Page 701 - Disaster Accident
3 killed in Japan quake
At least three people were killed and over 50 others injured on Monday when a an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted Japan's Osaka city.
Several feared dead after Japan quake: local media
Several people were feared dead, including a nine-year-old girl, after a strong quake shook the city of Osaka in western Japan, local media reported today. Public broadcaster NHK and private station TV Asahi both reported "several" deaths, with the Kyodo news agency saying a nine-year-old girl had been trapped by a damaged wall in a swimming facility north of Osaka city. Local police said they could not confirm the reports.
Strong quake hits western Japan, no tsunami risk
A strong quake hit western Japan early today, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or risk of tsunami waves, officials said. The 5.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 15.4 kilometres at 7:58 am (2258 GMT Sunday) near Osaka, according to the United States Geological Survey. There was no risk of tsunami from the tremor, the Japanese meteorological agency said, putting its magnitude at 5.9, and the epicentre at a depth of 10 kilometres. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters the government was "working united, with its first priority on saving people's lives." Abe said he had instructed his staff to "swiftly collect information on damage, make utmost efforts in rescuing and saving lives... (and) provide timely and appropriate information to the public." Local police also told AFP that they had not received reports of substantial damage, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority said it had detected no abnormalities at its facilities after the quake. The tremor caused a ...
5.9-magnitude earthquake rocks Japan's Osaka
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rocked Osaka prefecture, western Japan at 7.58 a.m local time, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said on Monday.
Fire in container ship extinguished
The raging fire in MV SSL Kolkata that began on June 14 night in the Bay of Bengal was finally extinguished on Sunday, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.
Water crisis: MP villagers walk kilometres to fetch water
With the country witnessing a rise in mercury in many states, the people of Madhya Pradesh's Satna district are facing acute water shortage.The villagers here are forced to walk almost three kilometres everyday to collect ground water for their basic needs as severe water crisis continues to make life miserable for people.According to the locals in Satna's Ramnagar Khokhla,Tikuri Tola, Padmania and Dabri villages, many deaths occur every year as a result of this polluted water and only paperwork is provided in the name of water tankers by officials."We walk more than 2 kilometres daily only to fetch water which is polluted," said a local.There is no administrative facility provided to the villagers who comprise of an approximate population of eighteen thousand.Sub-divisonal magistrate, Satna said, "We have placed 2 water tankers of 5000 and 2000 litres here. Hand pups will also be installed soon to help the locals."Deputy collector Om Narayan Singh said that there are two bore-wells ..
Flood situation remains grim in northeast, lakhs rendered homeless
Devastating floods, heavy rain and landslides have created havoc in several northeastern states in the past week, claiming many lives in Assam, Tripura and Manipur.At least 21 people have died in flash floods and rainfall-induced landslides in Manipur and Tripura and around 30,000 people were rescued from flood-affected regions in Assam and Tripura.On Sunday, a total of 8 tons relief material was provided in the flood affected areas of Tripura's Kailashahar and Assam's Hailakandi area by the Indian Air Force.According to the Central Water Commission, the water level of river Brahmaputra is increasing by 4-5 cms per hour and will soon touch the danger level in the next 2-3days.Power supply has been also affected in many areas. Educational institutes and government offices also remained closed in many districts.Overall 4.5 lakh people have been affected at 6 districts in current wave of floods in Assam.Some of the worst-hit areas in the district are Wangoi, Lamphel, Iroishemba, Lamsang,
Guatemala volcano search called off with nearly 200 unaccounted for
Authorities today called off a search for the nearly 200 people missing since Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupted earlier this month, devastating the surrounding countryside. Officials have confirmed the deaths of 110 people as a result of the volcanic eruption on June 3, but another 197 people remain unaccounted for. A spokesman for the government's civil protection agency, David de Leon, said the agencies involved decided to end the search "due to the fact that the area is uninhabitable and of high risk." The volcano, which is located 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) southwest of the capital, is still generating four or five weak explosions an hour, sending a column of gray ash more than 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) into the sky. Additionally, rains were forecast for Sunday, posing a danger of volcanic mudflows. More than 3,600 villagers have been forced to take temporary refuge in schools and community halls. The suspended search had been focused on the hardest-hit communities of San ...
