Page 695 - Disaster Accident
Indonesian police arrest boat captain over deadly capsize
Indonesian police on Thursday detained the captain of a boat that sank in Lake Toba in Sumatra earlier this week, leaving three people dead and over 190 missing.
Police detain captain, crew in deadly Indonesia ferry disaster
The captain and two crew of an overloaded Indonesian ferry that sank into the depths of a volcanic lake have been detained for questioning over the deadly disaster, police said today. The trio were among just 18 people rescued after the vessel capsized and sank yesterday at Lake Toba, a picturesque tourist destination in Sumatra. Three passengers have been confirmed dead, but official estimates listed 193 others -- including children -- as missing. That has raised fears the sinking could be one of Indonesia's deadliest maritime disasters. The traditional wooden boat could have been carrying five times the number of passengers it was built to hold, along with dozens of motorcycles, officials said. Captain Tua Sagala and two of his crew would be questioned, said local police chief Marudut Liberty Pandjaitan. Sagala is also the boat's owner, he said, adding that a fourth crew member who survived the accident had since fled the area. "(He) is still at large," Pandjaitan told reporters. ...
Woman, 4-yr-old son killed in road accident in UP
A woman and her 4-year-old son were killed in a road accident on the National Highway 91 in Sikandrabad town here in the wee hours today. The victims were triple riding on a motorcycle driven by another person and were headed for Aligarh, Superintendent of Police (City) Pravin Ranjan said. The two-wheeler lost control and hit a divider in Sikandrabad at around 4 am today, forcing the mother-son duo to fall on the road when they were crushed under the wheels of a vehicle coming from behind, he said. Both Shivani and Tushar died on the spot, Ranjan added.
AirAsia flight delay: Airline staff accused of 'unprofessional, rude' behaviour
Some passengers on an AirAsia India flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra yesterday complained of ill treatment against the airline staff after the flight was delayed by four-and-a-half hours, a passenger claimed. Indian Oil Corporation Executive Director (West Bengal) Dipankar Ray, who was onboard the same flight, said the staff behaved in a very "unprofessional and rude" manner with the passengers and asked them to deboard, leading to an altercation between both sides. "The flight was scheduled to depart at 9 am and was initially delayed by 30 minutes. After boarding, we kept sitting inside the aircraft for one-and-a-half hours with no food or water at all," Ray told PTI. The flight captain then instructed all passengers to de- board without any explanation, he added. "When passengers refused to deboard due to heavy rains outside, the captain put the air-conditioning blower on full blast to hound the passengers out. It created a scary scene as heavy fog was created inside the plane and it
Prepared to tackle all natural calamities this monsoon: BMC to HC
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) today told the Bombay High Court that it was prepared to "tackle all natural calamities" this monsoon. The civic body said it was also making arrangements to provide food and medical aid to people if they get stuck due to rains anywhere in the city. BMC counsel Anil Sakhre told a bench of Justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai that it had put in place various safety measures, including mapping flood-prone and low-lying areas, installing water suction pumps in such areas, and most importantly, installing special safety grilles on manholes across all flood-prone areas in the city. The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Federation of Retail Traders' Welfare Association following the death of a doctor of the Bombay Hospital last year, after he fell into an open manhole during heavy rains. The plea, filed through advocates Ashish Mehta and Sujoy Kantawalla, seeks appropriate directions to the civic body to ...
Tripura Assembly lauds man, daughter for averting train accident
Cutting across party lines, members of the Tripura Assembly on Thursday praised Swapan Debbarma, 45, and his teenage daughter who last week averted a train accident saving the lives of over 2,000 passengers.
'Drum tower' collapses at Japan's quake-hit Kumamoto Castle
A tower at the historic, quake-damaged Kumamoto Castle in southern Japan -- one of the country's three premier castles and once a major tourist attraction -- has collapsed, an official said today. Heavy rain at the castle -- originally built in 1607 during Japan's feudal era -- caused a stone wall supporting the structure to crumble. The spectacular collapse came amid a 20-year project to repair damage to the castle following a series of devastating quakes in April 2016. The castle complex is surrounded by hundreds of cherry trees and was once a huge tourist draw, but had been closed to the public since the quakes. The damaged "Mototaiko Yagura" tower was located close to the main gate of the castle, Tatsuo Nomoto, a municipal official at the castle, told AFP. "Stories have it that it was used to beat drums when people came through the main gate," he said. A guard patrolling the castle complex found the tower in ruins late yesterday, he said, adding that no one was injured in the ...
Pak Navy rescues 13 stranded Iranian fishermen and sailors
Pakistan Navy has rescued 13 stranded Iranian fishermen and sailors after their dhow developed engine problem in the North Arabian Sea. The rescue operations were carried out yesterday after distress calls were received by the Pakistan Navy personnel from the dhow named Al-Naeemi, a spokesman for the Pakistan Navy said. The Iranian dhow had developed engine problem and was stranded in the sea some 186 kilometres from Ormara in Balochistan's coastal area. "We used our Sea King helicopters to rescue the 13 crew members of the Iranian boat, he said. The Iranian fishermen were facing problems because their food supply had run out and they needed medical help as well. Pakistan Navy had also rescued 11 Iranian fishermen on June 9 after their ship sank in the North Arabian Sea.
Coal in the crossfire: Chinese traders wary of being burnt by trade war
BEIJING (Reuters) - At least three U.S. coal shipments on their way to China may end up casualties of the escalating trade dispute after Beijing said it would impose steep tariffs that may kick in before the ships reach their destinations.
