Page 765 - Disaster Accident
Nine struck dead by lightining, 3 injured
Nine persons were struck dead by lightning and three injured in Srikakulam and Kadapa districts of Andhra Pradesh today, official sources said. While seven persons were killed in Srikakulam district alone, two more were killed in Kadapa and three injured, they said. Lightning struck at different places in Srikakulam since afternoon even as rain, coupled with gales, lashed the district. Srikakulam district Collector Dhananjay Reddy told PTI that the seven casualties were reported from different mandals in the district. Rain was also reported from Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts. State Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa, while condoling the deaths of persons in lightning strikes, asked the respective district authorities to take necessary precautionary measures as per the warnings issued by the Disaster Management Department. He said lightning strikes, rains and gales were likely in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts in north coastal .
Dust storm: Four incidents of wall collapse reported in Delhi
Four incidents of wall collapse were reported from various parts of Delhi due to a dust storm this afternoon, a Fire Service officer said. The incidents were reported from Najafgarh, Transit Camp, Nehru Place, Mohan Garden in Uttam Nagar and Raj Nagar in Palam. Two fire tenders each were rushed to the four areas. No casualty or injury was reported in the incidents, the officer said.
Six killed in lightning strike in West Bengal
At least six people were killed and over 10 injured in different districts of West Bengal after lightning struck them amid heavy rains today, an official of the state disaster management department said. Five deaths were reported from Howrah district, while one person died in Murshidabad district, he said. According to Murshidabad district police, Shankar Mondal (50) was working at a field in Jalangi area of the district, when he was killed in a lightning strike. In Howrah district's Bordanga area, four children, aged between 8 and 12 years, were in a field collecting mangoes during a thunderstorm when lightning struck them, a police officer said. The boys were taken to a local hospital where they were declared brought dead, he said, adding, another person died in Uluberia subdivision of the district after being struck by lightning. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government would provide assistance to the families of the deceased, as well as those whose houses and crops have .
Seven students killed, 9 missing as bridge collapses in PoK
At least seven medical students drowned and nine others were missing as a wooden bridge on a river in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir collapsed while the students were taking pictures on it. Around 25 students, in their early 20s, from two private colleges in Faisalabad and Lahore, were taking pictures on the bridge in Neelum Valley when it collapsed, officials were quoted as saying by the Express Tribune. The temporarily erected hanging bridge could not withstand the load of people standing on it and came down, tumbling the visitors down in the stream, the daily said. Rescue teams have recovered at least seven bodies from the water while search operation for the rest is under way. The injured students were shifted to a local hospital and later flown to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) through army helicopters. The students were on a college trip. The Pakistan Army is assisting in the rescue and search operation. However, the extremely cold water of the stream and its strong current are ...
Over 40 flights diverted at Delhi airport due to dust storm
Flight operations to and from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here was majorly hit today as a dust storm hit the city in the evening, with sources at the airport confirming over 40 diversions and more than two dozen delays. The operations of almost all the airlines -- domestic and international -- were affected as the runway had to be closed down and the flight services suspended for a while, the sources said. The airlines informed the passengers about the delays and diversions on Twitter. Dozens of flights were diverted to cities such as Jaipur, Amritsar and Lucknow, the sources said. Vistara said its Delhi-bound flights from Srinagar, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai and Goa were diverted. "Till about 7.15 PM, over 40 diversions were reported. There could be over two dozen delays," a source said. International flights from Katmandu, Riyadh, Colombo, Jeddah, Kabul were delayed even as flights from Tokyo, Newark and Colombo were diverted to other places, the sources said.
Lightning kills seven as Northwester hits Bengal
At least seven persons, including four teenagers, were killed in lightning strikes as a Northwester accompanied by heavy rain lashed parts of the Gangetic West Bengal on Sunday afternoon, a state disaster management official said.
Over 40 flights diverted from Delhi due to dust storm
More than 40 incoming flights were diverted from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here on Sunday evening following a powerful dust storm and rains, officials said.
Lightning kills 9 in Telangana, Andhra
Nine people including three farmers died of lightning in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, officials said.
4 run over by truck in UP
Four people, including two women, were killed and one person was injured when a speeding truck ran over them on the Meerut-Karnal highway, police said today. According to Circle Officer Hari Ram, the incident took place this morning, when the driver of the truck lost control over the vehicle and it ran over the people standing near a bus stop on the Meerut-Karnal highway. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, he said.
Pakistan prevents US diplomat from leaving country
The authorities in Pakistan have prevented American Diplomat Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, a Defence and Air attache at the US Embassy, involved in a fatal car crash, from flying out of the country on a US military aircraft.A U.S. Air Force C130 had landed at Pakistan's Nur Khan air base to bring Hall back to the United States, but was forced to leave without him, according to the Pakistani media.The US Air Force C-130 flew into Islamabad at 11.15am from Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, reported the Dawn.The American diplomat was reportedly accompanied by eight people.The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer on duty stopped the diplomat at the airbase and seized his passport and then resorted to seeking directions from his higher authorities.Colonel Hall returned to the embassy later.Last month, the Defence and Air attache at the US Embassy in Pakistan, ran down three persons in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad.He was reportedly sloshed while driving the white Land Cruiser that hit .
Passenger train derails, no casualty; probe ordered
The Patna-Kota Express train derailed near the Dariyaband area here yesterday but no one was injured, police said today. A probe has, however, been ordered in the matter, officials said. According to preliminary details, the engine of the train derailed because of a Sheesham tree that had fallen on the tracks, they said. The tree might have been uprooted by strong winds, police said. The 13237 Patna-Kota Express was moving towards Lucknow from Patna via Faizabad. The driver of the train applied emergency brakes when he saw the tree on the track due to which some passengers fell off their seats and there was panic, they said. No one was injured in the incident, they added. Relief trains from Barabanki and Lucknow were sent to the spot and traffic was restored on the route, officials said.
