Page 762 - Disaster Accident
80 dead in 5 states due to lightning, thunderstorm: MHA
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday said that 80 people were killed and 136 injured due to lightning strike and thunderstorm that hit various states across the country since yesterday.According to a report published by the Home Ministry, 51 died in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Andhra Pradesh, 14 in West Bengal, two in New Delhi and one in Uttarakhand.Of 136 injured, 123 were injured in Uttar Pradesh, 11 in Delhi and two in Uttarakhand.The figures reported by the MHA were from the intervening nights of May 13 and May 14 when the thunderstorm wreaked havoc across the country.
Centre approves Rs 1,161.17 crores aid to calamity-struck places
A High-Level Committee, chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, approved central assistance of Rs 1,161.17 crores to the states of Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Rajasthan and the union territory of Lakshadweep.Assam was affected by floods during 2017-18, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim were affected by floods as well as landslides during 2017-18, Lakshadweep was affected by cyclone Ockhi during 2017 and Rajasthan was affected by kharif drought during 2017.The committee approved an assistance of Rs 480.87 crore for Assam, approved assistance from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) amounting to Rs 84.60 crore for Himachal Pradesh, Rs 67.40 crore for Sikkim, Rs 2.16 crore for the Lakshadweep and Rs 526.14 crore for Rajasthan.The total assistance approved was Rs 1,161.17 crores.The Union Minister for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Union Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Ajay Narayan Jha and senior officers of the Ministries of Home ...
4 persons die after speeding bus overturns in MP's Tikamgarh
Four persons, including two women, were today killed and six others injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned near Mendwara area, around 65 kilometres from here, police said. "The bus had 50 passengers on board and was on its way to Tikamgarh from Mendwara when it overturned. The driver lost control of the vehicle as he was speeding," Chandera police sub-inspector Narendra Singh said. Singh said that the cleaner of the bus, H Vanskar (35) and passenger Geeta Bai (45) died instantly. Two others, identified as B Kushwaha (50) and Shantibai (55) died while being taken to a hospital, he said. The injured are recuperating at a local hospital, he said. "The driver fled the scene of accident and efforts are on to nab him. A case has been registered and further investigations are underway," Singh said.
Team inspects safety features on metro rail's new routes
A Railway team today inspected safety features on Chennai Metro rail's new routes in the city. The team, led by Railway Safety Commissioner, Southern circle, K A Manoharan, conducted the inspection on the Shenoy Nagar-Chennai Central and Chennai Central-Nehru Park routes. After the inspection, the green signal for operating the train on the routes would be given, Manoharan told reporters. Currently, the Chennai Metro Rail is operated between Koyambedu-Alandur and Little Mount-Chennai Airport.
Kenya dam disaster toll at 48 with all missing accounted for
Kenyan emergency workers have found three more bodies after a dam burst last week, police said today, bringing the toll from the tragedy to 48, while authorities confirmed no one else was missing. The body of an 11-year-old boy was found Monday after two others were uncovered Sunday, as rescuers spent five days picking through mud and debris in Solai, near the central Rift Valley city of Nakuru. "The bodies were not reported missing which means there could have been people who had visited the area. The search is going on, it was only scaled down but not called off," said regional police commissioner Mwongo Chimwaga. On Friday authorities had said 40 people were still missing, however a search among those displaced and already found dead revealed that all had been accounted for by Saturday. It was on Wednesday last week that a portion of the earthen wall of the dam collapsed, sending millions of litres of water coursing down a muddy slope, engulfing nearby settlements and destroying ..
Sarpanch, her 2 kin die after drinking contaminated water
A woman sarpanch and her two relatives died after drinking contaminated water near here, officials said today. All three drank water from the same 'chatti' (earthen water pot) kept in their home in the tribal-dominated Selaj Maida village and fell sick, collector Ruchika Chauhan said. One of them died yesterday, while the other two breathed their last today. Initial investigations suggest they died after drinking contaminated water, the collector added. Another woman member of the tribal family, who drank water from the same pot, is being treated, said Chauhan. Ravdi police station inspector Ram Singh Rathore said the deceased were identified as Maya Bhuria (32), the sarpanch of Selaj Maida, her mother-in-law Devli Bai Bhuria (65) and the sarpanch's niece Seema Bhuria (16). Samples of the contaminated water have been sent for laboratory tests, Rathore said. Devli Bai Bhuria died last evening, while Maya Bhuria and Seema Bhuria breathed their last today during treatment, ..
