Page 787 - Disaster Accident
Talking while driving in Rajasthan will cost your license
In an effort to minimise road accidents across the state, the Rajasthan High Court has passed an order directing authorities to suspend driving licenses of those who are found talking on their mobile phones while driving.A bench comprising of Justices Gopal Krishan Vyas and Ramchandra Singh Jhala ordered the traffic police authorities to ensure that no driver shall speak on the mobile phone while driving a vehicle.The high court also directed the Regional Transport Organisation (RTO) and transport department authorities to initiate proceedings to cancel licences after giving an opportunity for a hearing.The order was passed after the additional commissioner of police (traffic) told the court earlier that a large number of four and two-wheeler drivers were using mobile phones while driving, which was not permissible under the law, thereby causing accidents.On a related note, 13 students from Divine Public School in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar died after their school bus collided with a .
Emirates clarifies on nut-allergic siblings row
Emirates Airlines, on Tuesday, issued a clarification in regard to the reports suggesting two Indian-origin passengers, with a severe nut allergy, being asked by the cabin crew to sit in the lavatory while cashews were served in the flight.In the statement, the airlines expressed regret over the incident concerning the two passengers, Shannen and Sundeep Sahota, saying, "We are sorry to hear about Ms Sahota's complaint. Emirates tries to cater to all passengers' specific needs by offering a number of special meals that cover as many medical, dietary and religious requirements as possible. However, Emirates cannot guarantee completely nut-free flights."They further claimed that they had no records of the passengers' medical condition."We've looked into Ms Sahota's booking and our records do not reflect any mention of a nut allergy. All passengers who alert us of a nut allergy prior to travel are informed of our policy," the statement read."When alerted during the flight, our crew tried
Assam misses deadline to repair river embankments
The Assam government's Water Resources Department has missed a deadline to repair river embankments in the state resulting in fear and panic among residents living in flood-prone areas ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.
Russell Brand's mother suffers 'life-threatening injuries'
Actor-comedian Russell Brand has cancelled the rest of his comedy tour after his mother Barbara was involved in a serious car accident. He said she has sustained "numerous life-threatening injuries".
122 deaths, 956 injured in Nagaland road accidents in 2 years
More than 100 people have died in road accidents in Nagaland in the last two years, an officer of the regional transport has said. Senior District Transport Officer Kohima, Yaongsanglee Chang said a vehicular accident occurs every minute in the country which adds up to 5,25,600 major road accidents every year, claiming the lives of 1,48,920 people. Since 2016, 1,432 road accidents occurred in Nagaland resulting in 122 deaths and causing injury to 956 people, he said. He was delivering a keynote address during a one-day workshop on Road Safety Awareness here yesterday. To reduce fatalities, he urged two-wheeler riders to wear helmets and drivers of four-wheelers to use seat belts, besides regularly checking the tyres. Technical session on traffic management in Kohima town and road signs and penalties was also conducted as part of the workshop organized by Regional Transport Office Kohima, Transport Department.
Trying to get some fresh air, passenger opens plane's emergency door
In a bizarre move, a Chinese passenger opened the emergency exit of a plane which was about to take off.The passenger who was feeling too hot and stifled decided to open a window but to his surprise the entire "wall" collapsed and an emergency slide was deployed, reported the South China Morning Post.According to several media reports, the 25-year-old man, namely Chen told the police that he really wasn't aware that the handle was part of the emergency exit door."Because it was so stuffy, so hot on the plane, I just pushed down on the window handle beside me. When the door fell out, I panicked," the defaulter claimed.Chen has been reportedly detained for 15 days and is expecting a fine of ¥70,000 ($11,000 USD) to cover the airline's costs.According to the report, last year a man who purported that he thought the emergency escape handle was a handrail was given 10 days' detention. A second passenger was given a similar sentence for opening an escape hatch while waiting to board a ...
6 devotees killed, 25 injured in separate incidents in Himachal
Six devotees, including four women, were killed while 25 others were injured in two road accidents in Himachal Pradesh today. Six persons, including four women, were killed and 10 others injured when the vehicle carrying them fell into a gorge near Neherian village in Una district. The group of 16 devotees from Batala tehsil in Gurdaspur district of Punjab had come to pay obeisance at the Dera Vadbhag Singh gurdwara, near Una, and the accident took place while they were returning, the police said. Eyewitnesses said the vehicle was overloaded and the accident occurred as the driver lost control of it while avoiding a head-on collision with a truck. The officers of the district administration rushed to the spot and extracted the bodies with the help of fire brigade personnel. The injured were rushed to a hospital. Una district police chief Diwakar Sharma said the bodies of the deceased were sent to the zonal hospital for post-mortem, while the injured were admitted to the hospital. He ..
