Page 723 - Disaster Accident
Fire at IIT-Madras lab
A fire broke out at a lab in the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras here on Tuesday but no one was injured, police said.
Forest fire raging in Sweden prompts evacuations
Swedish authorities say at least 25 people have been evacuated as a forest fire rages in southeastern Sweden with dozens of firefighters, army personnel and five helicopters trying to control the blaze. Authorities said today the fire near Sala, about 120 kilometers northwest of Stockholm, had been contained but wasn't under control, adding they were up against strong winds and dry conditions. Police estimate the fire covers an area of more than five square kilometers. The Greater Stockholm fire department, which is coordinating the efforts, said firefighters around Sweden have in the past days been extinguishing several fires in the "very dry" countryside. Open fires have been banned in most of Sweden, and also in parts of Norway, Denmark and Germany.
Malaysia says over 350,000 cars yet to change Takata airbags
Malaysia's transport minister says the government will take an active role in recalls to replace flawed Takata air bags after data from eight car manufacturers showed that more than 350,000 car owners have not responded. The deaths of seven people in Malaysia have been linked to the defective air bags. The latest victim was a 23-year old student whose 2004 Honda City crashed May 27 in Kuala Lumpur, the second death this year alone. Transport Minister Anthony Loke says the Road Transport Department will take over from auto manufacturers in sending recall notices to affected car owners. He said today that two reminders will be sent and car owners who still fail to respond will face fines and be barred from renewing their road registrations.
14 people killed in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
At least 14 people were killed in two separate incidents in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to police. In the first incident, six people were killed and 11 others injured today when their overspeeding vehicle collided head-on with a dumper on Indus Highway in Kohat district. The vehicle was heading towards DIKhan district from Peshawar. The condition of several victims was stated to be critical. In the second incident, at least eight people, including four women, were killed and two others injured when roof of a house collapsed in Shawal tehsil of North Waziristan late night. The official said the roof of a room of the house caved in, burying ten people under the debris. The locals and personnel of Frontier Corps reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.
Four of family killed in accident in Mathura
Four members of a family were killed and two others injured in a head-on collision between a car and a pick-up truck at the National Highway 2 in Fatiha area here, police said today. The family was returning from a trip to Agra when its Alto car collided with a Maxx Pick-up truck coming from the other side, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vinay Chauhan said. The deceased have been identified as police constable Rajendra (52), his wife Anar Sri (48), his son Narendra (35) and his niece Puja (22), the DSP said. Rajendra's daughter Ruby and son-in-law Raghvendra were injured and are undergoing treatment at Nayati Hospital and Sarojini Naidu Medical College respectively. The truck driver fled the spot after the accident, Chauhan added. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.
One dead as record storms sweep across France
A man was found drowned in his car in northern France today following a fresh round of powerful rainstorms that have damaged homes, destroyed vineyards and flooded roads over the last fortnight. An unusually long bout of warm and humid weather across the country has led to a series of thunderstorms that have dropped record amounts of rain in some areas. National weather service Meteo France said it estimated the number of lightning strikes in May at 182,000 nationwide, almost double the record figure for the same month previously set in 2009. The weather office estimated that 60 to 80 mm (two-three inches) of rain fell late last night in some areas of the Normandy region, where a 37-year-old man was found dead near the village of Piseux. He is believed to have been involved in a road accident which saw his car flip over and land in a flooded area, a statement from the local government said. Other badly affected areas on Tuesday included Spechbach-le-Bas in eastern France where 20-40 ..
Senior IAF officer dies in Jaguar crash in Gujarat
An Indian Air Force Jaguar fighter jet today crashed in Gujarat's Kutch district soon after it took off from the Jamnagar air base, killing a senior officer who was piloting the aircraft, a defence spokesperson said. Air Commodore Sanjai Chauhan, the Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station Jamnagar, who was flying the deep penetration Jaguar fighter jet died when the plane crashed in a field in Bareja village. "The Jaguar aircraft on a routine training mission from Jamnagar crashed around 10.30 am," Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha said here. "The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjai Chauhan, sustained fatal injuries in the crash," he said. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered (by the air headquarters) to investigate the cause of the accident, he said. "The plane, which was on a routine sortie, crashed near Bareja village," he said. Some cows grazing in the field were killed after being hit by the jet's debris, locals said. The plane's debris was strewn far and wide on the outskirts of .
9 killed, 21 injured as bus falls into gorge in Mizoram
At least nine people, including five women, were killed and 21 others injured when a bus fell into a gorge near Pangzawl village in Mizoram's Lunglei district early this morning, police said. The accident took place when the bus, belonging to a private operator, was going from Aizawl to the state's southernmost Siaha district, they said. The vehicle fell into a gorge, around 500 metres, below the National Highway-54, police said. The bus was being driven by the handyman (helper) as the driver was sleeping, they said. Police said two people, who were seriously injured in the accident, have been admitted to the Serchhip district hospital. The rest are under going treatment at the Pangzawl primary health centre and the Haahthial community health centre, they said. Majority of the victims are from Siaha district, police said. They said all the bodies have been recovered.
Four, including policeman, die on Yamuna Expressway
Four persons of a family, including a police constable, were killed on the Yamuna Expressway on Tuesday when the car in which they were travelling was hit by another vehicle, police said.