HC seeks Centre's stand on plea claiming Jet Airways cleared suspended pilots to fly
The Delhi High Court today sought the response of the Centre on a plea alleging that Jet Airways cleared two of its pilots to fly despite the aviation regulator, DGCA, suspending their licence for allowing unauthorised entry into the cockpit of a flight operated by them. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the DGCA, and Jet Airways seeking their stand by tomorrow on the allegation that the airline contravened orders of the aviation regulator. A journalist, Rajneesh Kapur, made the claim in his application and alleged that one of the pilots had also undertaken a flight even though his licence had been suspended. The plea, filed through advocate Nikhil Borwankar, also questioned the appointment of the VP (Operations), alleging that his nomination to the post had not been confirmed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). It also alleged that the Senior Vice President of Operations, a foreign
Authorities blame rats for flyover wall collapse in Ludhiana
Hours after a retaining wall of a busy flyover collapsed in Punjab's industrial city of Ludhiana, authorities in the city's civic body on Monday blamed it on rodents.
10 women killed in stampede, heatstroke while collecting Iftar items in Bangladesh
At least 10 women were killed and several others injured in a stampede and heatstroke today as thousands of people had gathered to collect Iftar essentials at a village in Bangladesh's Chattogram district. The incident took place in front of a madrassa playground at Satkania Upazila, Chattogram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Elius Hossain said, media reports said. Around 35000 people had gathered at the madrassa field to collect saris and cash being distributed by the authorities of a steel factory. Officials said nine women died on the spot while the other died on the way to hospital. The primary cause of the death might be heatstroke while one or two of them might have died in a stampede, officials said. A five-member committee has been set up to probe the incident. Chattogram additional district magistrate will lead the probe committee.
Adityanath chairs disaster management meeting
The disaster management officials briefed the Chief Minister about the recent casualties caused due to a thunderstorm in the state.As per Ministry of Home Affairs, 51 people lost their lives and many injured due to the dust storm in different regions of Uttar Pradesh, including Kannauj, Aligarh, Kasganj, Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Auraiya, and Sambhal.While the deadly storm claimed the life of one person and injured four in Ghaziabad, one woman was killed and a man got seriously injured in Greater Noida.One person was killed each in Kannauj, Aligarh and Sambhal district, while four were killed in Kasganj and two in Bulandshahr.In the wake of the storm, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath has directed all District Magistrates and Commissioners to provide immediate relief and ensure medical assistance to the injured.
I'll turn down a role if my female co-star isn't paid the same: Benedict Cumberbatch
Hollywood star Benedict Cumberbatch has said he will not say yes to a film if the makers are not offering equal pay to his female co-stars. "Equal pay and a place at the table are the central tenets of feminism," Cumberbatch told Radio Times magazine. "Look at your quotas. Ask what women are being paid, and say: 'If she's not paid the same as the men, I'm not doing it.'" The 41-year-old British actor also said he will be using his position in the industry, and his new production company, SunnyMarch, to support more female-focused dramas. "I'm proud that (partner) Adam (Ackland) and I are the only men in our production company; our next project is a female story with a female lens about motherhood, in a time of environmental disaster. "If it's centred around my name, to get investors, then we can use that attention for a raft of female projects. Half the audience is female!" he said.
High Level Committee approves Central assistance of Rs 1,161.17 crores to states of Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Rajasthan & UT of Lakshadweep
The HLC approved assistance of Rs 480.87 crore in respect of state of Assam. The HLC also approved assistance from NDRF amounting to Rs 84.60 crore for the state of Himachal Pradesh, Rs 67.40 crore for the state of Sikkim, Rs 2.16 crore for the UT of Lakshadweep and Rs 526.14 crore for the state of Rajasthan. The total assistance approved was Rs 1,161.17 crores.
Gurugram restaurant catches fire, no injuries
Panic gripped people as a restaurant in a mall here caught fire on Monday. Acting promptly, the massively short staffed fire department rescued over 50 people with the help of police and others.
