Page 781 - Disaster Accident
Rahul asks party workers to help families affected by dust storm
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today urged his party workers to offer all help to the families of those affected by the dust storm in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. A storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 106 people in a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops. "The dust storms have claimed several lives in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. We stand with the grieving families in this hour or grief. There is one tragic incident in Motihari too," Gandhi tweeted. "I urge local Congress workers, colleagues from Seva Dal to support and offer every help possible," he said.
Storm cripples power supply in parts of Rajasthan
Electricity distribution and transmission system in Rajasthan sustained heavy damage owing to the strong storm which lashed the state on Wednesday night.
Major fire at ISRO research centre in Ahmedabad
A major fire broke out at a research facility located in the Space Application Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here this afternoon, officials said. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which was doused within a couple of hours, they said. "A major fire broke out inside a building which is used as an antenna testing laboratory (for satellites). It is located inside the sprawling SAC campus in the Satellite area of the city. As many as 27 fire tenders were pressed into service," Additional Chief Fire Officer Rajesh Bhatt said. A senior official of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) said the fire was reported around 2 pm and it took almost two hours to douse the flames. The exact cause of the fire was not yet known, the fire official added. According to Bhatt, the blaze spread quickly due to the presence of U-Foam material on the lab's walls. Several senior government officials, including Ahmedabad Collector Vikrant Pandey and Joint ...
Motihari mishap: Nitish expresses grief, assures help
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday expressed grief over the Motihari bus accident that claimed 27 lives and assured all possible help to the families of the deceased.At least 27 people were killed in Bihar's Motihari town after the bus they were travelling in caught fire as it overturned."It is a really painful incident; local administration officials are present at the spot. We will extend all possible help to the families of those who died," Nitish told ANI.The death toll is expected to rise in the incident.More details are awaited.
3 killed, six districts affected in Odisha nor'wester
Three persons were killed on Wednesday and six districts affected in the nor'wester in Odisha, said an official on Thursday.
Two migrant workers die after soil caves in at construction
Two migrant workers died while six others were rescued when a heap of soil caved in on them while they were digging a pit at a construction site near here today, police said. The deceased were identified as Jabbar and Kismat, they said. Eight workers, all hailing from Bihar, were at work when the incident occurred around 4 pm. Police and Fire and Rescue Service personnel rescued seven people. However, Kismat, who suffered serious injuries, died at a private hospital here, police said. Jabbar was trapped under the debris and his body was recovered at 8.30 pm, they said. Another person, who was also seriously injured, is undergoing treatment at the hospital while five others have been admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH). Details of the workers could not be known immediately. The soil might have become loose due to overnight rains in the city, police said. Kozhikode District Collector U V Jose and City Police Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar visited the site and ...
Four injured as nor'wester strikes Odisha
At least four people were today critically injured as the southern Odisha districts of Malkangiri and Rayagada were hit by a nor'wester, officials said. The Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) Office said four persons were severely injured when uprooted trees fell on them and in incidents of wall collapse, In April, three others died as nor'westers struck Balasore, Bargarh and Mayurbhanj districts, said Deputy SRC, Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra. While two persons were killed after tree branches fell on them in Balasore and Bargarh districts, another had died in a wall collapse in Mayurbhanj district, he said. The official also said that major damage to crops and houses have been reported in six districts -- Bargarh, Jajpur, Subarnapur, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj and Balasore. Bargarh has been identified as the worst-hit district, he said. "We have received preliminary report on whirlwind and hailstorm from six districts. The report also mentions damage to crops and houses," ...
PM condoles loss of lives in Bihar accident
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condoled the loss of lives in a road accident in Bihar. At least 20 people on board a Delhi-bound bus were feared dead when the vehicle skidded off a highway in Bihar's East Champaran district, fell into a deep pit and caught fire. "My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones due to a bus accident in Motihari. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the PMO.
Indian man uses toy gun to scare Dubai bus drivers
An Indian man allegedly used his daughter's toy gun to threaten and scare "speeding bus drivers" in Dubai for their reckless driving and putting his and other passengers lives at risk, a court here has heard. The 35-year-old Dubai resident, a technician, told investigators that he used his daughter's toy gun to threaten the bus drivers to reduce speed as he was "worried about his safety and that of others". He has been charged at the Court of First Instance with making criminal threats, the Khaleej Times reported yesterday. He went to three drivers and tapped on the bus windows with the gun in his hand. A complaint was registered yesterday and the trial will continue on May 20, the report said, quoting public prosecution records. "I was on duty and sitting in my car when three men came running to me. They looked scared. They told me about a man carrying a gun and took me to where he was," a police sergeant said. "I followed the suspect until he got into his car. As I was checking his .
Indigo flight delayed for 5 hrs, passengers protest at IGI
A Guwahati-bound IndiGo flight, carrying 177 people from here last evening, was delayed by about five hours due to bad weather conditions, triggering protests by a group of passengers, who deplaned on their own at the IGI Airport. The passengers allegedly indulged in the violation as they were agitated over the airline reportedly not informing them of the delay in the flight. The airline, however, regretted the "inconvenience caused to the passengers", and in a statement attributed the delay to the weather conditions and the change in crew, who had to wait for the departure slots. A few passengers of flight 6E 694 allegedly tried to block the taxiway but their attempt was thwarted by the CISF personnel, sources said. At no point of time, passengers can deplane the aircraft until and unless they are asked by the airline to do so, said the sources, including a senior commander of an airline, recollecting a few earlier similar instances. The incident happened even as flight operations ...
10 killed as heavy rains lash Telangana, Andhra
Ten people were killed as heavy rains lashed Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, officials said.
