Page 774 - Disaster Accident
Vijay Prahar: Army men practise fighting in 'nuclear weapon environment'
Troops of the Army's South Western Command today practised fighting in all contingencies, including a nuclear weapon environment, in the battlefield during the ongoing military exercise Vijay Prahar. The troops practised day in and day out in the scorching heat to fine tune the drills and procedures to fight and destroy the enemy in a battle space contaminated by nukes, defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha said. He said that considering the existing ground realities, the Army was gradually gearing up to fight and win in the contaminated battlefield. A lot of equipment and fighting gear was already in the Army's inventory. Drills and procedures have evolved over a period of time, he said. The exercise will culminate on May 9.
Weather alert: Delhi govt puts search & rescue teams on standby, metro to exercise caution
The Delhi government has put search and rescue teams on standby and the traffic police have alerted their field formations to be ready for removal of obstacles after the meteorological department today issued a warning of heavy rain and thunderstorm. The traffic police has asked commuters to check weather conditions before travelling while the Delhi Metro too has decided to exercise extreme caution in running of trains in the wake of the warning. The revenue department of the Delhi government has issued directions to all district officers and said water and power utilities would also keep restoration teams ready . "The district and sub-district search and rescue teams have been put on standby," a senior official of the department said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh ...
20 people die in Myanmar landslide
At least 20 people died in Myanmar on Monday when a mine-waste mound collapsed in Hpakant town earlier in the day.As reported by the Myanmar Times, U Tint Soe, an elected member of Myanmar Parliament, said several people are still believed to be buried under a tonne of waste which was generated after a mound of mine-waste collapsed on May 4 due to heavy rains.However, the rescue operation has been stopped by the authorities, fearing more such landslides.U Tint Soe said, "We stopped searching yesterday evening. It's dangerous for members of the rescue team because another landslide is likely to happen due to heavy rain."The rescuers have recovered 16 bodies while four others succumbed to their injuries. Further, six more are being treated at a hospital.The rescue team said it is difficult to ascertain how many more are still buried under the mine waste.
13 dead, scores hospitalised in Cambodia poisoining
At least 13 people have died and nearly 150 have been hospitalised in central Cambodia after drinking contaminated liquid, health officials said today, blaming either home brewed rice wine or water. The deaths began on May 3, rocking two villages in the poor, rural Chet Borey district of Kratie province. "As of today (Monday) 13 people have died," Chheang Savutha, provincial health director, said. "We don't know what cause is of the incident yet, we are working on that now," he added. The Ministry of Health said samples from local rice alcohol found high levels of methanol, which can be very toxic. But officials were also awaiting test results from water samples. The ministry warned villagers to stop drinking rice alcohol, and to take extra care over the hygiene of their food and water. Cambodia is one of Asia's poorest countries and health and safety standards are virtually non-existent outside of the major cities.
Vote for BJP, bring Ram Rajya in K'taka: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday appealed to the voters in Karnataka to "lay the foundation of Ram Rajya" in the state while making multiple references to Ramayana in his rally speech.Addressing a rally in Bhalki town of Bidar district, Adityanath said Lord Ram was sent into exile for 14 years, he made a close aide Lord Hanuman, who belonged to Karnataka."By voting for BJP, you will help lay the foundation of Ram Rajya in Karnataka," said Adityanath, who returned from Uttar Pradesh which was hit by a thunderstorm last week, claiming over 70 lives.Slamming the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka, Adityanath said, "There are several reasons to oust the Congress from the state as the party has failed its people, its poor and the backward classes.""The Siddaramaiah government is looting the money of the people and using it for its ministers," he said."If you vote for BJP, we assure that the money belonging to the public will be returned to the public," .
