads across the danger zone in central Israel remained closed for fear that the fires would reignite amid the unseasonable heat. Temperatures have topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across much of the country for several days. In 2016, wildfires damaged or destroyed around 700 homes in Israel and the occupied West Bank, and sent more than 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) of woodland up in smoke.
Devastating fire in Surat building kills 17 students
A devastating fire engulfed a coaching centre in a Surat building in Gujarat on Friday, killing 17 students.
Surat fire tragedy: Rahul expresses condolences to families of those killed
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed his condolences to the families of the 18 students killed in a fire in a commercial complex in Surat and said he prayed for the early recovery of those injured. At least 18 students of a coaching class were killed, many falling to their deaths and some who suffocated, and several injured after a major fire broke out in a four-storey commercial complex in Surat on Friday afternoon. "I am pained on hearing the news about the tragedy in Surat in Gujarat. I express my deep condolences to the families of the affected persons. I also wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. TV channels showed horrific scenes of students trying to save themselves by jumping off the building in the Takshashila Complex in Sarthana area. "We have ordered a detailed inquiry and anyone found responsible for the incident won't be spared," Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said.
Gujarat: 18 teenage students killed in Surat building fire
A massive fire engulfed a four- storey commercial complex in Surat on Friday, killing 18 teenage students at a coaching centre, many of whom jumped and fell to their deaths while some were suffocated, officials said. Several injuries were also reported. TV channels showed horrific scenes at the Takshashila Complex in Sarthana area where the building is located, as students tried to save themselves by jumping out of windows. "Eighteen students have died either due to suffocation or jumping from the building when fire engulfed the commercial complex," Gujarat minister of state for health Kishor Kanani said. "We have ordered a detailed inquiry and anyone found responsible for the incident won't be spared," Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said. "Several students on the fourth and third floor jumped off to the ground to save themselves from fire and smoke. Many have been sent to hospital. The operation to douse the fire is on," said a city fire official. A video clip aired .
Fire in Surat building, 15 coaching class students dead
At least 15 students of a coaching class died - many falling to their deaths - and several others were injured, after a major fire broke out in a four-storey commercial complex here Friday afternoon. TV channels showed horrific scenes at the Taxshila Complex in Sarthana area where the building is located, as students tried to save themselves by jumping out of windows. "Fifteen students have died either due to suffocation or jumping from the building when fire engulfed the commercial complex," Gujarat deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said. "We have ordered a detailed inquiry and anyone found responsible for the incident won't be spared," Patel said. "Around 10 students on the fourth and third floor jumped off to the ground to save themselves from fire and smoke. Many have been sent to hospital. The operation to douse the fire is on," said a city fire official. A video clip aired by news channels showed students jumping off from third and fourth floor windows amid plumes of
15 die in fire at Surat coaching centre
At least 15 students were killed when a fire engulfed a coaching centre in Surat in Gujarat on Friday, police said.