Page 711 - Disaster Accident
PM condoles death of 17 people in UP accident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of 17 people in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh today and hoped for the early recovery of those injured. "My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in a tragic accident in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. I hope those who are injured recover at the earliest," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted quoting Modi. At least 17 people, including a woman, died and 25 others were injured when the private bus they were travelling on hit a road divider and overturned in Mainpuri early today. The bus, carrying 60-70 people, was coming from Jaipur in Rajasthan state and heading towards Farrukhabad.
NASA's unmanned aircraft flies solo through US public airspace
NASA has successfully flown its remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft in the National Airspace System without a safety chase aircraft, opening the doors to services ranging from monitoring and fighting forest fires, to providing new emergency search and rescue operations.
Coral reef loss may double flood damages worldwide: Study
Rapid loss of coral reefs around the world would double the annual expected damages from flooding, and triple the costs from frequent storms, a study has found. When coupled with sea level rise, flooding could quadruple, according to researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the US. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that coral reefs cut the cost of all flood-related damages around the world in half. Coral reefs serve as natural, submerged breakwaters that reduce flooding by breaking waves and reducing wave energy. The study compared the flooding that occurs now with the flooding that would occur on coastlines with coral reefs if just the topmost one metre of living coral reef were lost. Without living coral reefs, the annual expected damages from flooding would double, increasing by USD 4 billion. The costs from frequent storms would triple, researchers said. If coupled with sea level rise, flooding could quadruple. For the big 100-year .
SpiceJet-Indigo collision averted at Varanasi Airport
A major mishap was averted at Varansi's Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport on Tuesday between a SpiceJet and an IndiGo aircraft on the runway.The IndiGo aircraft was carrying 178 passengers and was about to take off for Mumbai. The SpiceJet flight inadvertently crossed the runway holding point.Noticing this, the Air Traffic Control alerted the IndiGo plane to abort take off.Two pilots of the SpiceJet plane have been grounded following the incident, confirmed an airline spokesperson.The matter has been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for further investigation.
Private bus overturns in UP; 17 killed, 25 injured
At least 17 people, including a woman, died and 25 others were injured when the private bus they were travelling on mounted a road divider and overturned in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh early today. The bus, carrying 60-70 people, was coming from Jaipur in Rajasthan and heading towards Farrukhabad. The accident happened near Tirathpur village at around 5.30 am, Mainpuri Superintendent of Police Ajay Shankar Rai told PTI on the phone. Sixteen people, including a woman, died on the spot while another person succumbed to his injuries at Saifai hospital, Rai said. Their identity was being ascertained. Mostly labourers, returning to their native villages in Uttar Pradesh from Rajasthan, were travelling in the bus. Some of the injured, including the bus driver who has lost his left leg, were stated to be critical and undergoing treatment at a Saifai hospital. Others, Rai said, were admitted to the district hospital. Senior administrative officials have reached the site of the accident
17 killed in UP accident
At least 17 people were killed and over 30 others injured in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district on Wednesday, police said.
Dust storm aftermath: Delhi's air quality worsens
Pollution levels in Delhi have spiked again, pushing the air quality of the national capital and surrounding areas from 'moderate' to 'severe category.Strong-anti cyclonic winds blowing from Rajasthan are the reason behind the worsening air quality.According to AQICN, on Wednesday morning, many places in Delhi saw the air quality index (AQI) touching above 500, causing hazy conditions and leading to a dip in visibility.The AQI of R.K. Puram read 660, while other places like Okhla Phase-II (738), PGDAV College, Sriniwaspuri (686), Punjabi Bagh (714), Mandir Marg (545) and ITO (816) saw the air quality plummet to hazardous levels.East Delhi's Anand Vihar was the worst affected area with an AQI of 867.Meanwhile, air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) also witnessed a rise in pollution levels, but remained in the 'very poor category.'The AQI in Ghaziabad, Noida, and Gurugram touched 320, 314 and 252 respectively.However, Faridabad recorded an AQI of 175 in the 'moderate ...
