Page 696 - Disaster Accident
IAF to provide air support to Amarnath pilgrims
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has started carrying pilgrims between Uttarakahnd's Pithoragarh and Gunji to enable them to complete their journey to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra with ease, an defence statement said.
Boeing delivers Jet Airways first '737 MAX' aircraft
Aerospace major Boeing on Wednesday said that it has delivered the first of "737 MAX" aircraft ordered by Jet Airways.
AirAsia India flight delayed; passenger complains of ill treatment
Some passengers on an AirAsia India flight from Kolkata to Bagdogra got into an altercation with airline staff over deplaning them after the flight was delayed by over four hours, a passenger claimed. Indian Oil Corporation Executive Director (West Bengal) Dipankar Ray, who was also travelling in the same flight, complained of very "unprofessional and rude" behaviour from the airline staff. "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 was very suffocating," Ray said. He further said that many women passengers
Rly sets target of achieving 90pc punctuality by Nov 1
The railways has set a target of achieving at least 90 per cent punctuality of trains by November 1, with minister Piyush Goyal making it clear that no laxity will be tolerated by the zones in achieving the goal, senior officials said today. Besides setting the punctuality target, the railway minister, in a review meeting with some railway zones earlier this week, has also set a deadline of December 1 for resolving all catering issues and October 2 for achieving the cleanliness target in trains and stations. The punctuality of trains slipped to around 65 per cent in the past three months. "In the meeting, the minister made it clear that no laxity will be tolerated by the zones in achieving the punctuality target. He also said that reasonable cleanliness should be seen on station premises by October 2. "The zones said that addressing catering issues would take time as base kitchens need to be set up, so they have been given a longer time," a railway official said. Goyal who has ...
Muscat-bound AI plane makes emergency landing due to tech sang
A Muscat-bound Air India flight via Mumbai carrying 176 passengers onboard from Ahmedabad made an emergency landing at the city airport due to the hydraulic leakage, an airline spokesperson said. All the passengers are safe and will be flying to their destination in another aircraft, he added. "Full emergency was declared at 2015 hrs for AI 985 arriving from Ahmadabad due to hydraulic failure," a Mumbai airport official said. The flight landed safely at 2036 hrs, the official added. Confirming the incident, the Air India spokesperson said the pilot of the Airbus A321 sought emergency landing due to the mid-aid hydraulic leakage. There were 176 passengers onboard apart from the crew, he said adding the aircraft is being changed for the onward flight.
Flood situation shows improvement in Assam
Flood situation in Assam showed slight improvement on Wednesday even as one more person died in Karimganj district of Barak Valley taking the death toll of first wave of flood to 18. Over five lakh people in five districts of the state are, however, reeling under floods.
Several flights diverted due to low clouds over Goa airport, hundreds stranded
Hundreds of passengers were stranded for hours at the Goa Airport today after 16 flights were diverted due to low-hanging clouds this afternoon, a senior official said. Director of the airport B C H Negi said that 16 flights scheduled to land at the airport were diverted to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other airports after low clouds formed over the landing area. Flight operations were stopped between 2 PM to 6 PM, Negi said. The number of cancelled flights was yet to be ascertained, the airport director said Witnesses said that several hundred passengers were stranded at the airport. Goa has been receiving incessant rain since morning and as per the Met department, spells of heavy to very heavy showers would continue till June 22. Negi said airlines were making alternative arrangements for the stranded passengers. "They will be either accommodated in other flights or flown by scheduled flights," he said.
Police seize Lucknow hotel over lack of safety equipment
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday seized Megha Hotel, in Lucknow's Charbagh area for not having necessary fire safety equipments.The police were reviewing the area in the wake of recent fire incident that took place at two hotels in Charbagh.Six people were killed and five injured after a major fire broke out at SSJ International and Virat Hotels in Charbagh on June 19.Earlier today, the police filed an FIR against the owners and workers of the two hotels case under Sections 285,337,338 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
MACT awards over Rs 8 lakh to kin of accident victim
A Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) has awarded over Rs eight lakh to the kin of a 23-year-old man who was killed in a road accident in 2009. MACT presiding officer Amit Bansal asked the Reliance General Insurance Company Limited, the insurer of the offending vehicle to pay Rs 8,26,000 to the family of north-west Delhi resident Om Pal. "It has been clearly proved beyond preponderance of probabilities that the accident was caused at the said date, time and place by the rash and negligent driving of the truck driver who drove the offending vehicle rashly and negligently and hit the motorcycle of deceased thereby causing his death," the court said. According to the complaint filed by Pal's kin, the motorcycle he was riding was hit from behind by a truck on December 17, 2009 killing him instantly. The witnesses in the case claimed the truck jumped a red light, leading to the accident. The driver of the offending vehicle claimed he was falsely implicated in the case. He also claimed ...
1 more dies in Assam flood, toll rises to 21
The devastating flood in Assam claimed one more life since yesterday as the situation remained critical, while displaced people returned home in neighbouring state of Mizoram after rain stopped. In Assam, nearly 5.15 lakh people remained affected across five districts. According to a report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), one person died in flood-related incident at Patharkandi revenue circle in Karimganj district during the last 24 hours. With this, the death toll in the state has gone up to 21, including three in landslides. The ASDMA said about 5.15 lakh people are affected at present in Nagaon, Hojai, Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts. Till yesterday, 5.64 lakh people were hit by flood across six districts in Assam. As per the report issued today, Karimganj is the worst-hit with nearly 2.37 lakh people affected, followed by Hailakandi with over 1.67 lakh. At present, 671 villages are under water and 3,548 hectares of crop areas have been ...