Agra Division to implement Train Captain scheme within a week: Official
To ensure safety of passengers and hassle-free travel, the Indian Railway's Agra Division would implement 'Train Captain' scheme within a week, an official said today. The senior-most members of the ticket checking staff would be assigned the role of 'Train Captain', DCM and PRO DRM Sanchit Tyagi said. They would be deputed on trains passing through the division, he said. Train Captains would be responsible for trains in which TS (Train Superintendent) system does not exist, the official said. "The scheme is aimed at ensuring amenities to passengers and their safe travel. It would be implemented by the North Central Railway's Agra DRM office within a week," Tyagi said. He stated that they would wear a badge, and the name and mobile phone number of the Train Captain would be mentioned in the reservation chart. "The Train Captain would be virtually responsible to ensure that amenities reach passengers," Tyagi said. Under the scheme, trains such as the Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duranto ...
Death toll rises to 15 in MP road mishap
The death toll in a road mishap, where a tractor trolley rammed into a jeep in Madhya Pradesh's Morena has risen to 15.The accident took place in the early morning hours of Thursday and left few injured.Earlier, the death toll was 12.The injured are being treated in a nearby hospital.More details are awaited.
16 injured in separate road accidents in Phagwara
Sixteen persons were injured, some of them seriously, in separate road accidents in the district, police said today. Investigating Officer Kabul Singh said that in the first accident, six of a family sustained injuries when a car hit their auto-rickshaw on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road yesterday night. Besides them, the auto driver and a woman travelling in the car were also injured, he said. The six were returning after paying obeisance at a shrine at village Sagowal Kadiana, he said. While four with serious injuries were hospitalised here, other four with minor injuries were discharged after first aid, he said. Car driver Harminder Singh was booked in the case, he said. In the second accident, a mini bus overturned after its tyre burst near Lakhpur village and eight passengers were injured. Kabul Singh said the bus was going from Phagwara to Ispur when the accident took place.
Four killed in road accident in Malda
Four persons were killed and two others injured when a truck successively hit two two wheelers, a pedestrian and a tea stall near Gita More under Mothabari police station in Malda district, police said today. A woman and her son riding a motor cycle were killed when the truck rammed into it before hitting a cyclist and a pedestrian last night, they said. All four were killed on the spot. Finally it hit a tea stall where two persons were injured. They were admitted to the Malda medical college. The driver and his helper fled.
NASA releases national strategy to defend Earth from asteroid attack
In a key step to defend Earth from potentially devastating risks of near-Earth objects (NEOs) -- asteroids and comets -- whose orbits come within 30 million miles of Earth, NASA has released a federal planning document.
Small industries must get in-hand training on Industrial security: UP Governor Ram Naik
Industrial Development Minister, Govt. of UP, Mr. Satish Mahana said, "Before setting up an industry, it is more important that how we plan, make policies and create funds for disaster management. In the Industrial plan, how industrial safety training will be given under PPP. The government can give directions but society has to work on it. People lose everything within seconds due to lack of proper training, so it is necessary that workers are made aware of industrial security and emergency preparedness."
12 killed as tractor-trolley hits jeep in MP
Twelve members of a family on their way to a condolence meet were killed and eight others injured when a tractor-trolley hit their jeep in the district this morning, a police official said. The sand-laden tractor-trolley hit the overloaded jeep carrying nearly 20 people of a family around 6 am at a cross road near Ganjrampur village, Morena Superintendent of Police Amit Sanghi told PTI. Twelve of the victims died on the spot, he said. Eight others sustained injuries in the accident and were referred to the district hospital for treatment, he said. The victims, all from Gwalior district, were going to Ghurgan village for a condolence meeting, he said. The driver of the tractor-trolley, carrying sand mined illegally from the National Chambal Sanctuary, fled the spot after the accident, Sanghi said. A case was registered against him, he said, adding that a probe was on into the incident.
12 killed in MP road accident
Twelve persons, including seven women, were killed early on Thursday when a jeep collided with a tractor in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, police said.
10 warehouses gutted in fire in Thane
A fire destroyed at least 10 warehouses, where tyres and rags were stored, in the Mumbra township here in the wee hours today, an official said. No casualty was reported in the mishap, he said. The blaze erupted around 4 am in one of the godowns on Khardi road and spread rapidly engulfing nine other warehouses located in the vicinity, Thane Municipal Corporation's regional disaster management cell chief Santosh Kadam said. The old and worn-out clothes, rubber tyres and other material kept in the godowns aggravated the blaze. Three scooters parked in the area were also charred, he said. Three fire engines were rushed to the spot and managed douse the flames, the official said, adding that the cooling operation was underway. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, he added.
Level-II fire breaks out in Industrial Estate in Malad
A level-II fire broke out in an Industrial Estate in Mumbai's Malad area on Thursday morning.Four water tankers and four fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot.No casualties or injuries have been reported until now. More details are awaited.In a similar incident, a fire broke out in a godown near Masjid Rahimiyah in Mumbra's Kausa in Thane last night.Police, Regional Disaster Management Cell, two fire tenders, one rescue vehicle and four water tankers rushed to the spot.The situation is under control now and no casualties or injuries were reported.
Indonesia: 200 feared dead in Monday's ferry tragedy
More than 190 people are now believed to be missing after Monday's ferry disaster on Lake Toba, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, police said on Wednesday.