17 killed after bus hits divider, overturns in UP
Around 17 people were killed and 35 others were injured in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri on Wednesday morning after a private bus hit a divider and overturned after losing balance.The private Volvo bus carrying around 80-90 people was travelling from Rajasthan's Jaipur to Farukkhabad in Uttar Pradesh.According to a passenger, the bus was overcrowded and few passengers were even sitting on the rooftop of the bus.He also claimed that the driver was driving carelessly at high speed."We were shouting on the bus driver and even tried to stop the bus, but he did not listen," said the passenger.The police are present on the spot, while the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Trump hints at North Korea agreeing for denuclearization
United States President Donald Trump said that a major step has been taken towards preventing "potential nuclear catastrophe".Trump in a series of tweets, expressed his satisfaction over his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he hinted towards North Korea adopting denuclearisation."The World has taken a big step back from potential Nuclear catastrophe! No more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research! The hostages are back home with their families. Thank you to Chairman Kim, our day together was historic!" Trump tweeted.He summed up the recent landmark events that redefined the bilateral relation between two countries.Some of them were North Korea releasing three former American detainees Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-Chul, and it is taking part in the much-awaited summit with the US.In another tweet, Trump highlighted the fact that an unprecedented summit took place on Tuesday as prior to him no other sitting US leader had met any North Korean leader."I want to .
12 killed in Bangladesh landslides
Torrential overnight rains triggered a series of massive landslides on Tuesday in Rangamati and Cox's Bazar, killing at least 12.Eleven people were killed, several others were reported missing and many houses were damaged after the landslides hit five Rangamati villages in Naniarchar, reported Daily Star Bangladesh.In another incident, a landslide buried a person alive in Cox Bazar's Moheshkhali Upazila.In Burihat union's Dharmacharon Para, one of the villages that were struck, four members of a family, including a two-month-old child, lost their lives in a landslide from an adjacent hill.There have been further alerts by the metrological department predicting heavier downpour in the region.Last year, during the monsoon, Bangladesh's most devastating series of landslides in a decade killed at least 170 people, 120 alone in Rangamati.
Flood damage would double without coral reefs: study
Loss of coral reefs around the world would double the damage from coastal flooding, and triple the destruction caused by storm surges, researchers said today. Coupled with projected sea level rise driven by global warming, reef decline could see flooding increase four-fold by century's end, they reported in the journal Nature Communications. Without coral to help absorb the shock, a once-in-a-century cyclone would wreak twice the havoc, with the damage measured in the tens of billions of dollars, the team calculated. "Coral reefs serve as natural, submerged breakwaters that reduce flooding by breaking waves and reducing wave energy," said Michael Beck, lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy research and environmental group, and a professor at the University of California in Santa Cruz. "Unfortunately, we are already losing the height and complexity of shallow reefs around the world, so we are likely already seeing increases in flood damages along many tropical coasts," he told ...
IMD to commission 27 doppler radars across country
At least 27 doppler radars would be soon commissioned across the country covering coastlines and major cities which would provide severe weather warning to stake-holders as much as six hours in advance, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said in Panaji today. "Providing information in advance about thunderstorms like the one recently reported in Bihar and Bengal helps in reducing the damage and loss of lives," IMD Director General K J Ramesh told reporters. He said the thunderstorm reported on May 2 caused casualties. "However, the agencies put their acts together and when the thunderstorm hit again on May 7 in parts of Bihar and Bengal its impact could be reduced," Ramesh said. The DG said doppler radar is an important system as far as round-the-clock weather surveillance is concerned. "Very soon, 27 doppler radars would become functional across the country. They will cover important coastlines and some of the important cities including Nagpur, Bhopal, ...