80 dead, 136 injured in 5 states due to lightning strikes, thunderstorms
As many as 80 people have been killed in five states due to thunderstorms and lightning strikes since yesterday, with Uttar Pradesh alone recording 51 deaths, the Home Ministry said today. Fourteen people died in West Bengal, 12 in Andhra Pradesh, two in Delhi and one in Uttarakhand, a ministry spokesperson said. Of the 136 people injured in lightning strikes and thunderstorms, 123 were from Uttar Pradesh, 11 from Delhi and two from Uttarakhand. Lightning strikes and thunderstorms hit 24 districts in Uttar Pradesh, six in West Bengal, three in Andhra Pradesh, two in Delhi and one in Uttarakhand, the spokesperson said. Dust storms and thunderstorms wreaked havoc in Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh yesterday, leaving behind a trail of destruction. High-velocity winds uprooted trees and affected road, rail and air services last evening at a number of places in north India, including the national capital. Thunderstorms also occurred at isolated places in ...
CM hands over ex-gratia to landslide victims' families
Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today handed over ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of the four persons killed in a landslide on Saturday, an official statement today said. Four people, including two women and a minor girl, were killed in the landslide at Zemabawk area near here. The bodies were recovered on Sunday.
9 die in Ramzan stampede in Bangladesh
At least nine women were killed in a stampede during a gathering to collect iftar handout in Bangladesh's Chattagram district on Monday.
51 people died in 43 days due to lightning, Norwester: Govt
At least 51 people have been killed in Norwester and lightning in Odisha since April 1, said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty here today. While 47 people have died in lightning strikes, four persons died in Norwesters that swept over different parts of Odisha, he told reporters. The six affected districts are Bargarh, Subarnapur, Malkangiri, Dhenkanal, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj. The minister said that the disaster management department had received a preliminary report on crop loss in the six districts due to Norwester. Bargarh district reported the highest loss with crops in over 26,899 hectares damaged. The district has been sanctioned Rs 36 crore for providing assistance to the affected afrmers, the minister said. Sonepur district reported crops damage in over 923 hectares. Ths district has been sanctioned Rs 3 crore, he said adding that many houses have been damaged in the six districts.
Uttarkhand Police tells officers to be prepared in the wake of storm warning
With the weather department warning of rain and hailstorm in parts of Uttarakhand, the state police today asked allits districtheads to stay alert and prepared. ADGP (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar asked the SPs and Senior SPs of all districts to be prepared in view of the MeT department warning and deploy adequate force on river banks, waterfalls and similar places of tourist interest where people take photographs, a statement released here said. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), disaster response teams and water police personnel should be ready with necessary equipmentat all police stations to jump into action in case of an emergency, it said quoting the ADG. The hill patrol units and tourism policewere also asked to inform 'chardham' pilgrims about the MeT department warning and send weather updates on WhatsApp so that they could take necessary precautions. The MeT department has warned of rain and hailstorm in seven districts of Uttarakhand over the next 24 hours including ...
Dust storm upsets the 'mango' cart of farmers
The dust storm that hit North India on Sunday has caused a massive damage to mango harvest in various parts of the region, leaving farmers in a hapless condition.Farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow recalled the loss incurred by them for the storm and said, "We've suffered a huge loss as 40% of mangoes are damaged, it can be only used to make pickle. All farmers & planters are left in the lurch. Mangoes are the only source of income for us."Mangoes that were ready for harvesting were damaged in the rains and hailstorm."Spots were left on the mangoes due to the hailstorm. These mangoes would be now sold at Rs 1 or 2. It could only be used for making pickles. These mangoes are completely useless now," another farmer said.Farmers said that their entire year was dependent on this harvest, and now that the mango harvest was damaged, there was no way in which the loss could be redeemed. They said, "Had the storm hit even after 10 days, we would not have suffered such a huge loss. The ...
Chinese airliner makes emergency landing after cockpit window falls out: report
A Chinese plane with 128 people on board was forced to divert to another airport for an emergency landing today after a cockpit window broke, injuring a co-pilot and a crew member, officials said. The Flight 3U8633, operated by Sichuan Airlines, was en route from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality to Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. It was forced to divert to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), part of the cockpit window broke as the Airbus A319 flew over Chengdu, the report said. Other media reports said part of the cockpit window fell out in mid-flight. The crew enacted emergency code 7700 and landed in Chengdu. All passengers are safe, although the co-pilot sustained injuries on the face and waist, and another crew member was slightly hurt during the emergency landing, according to the CAAC. Sichuan Airlines confirmed the diversion, and said that an investigation