Assam flood toll now nine, over 4 lakh affected
The flood situation continued to be grim across Assam on Sunday, affecting over four lakh people in six districts as five more persons were killed in last 24 hours, taking the toll to nine.
Major landslide on Cbe-siruvani dam road; no casualties
A major landslide occured on the Coimbatore-Siruvani dam road today under the impact of heavy rains and totally paralysed traffic from both sides, but no casualties have so far been reported, police said. The soil had loosened due to heavy rains in Western ghats area over the past few days and suddenly came down at the 14th bend area, bringing down trees and boulders, they said. Forest department officials are engaged in clearing the debris, they said. Meanwhile,the administration banned tourists from visiting or bathing in Kovai Kutralam waterfalls, falling under the Siruvani mountain range in this district, due to heavy flow of water in the area for the last one week following heavy rains. Coimbatore district, bordering Kerala,has been experiencing heavy rains over the past few days under the influence of the South West monsoon, which set in over that state last month. In Kerala, the monsoon rains have wrought havoc, killing 54 persons so far, 13 of them in a major ...
Container ship fire doused after 65 hours: Official
The fire on board a container ship in the Bay of Bengal was extinguished with the help of an Indian Air Force helicopter, around 65 hours after it was reported, a senior defence official said tonight. The Coast Guard said there had been no oil spillage from the MV SSL Kolkata which caught fire on Thursday night and was abandoned by its crew who were later rescued. The fire that was reported around 11 pm on June 14 was finally doused at around 4 pm today with an Mi-17 V5 helicopter pouring water on the burning ship from a Bambi bucket, Wing Commander S S Birdi said. The Air Force swung into action after receiving a call at its helicopter unit based at Barrackpore IAF Station near here this morning. The mission was led by Wing Commander Nikhil Mehrotra, along with Flight Lieutenant Atul Mishra. The helicopter arrived at Frazergunj harbour helipad, the nearest to the location of the ill-fated vessel, at 1.15 pm, Birdi said in a statement. "With the support of the Coast Guard and ...
Quake in Sikkim, tremors felt in north Bengal
A mild earthquake, measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale, hit Sikkim at on Sunday night, with tremors also felt in three north Bengal districts, said the met office. No loss of life or property damage was reported from anywhere.
23 dead in NE flood, Assam situation still grim
The devastating flood in the Northeast has claimed six more lives during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 23, although the situation in the region showed a marked improvement today, barring Assam, officials said. While five more people died in Assam since yesterday, one person lost his life in Manipur. In Assam, 4.5 lakh people have been affected in the deluge across six districts. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), all the five persons lost their lives in three districts, taking the death toll in the state to 12 in the first wave of flood this year. The ASDMA said over 4.48 lakh people have been affected in Hojai, Karbi Anglong West, Golaghat, Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar districts. According to the report issued today, Karimganj has been the worst-hit with nearly 2.15 lakh people affected followed by Hailakandi where over 1.93 lakh people have been suffering in the deluge. As of now, Brahmaputra at Nimatighat in Jorhat, while Barak at
Five of family, including 3 children, die in accident in MP
Five members of a family, including three children, were today killed when a truck collided with their car near Aliganj village in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district, police said. "The family members of Ashiq Mansoori, a resident of Pipariya in Hoshangabad district, were returning today afternoon from their native Udaipura town after celebrating Eid when the accident occurred," said Bareli Police Station in charge S S Mukati. He said that six persons were travelling in the car and only one woman survived, but with grievous injuries. The driver of the car died on the spot and three children and one woman died while being moved to hospital, Mukati said. A case has been registered and efforts were on to nab the truck driver who fled the scene, he said.
