Page 747 - Disaster Accident
J&K Congress slams Pak shelling on civilian areas
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress today condemned Pakistan for heavy shelling along the International Border and said targeting civilians is the "worst kind of violation" of international norms. Seven persons, including an infant, have been killed and several others injured in Pakistani shelling since May 15. Today, five people, including a 70-year-old woman, were injured by mortar shells fired by Pakistani Rangers on forward posts and villages near the International Border in Jammu region. "The unabated Pakistani shelling and targeting of civilian population along the international border is the worst kind of violation of international norms," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir said. He urged the state government to provide necessary assistance to the affected families. National Conference senior state vice-president Surjeet Singh Slathia visited the shelling-hit villages in Samba district. He said the "forward areas are presenting a grim .
AP Express fire: Railway launches probe
The railway authorities launched an investigation today to find out the cause of the fire that gutted two coaches of New Delhi-Visakhapatnam AP Express yesterday, an official said. A panel headed by North Central Railway's chief safety officer S K Kashyap and comprising three senior officers visited the spot and inspected the two damaged coaches of the train around 11.45 am. "We have started an investigation. This is not a easy and clear case..." Kashyap told PTI over phone. "We are going to talk to the eyewitnesses and other people to find out what exactly triggered the blaze...We need maximum three days to complete our investigation," he said. Once the probe gets over, the report will be submitted to the North Central Railway (NCR) general manager, who would forward it to the Railway Board and to the officials concerned, he added. Two coaches of the New Delhi-Visakhapatnam AP Express caught fire near Birlanagar station here yesterday after the air-conditioning unit of .
Two killed, three injured in Bihar road accident
Two persons, including a minor girl, were killed and three others injured in a road accident today in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, a police officer said. The girl, aged around 10, was crossing the road near Manikpur Chowk in Saraiya police station area when a speeding car, with three passengers on board, knocked her down, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shankar Jha said. In an attempt to flee the scene, the driver then rammed his car into a sand-laden truck that was coming from the opposite direction, he said. The girl and the driver died on the spot, while the three passengers, who suffered injuries, were admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, the officer said. The deceased driver has been identified as Subodh Rai (30), the SDPO said, adding that the identity of the girl was yet to be ascertained.
Five injured in mortar shelling by Pakistan along IB in J-K
Five people, including a 70-year-old woman, were injured as Pakistani Rangers today fired mortar shells on forward posts and villages along the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region for the eighth day, officials said. Hundreds of panic-stricken villagers fled their homes and took shelter either at houses of their relatives or at relief camps set up by the government. Educational institutions in the affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir remained closed. Four people -- Kaushalya Devi (70), Madan Lal Bhagat (48), Des Raj (52) and Thudu Ram (65) -- were injured in the firing in Jammu district's Arnia and RS Pura sectors, the officials said. They said that 22-year-old Aman Singh of Bobiyan village was injured in Paksitani mortar shelling in Kathua district's Hiranagar sector. The firing from across the border was intense. Dozens of villages along the IB were hit by 80 mm and 120 mm mortar shells. This led to a fire breaking out this morning at Jora Farm, a hamlet of milkmen, the ...
No charges for cancelling tickets within 24 hours of booking: Aviation Ministry proposal
In a comforting piece of news for air passengers, the government today proposed abolishing cancellation charges for domestic flight tickets if the cancellation is made within 24 hours of booking. However, the proposed rule won't apply if the tickets are booked less than 96 hours (four days) before the scheduled departure time of the flight. During this 24-hour "lock-in period", passengers would be able to make correction in name or amend the travel date free of cost, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told reporters, while unveiling the draft air passengers charter here. "Airline will provide lock-in option for 24 hours after booking ticket where ticket can be cancelled without any charges. This facility will be available for passenger up to 96 hours prior to flight departure," he said. While some airlines already provide this service, some do charge a fee for corrections. The charter, however, will be binding on all airlines in domestic sector. The charter has been ...
