Page 749 - Disaster Accident
Issue actionable points in severe weather warnings: PMO to IMD
The Prime Minister's Office has asked the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to advise people on the action they need to take when it issues severe weather warnings, following the recent thunderstorms that killed over 200 people in seven states, a top Ministry of Earth Sciences official has said. Secretary M Rajeevan said the prime minister was "concerned" over the deaths caused by extreme weather conditions and had asked the IMD to give "actionable points". Officials from his ministry and the IMD had been briefing the PMO about the recent thunderstorms, he said. The PMO and the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority want alerts issued by the IMD to be more specific, he said. "We need to really give actionable points on what action people should take," Rajeevan told PTI. In a forecast for a severe storm, the PMO and the NDMA felt the IMD had to issue a warning saying, for instance, that "the system is really very severe and you have to be indoors and should avoid going out", .
5 killed as heavy rains lash Sri Lanka
At least five people have been killed and seven are missing as heavy rains and strong winds caused havoc in Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said on Monday.
Restaurant meals behind food-borne illnesses in kids: Survey
One among every 10 parents blame "contaminated" meals from restaurants as the leading cause behind food-borne illnesses in their children, a survey has revealed.
Govt to step up coal supply to power plants from May19 -June 30
Government has decided to augment coal supplies to centre/ state power plants and independent power producers (IPPs) from May 19 to June 30 to overcome shortage of the dry fuel and check power crisis. The decision was taken in a joint meeting of power, coal and railways ministries on May 17, 2018. However, experts think the move may affect captive power generators in sectors like steel and cement. Ministry of railways has asked all its zones to accord high priority to power plants from May 19-June 30. "It has been decided that loading of coal for power houses (plants of central/state utilities and IPPs) from good sheds should be accorded high priority till June 30, 2018. These instructions will be applicable on the rake supplies made in goods sheds from May 19, 2018 onwards," it said in a letter to the zones. The move comes in the wake of power ministry's request for granting high priority in loading of coal for power houses from goods sheds so as to facilitate higher supplies of coal
ND-Vizag AP Express catches fire in MP; no injuries reported
Two coaches of the New Delhi-Visakhapatnam AP Express today caught fire near Birlanagar station in this district, but no one was injured, a police official said. The two coaches -- B-6 and B-7 -- of the fully air-conditioned train, caught fire around 11.45 am, North Central Railway's Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) Gaurav Krishna Bansal told PTI. After the fire, some passengers pulled the emergency chain to stop the train and immediately alighted from it, an official said. "The fire has been put out. Two air-conditioned coaches were damaged in the blaze," District Superintendent of Police Navneet Bhasin, who was at the spot, told PTI. Thirty-seven deputy collectors, who were returning from a training, were on board the train but they were not injured in the incident, an official said. The fire broke out in the B7 coach and later spread to B-6 coach, North Central Railway's Jhansi Division Public Relations Officer Manoj Singh told PTI. The two damaged coaches were segregated and ..
Indonesia's most volatile volcano erupts again
Indonesia's most volatile volcano has spewed smoke and ash in the latest of several eruptions in less than two weeks. Disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Mount Merapi on the main island of Java erupted twice early Monday. A column of volcanic material rose up to 1,200 meters into the air and ash fell in several villages. The alert level of the volcano was not raised. An eruption of Merapi on May 11 sent nearby residents fleeing to safer areas. The 2,968-meter mountain is the most active of 500 Indonesian volcanoes. Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people.
Dead fish in Indira Gandhi canal: authorities stop drinking water supply
Contaminated water with dead fish and snakes has entered into Rajasthan through Indira Gandhi canal from Punjab, prompting the authorities to stop drinking water supply from the canal as a precautionary measure. The water in the canal is black and red with foul smell and dead fish and snakes have been spotted in the water therefore its supply to water storage tanks has been stopped, Vinod Jain, superintendent engineer (addl charge) of the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED), Sriganganagar, told PTI. He said that the department already has the storage of potable water which will be supplied to the public till the contaminated water issue is resolved in a couple of days. As the canal water is highly polluted and stinking, we are not supplying it for drinking purpose as a precautionary measure since yesterday. Samples were collected yesterday and today, he said. He said the drinking water supply to Sriganganagar district is 50,000 kilo litre per day. In Bikaner also, the ...
Fire breaks out in Andhra Pradesh Express, no casualties
All passengers are said to be safe after a major fire broke out in four coaches of Andhra Pradesh Express near Birlanagar station in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city.The fire is under control and none of the passengers are said to be injured in the incident, confirmed Railway Spokesperson Ved Prakash."The train was heading from Nizamuddin to Visakhapatnam when the fire broke out. While the train was passing through Birla Nagar station the fire was observed in coach B6. Following, which the train stopped," Prakash told ANI."Due to high alerts of railway staff we could take the matter in control," he added.Prakash further said that the first six coaches, which didn't catch fire, were separated from the train and sent towards Gwalior Junction railway station.The Railways has also issued Helpline numbers which are as follows: Gwalior Junction railway station (GWL)- 0751-2432799, 0751-2432849 and Jhansi Junction railway station (JHS)-0510- 2440787, 0510- 2440790.