IAF fighter jet crashes in Gujarat, pilot dead
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar fighter jet crashed on Tuesday in the Kutch's Mundra region.The pilot, Air Commodore Sanjay Chauhan, lost his life in the crash after suffering fatal injuries.A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident, which took place at around 10:30 am. The jet took off from Jamnagar and was on a routine training mission.This comes after an unmanned Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) of the Indian Navy crashed in Gujarat in April earlier this year.In the same month, four people suffered minor injuries after an Indian Air Force's MI-17 helicopter caught fire following a collision with an iron girder while landing at the helipad near Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand.
Cloudburst hits two villages in Shimla
A cloudburst hit the twin villages of Darshal and Matelani in Shimla district this morning, damaging houses, an official said. A house belonging to Tara Chand in Matelani and half a dozen cowsheds were badly damaged but there was no loss of human life. The SDM and Tehsildar have rushed to the spot and rescue work is underway, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Amit Kashyap said. Deafeningsounds of lightning and thunder followed by very heavy rains occurred in the villages and a water tank was also damaged. Debris swept by gushing waters entered some houses and cowsheds and two heads of cattle perished, villagers said.
IAF Jaguar crashes, pilot dies
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar crashed in Gujarat on Tuesday, killing its pilot, an official said.
Blast occurs near girls school in Afghanistan
A blast occurred on Tuesday reportedly close to a girls school in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, confirmed the Afghan authorities.According to Afghan's TOLO News, no reports of casualties or injuries have been reported by far.Confirming the incident, spokesman for provincial governor Attaullah Khoghyani, said, "No one was hurt in the IED blast."More details awaited.
Guatemala volcano eruption toll reaches 69
The toll from the eruption of the highly active Fuego volcano in Guatemala has increased to 69 with over 1 million residents affected, according to authorities.
10 killed in landslide in Mizoram
Ten people, including six women, were killed and one person was injured when a building was swept away by landslide triggered by heavy rain in Lunglawn area of south Mizoram's Lunglei town, police said today. The landslide hit the two-storied semi-pucca building last night killing seven members of a family living in the ground floor and three people belonging to another family residing in the first floor, they said. Four persons were rescued from the building, police said, adding that one of them suffered injuries. Police said that 14 people were residing in the building. The Lunglei District Disaster Response team and local volunteers rushed to the spot for the rescue operation and clear the debris.
Haryana: 2 sisters from Delhi killed as jeep overturns on highway
Two sisters were killed and four others were injured after a jeep overturned near Haryana's Dhani Peeranwali village, about 40 km from here, police said today. The accident took place on the Hisar-Delhi National Highway yesterday. The deceased were identified as Nirmala Aggrwal of Tri Nagar in Delhi and Saroj of Seelampur in the national capital. Nirmala, Saroj and the others were on their way to Delhi, when one of the tyres of the jeep burst, according to police. The driver lost control over the vehicle and it overturned killing Nirmala and Saroj on the spot. The injured were admitted to the civil hospital in Hansi, from where they were referred to Hisar, police said. A case has been registered by the Sadar Police at Hansi in connection with the accident.
China develops elevator response vehicle
China has developed its first elevator emergency response vehicle to enhance elevator safety to address the concerns over frequent occurrence of accidents, official media here reported. Developed by a technology company in Qinhuangdao, north China's Hebei Province, the vehicle is equipped with 18 monitoring devices. With spatial vector data acquisition technology and GPRS wireless communication, it can identify any maintenance issues with urban elevators and provide early warnings to increase elevator safety, the Science and Technology Daily reported yesterday. Chen Zhonglin, president of the company, said when the vehicle drives along a road, it can receive information from all nearby elevators equipped with a "black box," which holds key data and information about what is happening to the elevator. After analysing operating data and finding any issues, the maintenance crew travelling in the vehicle can fix the problems. The vehicle also carries about 30 pieces of rescue equipment, ..
Seven killed in UP road accident
At least seven persons have been killed and four others critically injured after a tractor was hit by a speeding truck in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.
Guatemala volcano death toll up to 69, expected to rise
Rescuers pulled survivors and bodies from the charred aftermath of the powerful eruption of Guatemala's Volcano of Fire, as the death toll rose to 69 today and was expected to go higher from a disaster that caught residents of remote mountain hamlets off guard, with little or no time to flee to safety. Using shovels and backhoes, emergency workers dug through the debris and mud, perilous labour on smoldering terrain still hot enough to melt shoe soles a day after the volcano exploded in a hail of ash, smoke and molten rock. Bodies were so thickly coated with ash that they looked like statues, and rescuers were forced to use sledgehammers to break through the roofs of houses buried in debris up to their rooflines to try to see if anyone was trapped inside. Fanuel Garcia, director of the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, said 69 bodies had been recovered and 17 of those had been identified. "It is very difficult for us to identify them because some of the dead lost their features
10 killed, one injured in landslide in Mizoram
Ten people were killed and another injured when a building was swept away by a landslide triggered by heavy rains in the Lunglawn area of south Mizoram's Lunglei town, police said today. It was raining heavily last night in the Lunglawn area when the landslide hit the building killing 10 people, they said. The Lunglei District Disaster Response Team and local volunteers rushed to the spot to rescue people, police said.