MH370 search director disagrees with pilot ditch theory
The director of a seabed hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 today disagreed with a new book's conclusion that the pilot likely flew the plane beyond the search area to deliberately sink it in unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau believes the airliner mostly likely ran out of fuel and crashed after flying far off course en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It believes all 239 passengers and crew on board were likely long dead inside a depressurized cabin and cockpit. Search director Peter Foley, who coordinated the search on Malaysia's behalf, was quizzed by a Senate committee on theories in Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance's new book "MH370: Mystery Solved." The book argues that two wing flaps found on islands off Africa in 2015 and 2016 point to pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah performing a controlled ditching outside the 120,000 square kilometers that were scoured by sonar in a 198 million Australian dollar
Parents end life after son dies in road accident in TN
Unable to bear the loss of their only son in a road accident, a couple 'committed suicide' by consuming poison in nearby Tirupur district, police said today. Twenty two-year-old Nishant and his friend Kripakaran were riding a motorcycle to their native place of Pallipalayam in Namakkal district, when the two-wheeler was involved in a collision with a cargo-carrying vehicle, they said. The riders died on the spot, they added. On hearing about Nishant's death, his parents had gone to the hospital where they saw his body. They were so upset that they reportedly consumed poison, the police said. Shaktivel and Sudha were taken to a private hospital, where they died this morning, they added.
Accident bureau to probe Alliance Air's overshooting incident
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Tuesday said they will be taking over the investigation of Alliance Air flight's overshooting incident.The incident took place on May 21 at 5.29 pm, when the aircraft of Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, arriving from Mumbai overshot the runway by 117 meters during landing at the Shirdi airport.Up to 70 passengers who were on board had a narrow escape.According to media reports, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will also investigate the matter separately.
Death toll in Nipah virus outbreak rises to 10
The death toll in the deadly Nipah virus outbreak has risen to 10, Kerala health minister K.K. Shailaja confirmed on Tuesday.In a statement, Shailaja said, "As of now, we have test results of 18 samples. 12 of them have been tested positive for Nipah virus. 10 of them have already died. Two of them are in critical condition."She added that no new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours.Earlier on Tuesday, two more people suspected to be infected by the deadly Nipah virus died in Kozhikode Medical College hospital in Kozhikode city.On Monday, Shailaja said the reason for the sudden outbreak of the virus is that it spreads through direct contact. She added that the situation is under control and all hospitals have been equipped to handle the outbreak.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed that the state government is closely monitoring the outbreak and taking steps to prevent its further spread.Taking cognizance of the issue, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P Nadda
Jammu: Lawyers suspend work to protest Pak shelling along IB, LoC
Normal functioning of courts in the winter capital of Jammu was today affected as lawyers stayed away to protest heavy shelling by Pakistan along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in which seven people, including an infant, died over the past week. The Jammu High Court Bar Association unanimously decided to suspend the work for the day to lodge protest against the unprovoked and indiscriminate Pakistani firing and the subsequent casualties and miseries to the border residents who have been forced to migrate for their safety, a spokesman of the association said. The work in the high court and its subordinate courts, tribunals and commissions was badly affected due to the suspension of the work by the lawyers, the officials said. The association held a meeting in the high court complex, condemning the Pakistani shelling and expressed solidarity with the border residents. Vice president of the Association, Sachin Gupta, who chaired the meeting, said India is ...
Sikkim volunteers in Meghalaya for disaster response training
A 15-day training programme for a team of disaster relief volunteers from Sikkim began today at an institute at Mawdiangdiang, around 7km from here, an official statement said. The session, funded by the central government as part of its 'Aapda Mitra' initiative, will impart lessons in disaster response during floods to 200 community volunteers, it said. The Aapda Mitra scheme, launched by the Centre in 2016, aims to provide community volunteers with the skills to respond to their communitys immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster. "The terrain in Sikkim is very similar to Meghalaya, therefore you (volunteers) will greatly benefit from this session here," said Rinzing C Bhutia, Special Secretary, Sikkim Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said while addressing the inaugural programme. Sikkim has recently set up its own training institute, it still lacks adequate facilities. The Central Training Institute of Civil Defence and Home Guards at Mawdiangdiang, on the
Australia investigators defend MH370 out-of-control scenario
Australian investigators today defended their findings that missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was out of control when it plunged into the ocean, despite renewed theories that a rogue pilot ditched the plane. The Boeing 777 -- which vanished in March 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing carrying 239 passengers -- has not been found despite an extensive search led by Australia in the southern Indian Ocean and a continuing private search commissioned by Malaysia. The failure to find the plane has fuelled theories which differ from the conclusions of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which led the first search, that the jet was making a high-speed out-of-control descent when it hit the water. The theory that a rogue pilot deliberately ditched the jet -- landing it in a controlled way on the ocean surface -- was revived in a new book released this week by former Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance. Vance has also asserted that there were failures in the ...