Smoke still emanating from fire-ravaged ship
Smoke was still emanating from merchant vessel SSL Kolkata, that was devastated by a fire in the Bay of Bengal on June 14, even as the authorities continued with the salvage operation on Wednesday, a defence spokesperson said.
Compensation for damaged crops raised to Rs 12,000 per acre in Punjab
The Punjab government today raised the compensation for damaged crops due to bad weather from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre. "The state government has enhanced the compensation from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre for damaged crops from 76 to 100 per cent damaged due to inclement weather," said state revenue minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria in a release. The enhanced compensation will be big relief for the farmers, he said adding, that the order will come into effect from June 20, 2017. Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan said the government was giving Rs 2,000 per acre for a crop that was damaged between 26 and 32 per cent and Rs 5,400 per acre for 33 to 75 per cent damaged crop. Sarkaria said the state government was fully committed to ensure welfare of farmers and doing everything possible to bail them out from the current agrarian crisis.
Monsoon rains disrupt normal life in coastal Karnataka
Incessant rains measuring up to 15 cm lashed Karnataka's coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttar Kannada till Wednesday morning as the southwest monsoon remained active over the region.
One killed, another injured in blast at Pune DRDO lab
A worker was killed and another injured in a blast while handling explosive material at a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory in Pune's Hinjawadi area, an official said today. The incident took place at the High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL), a premier unit of the DRDO, yesterday afternoon. A contract worker Laxmikant Sonawane (26) was killed in the explosion, while Yogesh Kirtikar was injured, the police said. The workers were cutting and dividing an explosive material into samples when it exploded, a senior HEMRL official said. Both were rushed to a hospital, where Sonawane was declared brought dead, he said, adding that Kirtikar was discharged after treatment. The official claimed that the laboratory adheres to all the safety guidelines and the workers are highly trained in handling explosive substances. An investigation will be conducted into the incident by a high-level committee, he said.
Thermal coal import may rise to 145 MT in 2018: Report
India's thermal coal import is likely to increase to 145 million tonne (MT) in 2018, and the uptrend would continue in the next four years, says a report. According to the report by Minerals Council of Australia, India's estimated thermal coal import in 2017 stood at 137 MT. "After several years of declining imports, the outlook for thermal coal import demand in India is improving due to strong demand growth and the inability of domestic supply to keep pace," the report said. "Imports for both December quarter 2017 and March quarter 2018 were significantly higher year-on-year so we expect an increase in volumes in 2018, which we believe will be sustained," it added. In 2019, thermal coal import would be 150 MT, while in 2020 the figure may shoot up to 155 MT, it said. In 2021, the country may import 160 MT of thermal coal while in 2022 it is likely to go up to 165 MT, the report said. Of the 685 MT of coal produced in India in 2017, 640 MT was thermal coal, it said. "Indian production
Heavy rains lash Goa, throw normal life out of gear
Heavy monsoon rains lashed Goa today throwing normal life out of gear in many parts of the coastal state. The Meteorological department has predicted "heavy to very heavy spells" of rainfall in the next two days in Goa. As the heavy downpour continued since last night, streets in Panaji got flooded this morning resulting in traffic jams. Some houses in low lying areas of the capital city were also inundated. In the neighbouring Mapusa town, located about 10 km from here, the main market area was waterlogged since morning. In the Margao city also the low lying areas were flooded, affecting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy rainfall for next two days, and advised people to stay indoors and not venture outside much. "In view of the intense rainfall forecast, people are advised to abstain from outdoor activities as much as possible during the period of the rain," the MeT department at Goa said in .
3 bodies found, 176 missing in Indonesia boat capsize
Rescuers have recovered three bodies and are searching for 176 people who remain missing after a passenger boat sank in Lake Toba on Indonesia's Sumatra island two days ago, officials said on Wednesday.
Number missing in Indonesia ferry disaster jumps to nearly 180: police
Nearly 180 passengers are missing after a ferry sank into the depths of a volcanic lake in Indonesia, police said Wednesday, almost tripling initial estimates. But the search-and-rescue agency cautioned it was still unclear how many people were aboard the vessel when it capsized. The traditional wooden boat which sank Monday on Sumatra's Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination, was thought to be operating illegally with no manifest or passenger tickets. The situation has sparked confusion -- and different estimates from various agencies -- about the number of passengers on the overcrowded boat. Indonesia's disaster agency originally said some 80 people along with dozens of motorcycles were on the vessel when it overturned and sank. It had a 43-passenger capacity, according to the transport ministry. On Wednesday police said there were as many as 178 people missing, which if confirmed would make it one of Indonesia's worst maritime disasters. Authorities have been relying on families .
Dilip Buildcon completes road project in Madhya Pradesh
The Provisional Completion Certificate has been issued and declared fit for entry into commercial operation as on 18 June 2018 and consequently the Company is entitled for the toll collection due to early completion of the project .i.e 261 days prior from the scheduled completion date.
N Korea data shows slight children's health gains: UN
New data from North Korea show a "slight" improvement in children's health in the isolated nation, the UN said today, but warned that massive challenges persist. The findings, published by the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF), are based on surveys conducted by the North Korean government's Central Bureau of Statistics. The data showed that the national rate of stunting, a key indicator of malnutrition among children, dropped from 32.4 per cent in 2009 -- the last time the surveys were conducted -- to 19 per cent last year. But the figures on stunting varied significantly across the country. In the capital Pyongyang, 10 per cent of children were affected by stunting, while in the rural Ryanggang province the rate was 32 per cent. Separately, the data also indicated that a full third of North Korea's drinking water is contaminated, posing another major threat to healthy growth among children. UNICEF said it needed more time to study the government data to better understand the .