Two kids drown while bathing in pond in UP
Two children lost their lives after they got stuck in the mud and drowned in a pond here today, officials said. Rashi Patel (12) and Rohit (14), residents of Gurupuri Vinayak, along with six other children, had gone to bathe in a pond on the outskirts of the village, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Parasnath Maurya said. While the other kids were bathing in shallow water, cousins Rashi and Rohit ventured into deep water, he added. They got trapped in the mud and were unable to come back to safety, the SDM said, adding that the locals managed to pull them out, but by then they had died. The bodies were sent for a post-mortem, Maurya said.
5 killed in road accident in Maharashtra's Bhandara
A container truck tonight ploughed into a crowd along the national highway number 6 in Bhandara district of Maharashtra, killing five and wounding seven persons, police said. The incident occurred around 8.30 pm when the people, attending a wedding function, were standing near the road side at Lakhni Taluka, the police said. The container truck was on its way from Sakoli to Nagpur when suddenly a bike came in front of it and to prevent a collisison, it took a sharp turn, ploughing into the crowd, Superintendent of Police, Bhandara, Vinita Sahu said. "Five people were killed in the accident and another seven injured," the SP said. Sahu said that the police reached the accident spot immediately and rushed the injured to the general hospital, Bhandara. The deceased are from Nagpur, Hinganghat and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra. The seven injured are out of danger but undergoing treatment at the hospital, she said. "The driver of the container, who was also injured, has been arrested,"
3 school children among 5 killed in road accident in Haryana
Five people, including three children, were killed when a speeding truck collided with school bus on the Delhi-Charkhi Dadri highway in Haryana today, police said. The incident occurred around 2 pm at a spot between villages Morwala and Achinataal, the police said. The bus driver, conductor and three students in the bus were killed, while another 20 children suffered injuries in the accident, a police officer said. The decased have been identified as bus driver Rajkumar, conductor Ramesh, Class 2 student Rishabh, Class 11 student Sonu, and a girl, whose identity was not available immediately, the police said. The police said overs-peeding appeared to be the cause of the accident but they were investigating the matter.
Six dead after Swiss Alps storm
Four skiers and two climbers were confirmed dead on Monday and five others were in critical condition after being forced to spend the night exposed to the elements in the Swiss Alps, police said. Bad weather in the Pigne d'Arolla area of the Swiss Alps on Sunday caught 14 skiers by surprise, police in Valais canton said in a statement. The manager of a rest-stop in the remote mountain region sent out a call for help at dawn today, triggering a major relief operation that involved seven helicopters, police said. "Four people lost their lives, five others are in a critical state," the statement said. Police indicated that one of those killed "likely" died from a fall and was found dead at the scene, while three others died later in hospital. The victims were Italian, French and German nationals, police said, adding that efforts were under way to formally identify them and contact their families. Some others were merely suffering from "mild hypothermia", according to police. The group ...
SUV rams into roadside hotel in Pune; one dead
In a freak accident, a speeding SUV today rammed into a roadside hotel in Pune's Sangvi area and mowed down a 60-year-old man, the owner of the facility, police said. The wife of the deceased Omprakash Pandinwar and two others, including the driver of the vehicle, were injured in the accident that occurred around 1 PM, according to police. A police officer said the SUV was travelling at a high speed on the main road opposite to the hotel. "We have found CCTV footage of the mishap in which it is clearly seen that the driver lost his control over the vehicle after it hit a speed-braker. The vehicle swerved and rammed into the hotel with very high speed," he said. The vehicle hit Pandinwar, who was standing near the cash counter of the hotel, his wife, and another person present in the hotel. "The driver of the SUV also sustained injuries and he lost his consciousness," the police officer said. Police are yet to ascertain the identity of the driver and the owner of the SUV.
Mobile app to report crop residue burning
Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC) today said it has developed a mobile application for reporting crop residue burning cases in the state. Giving details, an official spokesperson said the application can be downloaded from a link provided on HARSAC website. Any officer or official or anybody from the public would be able to use this app for reporting the incidence of crop residue burning anywhere in Haryana, the official said. The initiative would minimise toxic smog in or around the state and thereby minimise respiratory diseases, he said.