ND-Vizag AP Express catches fire in MP; no injuries reported
Two coaches of the New Delhi-Visakhapatnam AP Express train today caught fire near Birlanagar station in the district, though no one was reported injured in it, a police official said. The blaze was later put out, he said. The two coaches -- B-6 and B-7 -- of train No. 22416, a fully air-conditioned Express, caught fire around 11.45 am, North Central Railway's Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) Gaurav Krishna Bansal told PTI. After the train caught fire near the Birlanagar station, located about 12 kms from here, some passengers pulled the chain and stopped it, and immediately alighted from it, railway sources said. "The fire has been put out. Two air-conditioned coaches were damaged in the fire," District Superintendent of Police Navneet Bhasin, who was at the spot, told PTI. The train was later sent on its way after the damaged coaches were segregated and the blaze controlled, officials said. "Six coaches were segregated and sent to Gwalior. All passengers in the affected ...
Vanuatu to permanently evacuate volcanic island
Entire communities living under the shadow of a smouldering volcano on an island in Vanuatu will be permanently relocated to another island from next week, the Pacific nation's government has decided. Most villagers on the northern island of Ambae had only recently returned home. The 11,000 people on the island were forced to leave last September when the Manaro volcano erupted. The latest evacuation is not compulsory but the government said it wants those who left to stay away for good and resettle elsewhere. The Council of Ministers has approved four permanent settlements on the nearby island of Maewo, which it will lease from landowners. The government will organise and pay for the evacuation beginning June 1 and finishing July 30. However only those who choose to relocate to Maewo will receive the assistance and people who move to other islands will do so at their own expense. "Food support will be provided to the displaced population of Ambae on Maewo for a maximum of six months .
A.P. Express coaches catch fire, none injured
At least two coaches of the A.P. Express caught fire near Birlanagar in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, officials said. No one was injured.
Japanese plane evacuated after smoke fills cabin
Passengers on board the All Nippon Airways' (ANA) Boeing 767 aircraft were evacuated at a Japanese airport prior to its departure on Monday after the plane's cabin was filled with smoke.
Bus-truck collision kills 9, injures 20 in MP
Nine people were killed and twenty others injured after a bus collided with a truck near Guna district in Madhya Pradesh.Five people were critically injured during the accident. The injured were immediately shifted to the district hospital for treatment.The bus was on its way from Banda to Ahmedabad when it met with the accident. The incident took place 15km away from Guna district.
Five feared drowned in two separate incidents in Thane
Five people were feared drowned in two separate incidents in the district, an official said today. Two persons -- a seven-year-old boy and a 29-year-old man -- were feared to have been swept away in a creek located on the city's Ghodbunder Road yesterday, Thane civic body's regional disaster management cell chief Sanotsh Kadam said. In another incident, three people, who had gone for a swim yesterday in the Bhatsa river at Ozarli village, were feared drowned as they did not come out of the water, he said. The three people, all residents of the Wagle Estate area in the city, were in their early 30s, he said. A search was underway for all the five people in the two water bodies, the official added.
'Laze' warning issued as Hawaiian lava reaches sea
The Kilauea volcano that erupted over two weeks ago leaving a trail of destruction has now reached the ocean, prompting authorities in Hawaii to issue a 'laze' warning that can cause lung, eye and skin irritation.
Cuba plane crash: Airline 'had safety complaints'
The Mexican charter company whose plane crashed in Cuba last Friday, killing 110 people on board, had received prior safety complaints, two-ex pilots say.
Cuba identifies 20 victims of plane crash
Twenty of 110 victims of last Friday's fatal plane crash in Cuba have been identified and the bodies were sent to their families for burial, an official said.
Crane collapses in Grand Mosque in Mecca
A mobile crane lever has fallen inside Mecca's Grand Mosque, injuring one worker.
Tripura floods render around 600 families homeless
Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall for more than 24 hours inflicted havoc in different parts of Tripura, forcing around 600 families to seek shelter at relief camps.The District Magistrate of West Tripura district, Sandip Mahate said, "Due to incessant rains last night in Sadar and Jirania sub-division and several wards of Agartala Municipal Corporation, the water of Haora River is flowing at 10.3 meter which is .3 meter above danger level.""The affected people along the river banks have been shifted to 16 flood relief camps in which 670 families are living. This may increase as rescue operations are underway by National Disaster Relief Force, Tripura State Rifles, and Civil Defense. The administration has arranged for ample food supply and drinking water," he added.Heavy rainfall since Saturday created havoc in the city throwing the lives of people out of gear, following which an alert was also been sounded by the Sadar sub-division administration when the river touched the ...
HP: 2 wooden houses gutted in fire
Two wooden houses were gutted in a fire that broke out today in Pangi village in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, around 300 km from here, police said. Property worth over Rs 1 crore was destroyed in the fire, but there was no casualty, they said. The three-storied houses, with 12 and 16 rooms, were owned by Hem Chand and Krisna Bhagat respectively. Four families were rendered shelterless, police said. The area was inaccessible for fire tenders due to lack of proper roads, but QRTs (Quick Response Teams) reached the site and helped local in extinguishing the fire, they said. The local administration has given immediate relief of Rs 7,500 each to the affected families and arranged temporary shelter for them, police said.