Four killed in Guj pandal collapse
Four persons, including two children from different families and their parents, were killed when a portion of a pandal collapsed in Gujarat's Rajkot district yesterday due to strong winds, police said today. The incident occurred during the course of a religious function in Moti Paneli town in the district. "A portion of the pandal collapsed due to stormy winds killing Rupa Koli (27) and her three-year-old son Ronak," said Bhayavadar police sub-inspector H H Dhadhal. He said Mukesh Khatariya (35) and his nine-month-old daughter Shruti sustained severe injuries in the incident and were rushed to Rajkot civil hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries during treatment.
3 farmers struck dead by lightning in Telangana
Three farmers were killed after being struck by lightning in a paddy field in Mancherial district in the wee hours of today, police said. The incident occurred in Arepalli village in the district, they said. A case was registered in this connection. Rain and thundershowers have been reported at isolated places in Telangana over the past few days. The meteorological department had warned of thunderstorms and gusty winds.
15 people killed in storm and flashfloods in Pakistan
At least 15 people were killed and 22 others injured in heavy downpour and windstorm that lashed different parts of Pakistan, according to local media reports. Heavy rains and storm hit different parts of Punjab province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Nine people were killed and 13 others suffered injuries in incidents of wall and roof collapse after a windstorm hit the area in the evening, Dawn News reported. According to officials, most of the dead and wounded belonged to Mamond and Khar tehsil. Heavy rains also triggered flash floods in different areas. Strong winds uprooted trees and signboards. A dust storm struck Peshawar and adjacent areas, reducing visibility, which was followed by heavy rain yesterday. In Bhakkar district of Punjab province, a collapsed roof of a shack resulted in two dead and three injured, Geo News reported. Reports suggested that three people were killed and nine others injured in the rain-related incidents in ...
3 RJD leaders returning from Tej Pratap's wedding killed in accident
Three Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders were among the four killed in a road accident in Bihar's Araria district early today, while they were returning from the wedding of party supremo Lalu Prasad's son, Tej Pratap Yadav, police said. Their car was on its way to Kishanganj from Patna when it lost control, broke through the road divider and collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction at in Simraha police station area around 6 am, a police officer said. The deceased have been identified as Ikramul Haq Baghi, party activist and son of former state minister Islamuddin; Kishanganj district president Intekhab Alam; Dighalganj block president Pappu; and driver Sahil, said Manoj Kumar, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Forbesganj, Araria district. "It appears that the driver had dozed off behind the steering wheel, resulting in loss of control over the car," the SDPO said. All four occupants of the vehicle died on the spot and their bodies have been sent for ...
Five students killed, 20 missing as bridge collapses in PoK
At least five medical students were killed and over 20 others swept away as an old wooden bridge on a river in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir collapsed while the students were taking pictures on it. The students, in their early 20s, from two private colleges in Faisalabad and Lahore, had stopped to take pictures on the bridge in Neelum Valley when it collapsed as it could not withstand the pressure, media reports said. Five bodies have been recovered so far while an operation is under way to rescue the missing tourists, police said. The students were on a college trip. Personnel of the Pakistan Army are also assisting in the operation. However, the extremely cold water of the stream and its strong current are hampering efforts to recover the persons, the officials said. Officials were quoted as saying that the bridge could only withstand a maximum of four persons and had relevant warning signs for the purpose as well but the tourists still thronged the bridge. Pakistan Prime Minister ...
14 killed in Himachal road accidents
Fourteen people were killed and 15 injured in two separate road accidents in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla and Sirmaur districts on Sunday.
Firefighters battle blaze at high-rise tower in Dubai Marina
Firefighters are battling a blaze at a high-rise tower in the Dubai Marina amid a sandstorm sweeping the city in the United Arab Emirates. The government-run Dubai Media Office says the fire broke out this morning in the Zen Tower. It says residents have been evacuated and there were no injuries immediately reported in the blaze. It's unclear what started the fire. Dubai, a skyscraper-studded city, has suffered a spate of fires in its high-rises. Dubai passed new fire safety rules last year requiring buildings with quick-burning side paneling to replace it with more fire-resistant cladding. Authorities have previously acknowledged that at least 30,000 buildings across the UAE have cladding or paneling that safety experts have said accelerates the rapid spread of fires.
18 killed in rain-related incidents in Pakistan
At least 18 people were killed and 54 others injured in rain-related incidents in different areas of Pakistan's northwestern region, the media and officials said.
11 people killed in rain storm in Pakistan
A total of 11 people were killed after rain wreaked havoc in Pakistan's Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a media report. At least eight people lost their lives while 16 got injured after roof and walls of a shack collapsed in Bajaur Agency, Geo News reported. In Nowshera, one man was killed after being struck by lightning. In Bhakkar district of Punjab, a collapsed roof of a shack resulted in two dead and three injured, the report said. In Swat valley, rain has resulted in roads turning into puddles where several cars were stuck. The temperature dropped drastically with rain pouring down for the last 10 days in Parachinar and hail storms in Koh-i- Safed mountain range. Chichawatni, Hafizabad and Sialkot in Punjab province also received rain which has resulted in the temperatures dropping in the cities. In Punjab's Gujranwala city, 100 electricity feeders tripped resulted in public being without electricity for several hours. According to the MET office, ...