One killed as SUV rams into Maharashtra eatery
One person was killed and at least two others injured when a speeding SUV driver lost control and drove straight into an eatery here on Monday afternoon, police said.
Arizona wildfire grows, 10 communities told to evacuate
A raging wildfire in north-central Arizona continues to grow and has burned an unknown number of structures. Officials said yesterday that blaze which started Friday about nine miles (14 kilometers) from the small community of Clints Well has grown to 12.5 square miles (32 square kilometers) and forced the evacuation of nearby communities. Residents of 10 small nearby communities were ordered to evacuate late Sunday. The Coconino County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency because the fire was edging close to homes and buildings. Around 500 firefighters and 7 hotshot crews of elite wildland firefighters are battling the blaze that is 0 percent contained. The cause of the wildfire is unknown.
BAOA against police action in Rahul's plane incident
The Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) on Monday opposed an FIR lodged against it and its pilots in connection with the technical snag in Congress president Rahul Gandhi's flight.The business jet operators' body expressed concern over the police action in the matter while saying that the issue of technical trouble in Rahul's flight should not be politicised."BAOA feels deeply concerned that, in one of the recent incidents involving a chartered flight for a senior political leader operated by one of our members Ligare Aviation, an FIR was lodged with the police against the operator and the pilots for criminal negligence," the BAOA said in a statement issued on Monday.It further stressed said that any attempt to use such incidents for political purpose is totally uncalled for as it could "adversely affect" the safety of overall operations of the charter planes.The BAOA also stated that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the only agency that can probe ...
Rahul plane glitch: Biz aircraft operators association flags concern over FIR against pilots
The Business Aircraft Operators Association today flagged "deep concern" over the FIR lodged against the operators and pilots of a chartered aircraft carrying Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Hubballi which had developed a technical snag, fearing such moves will lead to avoidable stress for pilots handling VIP flights. The Congress has demanded a probe by the Karnataka police and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation into the "suspicious and faulty performance" of the aircraft on April 26, while an FIR was registered against the pilots under IPC sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others). The association felt the issue was being "politicised" which is totally uncalled for and urged all political parties to facilitate the pilots and operators maintain the highest level of safety standards. "Business aircraft operators association feels deeply concerned that in one of the recent incidents involving a ...
BAOA condemns police action in Rahul Gandhi aircraft incident
Business jet operators' body BAOA has voiced concern over the police action against one of its members and cockpit crew for the technical snag reported in Congress president Rahul Gandhi's aircraft last week. The Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) in a statement issued today also said that any attempt to use such incidents for political purpose is totally uncalled for as it could "adversely affect" the safety of overall operations of the charter planes. On April 26, the plane carrying Gandhi and other passengers onboard from New Delhi to Hubli in north Karnataka developed a technical snag during landing, prompting the civil aviation ministry to direct aviation regulator DGCA to conduct a probe. "BAOA feels deeply concerned that in one of the recent incidents involving a chartered flight for a senior political leader operated by one of our members Ligare Aviation, an FIR was lodged with the police against the operator and the pilots for criminal negligence," .
Minor 3.3 magnitude quake shakes San Francisco Bay area
A minor earthquake has shaken the San Francisco Bay area. The United States Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.3 struck just before 5 a.m. Monday. The epicenter of the quake was about 39 kilometers east-northeast of San Francisco City Hall. The closest city to the 4:55 a.m. quake was Alamo, California, 3 kilometers away. The quake had a depth of about 6 kilometers. There was no immediate word of damage or injuries. According to the USGS, the East Bay area was hit with several small earthquakes Sunday.
Five killed in accident on Mumbai-Pune expressway
Five people travelling to Pune to attend a marriage were killed in an accident on the Mumbai- Pune expressway early this morning, police said. A group of six people, all residents of Mankhurd in suburban Mumbai, was on way to Pune in a van for a marriage function. The van broke down and five of its occupants were pushing it to a nearby repair shop when a speeding tempo rammed into them from behind, said police inspector Yogesh More. Three of them died on the spot, while two succumbed to their wounds at a hospital. The sixth one sustained critical injuries in the mishap which took place near Panvel, he said. The deceased were identified as Santosh Prajapati (40), Ayodhya Yadav (26), Rashid Khan (24) Juman Shaikh (45) and Dinesh Jaiswal (30), the official said. The tempo driver, who is yet to be identified, fled the spot after the accident. He has been booked under IPC sections 304A (causing death by negligence) and 279 (rash driving), he said.