Varanasi airport ATC prevents 2 aircraft from coming on collision course
An alert Varanasi airport ATC today prevented two aircraft from coming on a collision course at the runway, following which one of the airlines grounded two of its pilots. Two SpiceJet pilots operating a Varanasi to Hyderabad flight this morning have been grounded, confirmed a spokesperson of the airline. The incident occurred when an IndiGo aircraft with 178 passengers onboard was about to take off for Mumbai. The ATC had asked the SpiceJet flight to remain at the holding point till the IndiGo plane took off, airport sources said. However, according to the SpiceJet spokesperson, the aircraft while taxing to the runway "inadvertently" crossed the runway holding point. Noticing the incursion, the ATC immediately alerted the IndiGo plane, which aborted take off, the sources said. The matter has been referred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo said. "IndiGo aircraft VT-IHS operating 3175 (Varanasi -Mumbai) in spite of having ATC clearance had to abort the takeoff
Thunderstorm, dust storm likely to hit parts of UP
The Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, on Tuesday night issued a warning of thunderstorm, accompanied with dust storm, in parts of Uttar Pradesh in the next three hours.As per officials, Gonda, Basti, Faizabad districts, along with other adjoining areas of the state, will be affected.Parts of Kolkata experienced heavy rainfall today.Parts of the state experienced thunderstorm and rain earlier this week.
Lightning kills 8 in West Bengal
As many as eight people died in several districts in West Bengal after being struck by lightning on Tuesday.While four people were killed in Bankura district, one person each from East Midnapore, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts died due to the lightning.Kolkata and other districts in north Bengal have witnessed heavy rainfall and change in weather in the past two days.The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more rainfall for Bengal, Sikkim and other North-Eastern states with the onset of the monsoon.
Fire in building near New Market
A fire broke out this evening at the top floor of a three-storey residential-cum-commercial building near New Market in Central Kolkata creating panic in the area, police said. Seven fire tenders brought the situation under control within an hour. There was no casualty in the incident, as all residents were immediately evacuated by the local people, police said. The cause of the fire and the extent of damages were yet to be ascertained.
Airtel, Reliance Jio booked for damaging road in JK's Kishtwar
An FIR has been registered against major telecom players Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio for reportedly carrying out unauthorised digging and damaging 62 km road in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. Six persons have been arrested in this connection, the police said today. A criminal case was registered against the management of Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio telecom companies for damaging 62 kilometers of road from Chatroo to Sinthan Top by carrying out unauthorised digging for laying of optical fibre, a senior police officer said. The police took a strong note of the damages caused following a complaint of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL). Reacting to the charges, a spokesperson of Airtel said the telecom player has not carried out any new activity of cabling, except minor repair work during landslides in the road stretch. "It is stated on record that in last three and half years, no new activity has been undertaken, except minor repair
Torrential rains trigger landslides, flash floods in Manipur, Mizoram
Torrential rains in the fast few days have triggered landslides and flash floods in some parts of Mizoram and Manipur, throwing normal life out of gear, official reports said on Tuesday.
Punjab govt to oppose amendment in Centre's NRDWP: Minister
The Punjab government will oppose the proposed amendment in the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) by the Centre as it will adversely affect the on-going drinking water supply schemes in over 9,000 villages in the state, a minister said here today. "The Centre has made up its mind to amend the NRDWP, which aimed at providing potable drinking water to the rural inhabitants. Once this amendment is through, this will adversely affect the ongoing drinking water supply schemes in over 9,000 villages of the state," Razia Sultana, water supply and sanitation minister, said. She said that with a view to chalking out futuristic strategy of the state, a high-level meeting of the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation was held today. Sultana said that under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme, funds are being provided by the Centre to the states to supply drinking water to the rural areas. She said to run this scheme, funds at the ratio of 50:50 per cent are being ...
Lightning kills four in Bengal
Four persons, including a man and his daughter, were killed in a lightning strike in West Bengal's Bankura district as thundershower lashed parts of the state on Tuesday, police said.