IMD alert forecasts thunderstorm, squall in north India tomorrow
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today issued an alert forecasting that several parts of north India could witness thunderstorm and squall tomorrow with winds gusting up to 50-70 kilometers per hour. The IMD issued an amber-coloured alert, indicating severe weather, for parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, western Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal. Several parts of these states could witness thunderstorm and squall with winds gusting up to 50-70 kilometers per hour, the alert said. There are four types of colour codes signifying the level of caution -- green (which means no action), yellow (situation to be watched), amber (government agencies to be prepared for severe weather) and red (action needed by the agencies). A western disturbance runs over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, while there is a cyclonic circulation over northeast Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, and this will bring light to moderate ...
Check weather and then plan journey: Delhi police to commuters
Commuters must check weather conditions and then travel, the Delhi Traffic Police said today, following a warning from the meteorological department about heavy rain and thunderstorm in the city. The Delhi Traffic Police's advisory said it had alerted forces on the field to be on the alert and to ensure that obstacles such as fallen trees were removed. It advised commuters not to travel during a storm. Those who stopped their vehicles on the road in the event of a storm or rain were asked to keep away from overhead electrical wires, tinned roofs, trees, etc. The commuters were advised to take shelter under concrete structures. Drivers were asked to use dippers or parking lights while driving. The advisory said commuters should "keep themselves updated about weather conditions and plan their journey accordingly". According to the India Meteorological Department, thunderstorms and gusty winds were likely to occur at isolated places over Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal ...
Special coach for women introduced in Hyderabad Metro
A special coach exclusively for women was introduced in Hyderabad Metro trains today. Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) Managing Director N V S Reddy and L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited MD and CEO K V B Reddy inaugurated the 'Ladies Special Coach.' Works on the 16 km stretch between Ameerpet and L B Nagar of Corridor-I of the 72-km long elevated Hyderabad Metro Rail Project would be completed by July this year, N V S Reddy said. "The works on the stretch between Ameerpet and Hitec City will be done by October," he told reporters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the 30 km stretch between Miyapur and Nagole in November last year. Reddy said Corridor-I (Miyapur to L B Nagar-29km) and then Corridor-III (Nagole to Hitec city-27km) would be completed by July and October respectively. Works were going on in Corridor-II between JBS and MGBS (10 km stretch) and the target is to get the stretch operational by early next year, he said. Reacting to a query, the ..
Thunderstorm warning: Delhi govt puts search, rescue teams on standby
The Delhi government has put search and rescue teams on standby in every district following the meteorological department's warning about heavy rains and thunderstorm. The revenue department of the government has issued directions to all district officers and said water and power utilities would also keep restoration teams ready . "The district and sub-district search and rescue teams have been put on standby," a senior official of the department said. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh today and tomorrow. At least 124 people were killed and more than 300 others injured in five states due to dust storms, thunderstorms and lightning last week.
Rs 3 cr groundnut gutted in fire; minister smells conspiracy
A fire broke out at a warehouse near the Shapar industrial area here, gutting a huge stock of groundnut worth about Rs 3 crore, officials said today. The blaze erupted late last night in the rented warehouse and was still raging, a police officer said. This is the second major incident of fire at a groundnut warehouse in Rajkot district in three months. Gujarat Agriculture Minister R C Faldu ordered a high-level probe into the incident, and said it could be an attempt to malign the image of the state BJP government as such accidents were happening regularly. A huge stock of groundnut, purchased from farmers in Gujarat by NAFED (National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) was stored in the godown, located in the industrial area on the city's outskirts. "The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known. We have formed three to four teams and launched an investigation to find out whether it was an accident or a conspiracy. We will take stern action against those .
Train hits cement pole, disaster averted
A disaster was averted early on Monday when the driver of a train in Uttar Pradesh applied emergency brakes after bumping into a cement pole lying on the tracks, officials said.