At least 109 killed in storm in UP, Rajasthan
A storm barrelled through a swathe of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 109 people in a trail of destruction that brought down mud houses, uprooted trees and flattened crops, officials said today. Nearly 200 others were injured as a massive dust storm last night, followed by thunder showers, snapped power lines and sent tin roofs and street hoardings flying in parts of eastern Rajasthan and the adjoining areas of Uttar Pradesh. Seventy-three people were killed in UP and 91 injured, officials said. In Rajasthan, 36 died and another 100 were injured as winds over 100 kmph hit the region around 7 pm. The worst period lasted about 45 minutes, according to reports from Dholpur in Rajasthan. But the extent of the damage was known only this morning. The Met department today predicted another dust storm in parts of Rajasthan and UP in the next 48 hours. A Met official told PTI in Jaipur that his department had been issuing dust storm warnings for the past couple of days. India ...
Two dead in rain-related incidents in Hyderabad"""
Two people, including a boy died, while as many were injured in separate rain related incidents in the city and its outskirts today, police said. Heavy rains coupled with strong winds lashed several parts of the city this afternoon causing power disruptions. """" A 48-year-old labourer, Parshuram, died and two others including a woman suffered injuries after a wall collapsed on them near Aaramghar here following heavy winds, they said. """" In another incident, an 11-year-old boy, B Lokesh died after being struck by lighting in an agricultural field at Dandumailaram village near here, they added. In some parts of the city, water logging was witnessed while over 100 trees were uprooted and fell on the roads, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials said adding they swung into action to clear the debris and choked drains. The sudden rains brought respite from the scorching heat.
Fire breaks out at ISRO's R&D centre in Ahmedabad
A major fire broke out in the simulator of the Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday.
Major fire at ISRO's antenna testing lab in Ahmedabad; none hurt
A major fire broke out at a research facility located in the Space Application Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here this afternoon, officials said. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which was doused within a couple of hours, they said. "A major fire broke out inside a building, which is used as an antenna testing laboratory (for satellites). It is located inside the sprawling SAC campus in the Satellite area of the city. As many as 27 fire tenders were pressed into service," Additional Chief Fire Officer Rajesh Bhatt said. A senior official of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) said the fire incident was reported around 2 pm and it took almost two hours to douse the flames. The exact cause of the fire was not yet known, the official added. According to Bhatt, the blaze spread quickly due to the presence of U-Foam material on the walls of the lab. Considering the importance of the SAC campus, several senior government officials, including ...
Migrant worker dies after soil caves in at construction site
A migrant worker died and six others were rescued when a heap of soil fell on them while they were digging a pit at a construction site near Kasaba here today, police said. Eight workers, all hailing from Bihar, were at work when the incident occurred around 4 pm, they said. Police and Fire and Rescue Service personnel, who rushed to the spot and rescued seven people. However, Kismat, who suffered serious injuries died without responding to treatment at a private hospital here. Another person, who sustained serious injuries is undergoing treatment at the hospital while five others have been admitted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH), police said. Efforts are on to rescue the worker who is feared trapped under the debris, they said adding the soil might have become loose due to overnight rains in the city. Kozhikode District Collector, U V Jose and City Police Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar visited the site and supervised the rescue operations.
20 feared dead as Delhi-bound bus skids off highway in Bihar
At least 20 people on board a Delhi-bound bus were feared dead when the vehicle skidded off a highway in Bihar's East Champaran district, fell into a deep pit and caught fire. The incident took place on NH-28 near Belwa village under Kotwa police station area, about 30 kilometres from Motihari, the district headquarters. The private air-conditioned bus had begun its journey at Muzaffarpur, about 85 km from Motihari. The fire incinerated the bus and nobody could be retrieved so far. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sadar), Murli Manohar Manjhi and Officer on Special Duty to District Magistrate Ajeet Kumar, "six to eight" persons had managed to come out of the bus, which was engulfed in flames, by smashing the window panes. They are being treated for injuries at a hospital, the officials, who were supervising rescue work at the spot, said. State minister for disaster management Dinesh Chandra Yadav had expressed apprehension that more than 20 people could have been killed .
Days before dust storm, IMD issued warning, but it was not for UP, Rajasthan
Days before the deadly dust storm hit parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Met department had issued a "severe thunderstorm activity" warning for several places, but none were in these two states. Specific warnings were issued for May 2 and 3 for Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha along with other places in eastern and northeastern India as per the advisory issued on April 30. There was no mention of such activity over Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, however, said the India Meteorological Department had issued alerts for Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, where dust storm, coupled with rain, has killed nearly 100 people. On April 30, the IMD issued a detailed advisory that a cyclonic circulation lay over east Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand and a "trough runs from this cyclonic circulation to Manipur across Meghalaya in lower levels". "An east-west trough also runs from Punjab to southeast Madhya Pradesh across Haryana and west Madhya ...
93 die in UP, Rajasthan due to storm, lightning
At least 93 people died in dust storm and lightning strikes that hit several parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan overnight, officials said on Thursday.
Deadly dust storm in Rajasthan, UP kills more than 100
More than 100 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, owing to severe dust storms which hit several parts of western and northern India on Wednesday.In Uttar Pradesh alone, the high-intensity dust storm left 70 people dead, 83 injured and 105 domesticated animals killed with Agra, Bijnor, Bareli, Saharanpur, Pilibhit, Firozabad, Chitrakoot, Muzaffarnagar, Rae Bareli and Unnao among the worst affected.The storms also caused widespread damage to private and public property, as many houses were left battered and trees uprooted.Electricity connection in many areas was also severed as power lines and electricity poles were damaged.Meanwhile, in Rajasthan a total 35 people have been killed so far including 17 people in Bharatpur, nine in Dholpur, nine in Alwar and leaving 205 people injured.Expressing sorrow at the loss of lives due to dust storms, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria has ordered a compensation of Rs. 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased in .