Monsoon toll rises to 54 in Kerala
With the recovery of one more body, that of a 54-year-old woman from under the rubble in a landslide, the toll in rain related incidents in Kerala rose to 54 today since the onset of the South West monsoon late last month. The body of the woman was recovered at Kattipara in Kozhikode district, three days after the landslide occurred, official sources said. With this, the toll in the landslide incident alone has gone up to 13. Search operations are on by the National Disaster Management Force personnel to find the remaining person, they said. Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrasekaran who visited the landslide hit areas at Kattipara and said the cabinet would decide the quantum of compensation for those who suffered heavy losses in landslides and floods He also warned of severe action against those indulged in unauthorised constructions in ecologically fragile zones. Meanwhile, the Kozhikode District Collector U V Jose ordered an enquiry into the charge that construction of
Turkish cargo ship sinks off Croatia, crew evacuated
A Turkish-flagged cargo ship was sinking off the Croatian coast today and its 13-member crew was being taken off with no pollution detected for now, the Croat transport ministry said. The evacuation of the crew -- including 11 Turkish and two Indian nationals -- started at 0405 GMT and no one was injured. The ship was sinking north of Vis island in the centre of the Adriatic, a ministry statement said, adding that precautions were being taken to prevent pollution. The ship carrying 3,000 tonnes tons of sinter magnesite, used in the production of high-temperature resistant materials, as well as 70 tonnes of fuel and lubricants, it added.
Thunderstorm, dust storm very likely in parts of UP tmrw: MeT
Thunderstorm or dust storm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over both eastern and western Uttar Pradesh tomorrow, the MeT office said. According to the Meteorological (MeT) department, rains or thunderstorm are very likely at isolated places over the state on June 19 and June 20, it said. Allahabad was the hottest place in the state, where mercury touched 44.6 degrees Celsius.
Rain, thunderstorm to hit parts of UP
Thunderstorm and rain, accompanied with dust storm, are likely to hit isolated places in Uttar Pradesh.The areas over Sultanpur, Jaunpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Kanpur Nagar districts and adjoining areas during the next three hours, according to the Meteorological Centre, Lucknow.Last week, a deadly thunderstorm hit parts of Uttar Pradesh, killing 10 people and injuring 18.As many as 25 people have died due to a thunderstorm last month in the state.The Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, had earlier issued warnings for thunderstorm and rain from June 13 to June 17.
Cambodian prince injured, wife killed in head-on road crash
A Cambodian prince and former prime minister was injured and his wife killed in a head-on collision on a highway in the country's southwest today, officials said. Prince Norodom Ranariddh and his wife Ouk Phalla were rushed to hospital after a taxi travelling in the other direction slammed into their motorcade in Preah Sihanouk province. Phalla died in a nearby facility while Ranariddh, the head of the royalist Funcinpec party, was flown to Phnom Penh for further treatment. The death of Phalla is the loss of "a national hero for the Funcinpec party", a posting on Ranariddh's official Facebook page said hours later. A party member confirmed the wife's death but said Ranariddh, 74, was expected to recover. Details of his injuries were not immediately available. The accident happened Sunday morning when a taxi carrying several passengers crashed into the convoy carrying the couple and supporters. A report on the national police website showed badly damaged cars and victims on the ...
No oil spillage from blazing container ship: Coast Guard
The Coast Guard today said there has been no oil spillage so far from a blazing container ship, which caught fire on June 13 and was abandoned by its crew in the Bay of Bengal. MV SSL Kolkata, whose 22-member crew including the Master, were rescued by the Coast Guard on June 14, is "upright and stationary", eight nautical miles off the Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, Coast Guard Commander (North East) Inspector General K S Sheoran said. "Two advanced offshore patrol vessels with fire fighting and pollution response capability are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil and monitoring SSL Kolkata amidst severe sea and challenging weather conditions," he said in a statement. Noting that there has been no oil spillage from the container ship so far, he said three other Coast Guard ships and pollution control equipment have been kept ready at Haldia port for immediate mobilisation in case there is any spillage of oil. A marine commando of the Navy and three members of the ...