Myanmar: India funds flood, earthquake warning systems
India has launched a flood and earthquake early warning systems in Myanmar. The aim is to help the country mitigate the effects of natural calamities.Vikram Misri, India's ambassador to Myanmar, on Friday, inaugurated this New Delhi-financed project to develop the Long-Lead Flood Early Warning System and Earthquake Monitoring System in Myanmar, Myanmar Times reported.These systems will provide the government with more information on mitigating the effects of disasters that affect millions of people every year.According to a statement issued by the embassy on Friday, "Both systems will be housed in the Department of Meteorology and Hydrography (DMH) of the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Nay Pyi Taw."The systems have already been tested and verified. They are now fully integrated with existing Myanmar disaster mitigation systems."Under the Flood Warning System, 12 automatic water level stations and 3 automatic weather stations have been established, and under the Earthquake
Air India probes molestation charge
National carrier Air India has commenced an internal probe into allegations involving molestation of a crew member by a pilot on board a Mumbai-Ahmedabad flight on May 4, an official said.
Met Dept. issues 48-hr dust and thunder storm warning
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a mild thunderstorm and dust storm warning for the next 48 hours in New Delhi and its neighbouring states."Till tomorrow there's a possibility of a dust storm and thunderstorm in Delhi," said IMD official, Devendra Pradhan while talking to ANI.Pradhan also said that in parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh a mild thunderstorm warning has been issued, and in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh a dust storm has been issued."These thunderstorms and dust storms will be moderate, and the wind speed for these days will be in the range of 50 to 60 Km per hour," added Pradhan.He further said that the decision by the Haryana Education Minister to close down schools in Panchkula is clearly taken by keeping public safety in mind."The decision to close down schools is clearly taken by keeping public safety in mind. Moreover, the decision is not in vain as the western disturbance is here to stay till May 9," added Pradhan.Till ...
3 killed, 18 injured in Maharashtra road mishap
Three people died and 18 others sustained injuries after a bus collided with a truck near Maharashtra's Ridhora town on Monday.The bus, which was carrying 35 passengers, met with the accident on Washim-Akola road near Ridhora.The injured have been transferred to a local hospital in near Akola city.A rescue operation is underway.
Two dead, 15 injured as high winds sweep across MP town
A woman and a child were killed in separate incidents of house collapse and 15 others injured when high velocity winds swept across the Porsa town here, an official said today. The winds hit Porsa last evening, damaging several houses and uprooting trees, Ambah town's sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) R S Bakna said. A 60-year-old woman died when her house, located behind a school in the town, collapsed due to the high winds. Besides, a 12-year-old boy was killed when his house came crashing down on the by-pass road in Porsa, he said. Nearly 15 people were injured in different parts of the town in the incidents of wall collapse or trees falling on them, the SDM said, adding that they were admitted to the district hospital.
More thunderstorms likely to hit India till May 11
The weather office here on Monday warned that thunderstorms, squalls and gusty winds are likely to hit many parts of India, including Delhi, till Friday even as the mountains of Himachal Pradesh received fresh snowfall.
SpaceX's powerful rocket tech could put lives at risk: NASA advisors
An approach used by SpaceX to make its Falcon 9 rocket more powerful could put the lives of astronauts at risk, NASA's safety experts have warned.
Schools in Panchukla to remain closed for two days
Schools in Panchkula will remain closed for students, after Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma issued a directive in view of the rain and thunderstorm warning by India Meteorological Department.The state education minister directed that all government and private schools should remain closed on May 7 and May 8.Earlier this month, the Met Department said that dust storm and thundershower activities will also be expected over Punjab, Haryana, North Rajasthan and West Uttar Pradesh.According to reports, as many as 124 people lost their lives due to high-intensity dust storms in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan earlier this week with the highest casualties in Uttar Pradesh, where about 73 persons were killed.In Rajasthan, 35 persons were killed, while 209 were left injured.
Agra on 48-hour weather alert till Wednesday
Strong surface winds followed by hail storm turned the weather here in Uttar Pradesh on Monday prompting an alert from the Met office for the next 48 hours till Wednesday.