53 injured as Saudi jet makes emergency landing
A Saudi Arabian Airlines Airbus A330 jet made an emergency landing in the western Red Sea city of Jeddah, injuring 53 people, aviation officials said today. The Saudia aircraft was travelling from the Muslim holy city of Medina to Dhaka with 151 people on board, but had to be diverted to Jeddah late yesterday after it suffered a malfunction in the hydraulic system, the kingdom's Aviation Investigation Bureau said. Footage posted online showed the plane leaving a trail of flame along the runway as it skidded on its nose before screeching to a halt. "The passengers were evacuated by emergency slides. 52 of them were slightly injured, while one female passenger suffered a fracture during the evacuation and is now receiving treatment," AIB said in a statement. "AIB has launched an investigation into this accident." The aircraft circled over Jeddah for several hours as its landing gear failed to drop, forcing the captain to make the emergency landing, Saudi media reported. In a similar ...
Yemeni officials: Rebel shelling kills 5 in Marib province
Yemeni officials say shells fired by the country's Shiite rebels have killed at least five civilians in the central province of Marib. The officials say the shelling today also wounded at least 20 people. Marib is about 115 kilometers, or 70 miles, east of the capital, Sanaa. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk to the media. The war in Yemen has raged since March 2015 between the Shiite rebels known as Houthis, allied with Iran, and the country's internationally recognized government backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including the capital. The war has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million, and pushed Yemen's 28 million people to the brink of famine.
Pakistan heatwave kills 65 people in Karachi: report
At least 65 people died of heatstroke in Pakistan's Karachi city over past three days during the Holy month of Ramazan, media reports said, amid fears the death toll could rise as the temperatures soar. The temperature hit 44 degrees Celsius yesterday and the heatwaves coincided with the month of fasting when most of the Muslims do not eat or drink during daytime. Nearly 114 bodies were brought to the Edhi Foundation's morgues in Karachi's Korangi and Sohrab Goth areas in the past three days, out of which at least 65 had died from heatstroke, Faisal Edhi, who runs the foundation, was quoted as saying by the Dawn News. The Foundation operates morgues and an ambulance service in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi. Most of the citizens who died from heatstroke were residents of Landhi and Korangi, Faisal said. He added that most heatstroke victims had died at their home. The ages of people who succumbed to the ongoing heatwave in Karachi varied from six to 78 years, he said. "People did ...
Villagers compelled to drink drain water in Dantewada
Deprived of drinking water facility, villagers in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district are forced to consume contaminated water every day.As the villagers have no proper water facility, they are compelled to dig out water from a drain for drinking purpose."The water is visibly murky; we cannot consume the water nor use it for cleaning, cooking and other basic needs," a local told ANI.Taking note of the issue, District Collector Saurabh Kumar assured help and told ANI, "We will look into the matter, if there is a shortage of hand pumps then we will install them soon".
Does eating fish in pregnancy increase autism risk?
Turns out, autism is not linked to consuming fish in pregnancy.Scientists at the University of Bristol looked at the assumption that mercury exposure during pregnancy is a major cause of autism using evidence from nearly 4500 women who took part in the Children of the 90s study.Using analysis of blood samples, reported fish consumption and information on autism and autistic traits from one of the largest longitudinal studies to date, researchers found no links between levels of mercury in the mothers and autism or autistic traits in their children. The only adverse effect of mercury found was poor social cognition if mothers ate no fish at all, especially for girls.Lead author Jean Golding commented, "Our findings further endorse the safety of eating fish during pregnancy. Importantly we've found no evidence at all to support claims that mercury is involved in the development of autism or autistic traits."This adds to a body of work that endorses the eating of fish during pregnancy ...
Heatstroke kills 65 in Pakistan
At least 65 people have been killed due to heatstroke in the last three days in Pakistan's Karachi, where the temperature hit 44 degrees Celsius, media reported on Tuesday.
Mexican firm suspended after Cuban plane crash
Mexico's civil air authority has suspended the operations of a company that owned the plane which crashed in Cuba killing 111 people. It is the country's deadliest air disaster in 30 years.
Ten new jaundice cases detected in Cuttack
Ten new cases of jaundice have been detected in Ramgada area of Cuttack taking the total number of jaundice affected patients here to 60, officials said. Nearly 50 cases of jaundice have already been reported in the Siddheswar Sahi and Mansingpatna areas of the city over the past one week, they said yesterday. Supply of contaminated drinking water through broken pipelines is said to be the main reason behind spread of the disease, they said. "We are going to replace the broken pipelines on war footing and determined to arrest the spread of the disease to fresh areas," said district collector Sushant Mohapatra, who visited the affected areas along with officers and doctors of the city civic.