Page 796 - Disaster Accident
Indonesia oil well explosion kills 15, dozens injured
The death toll from an illegal oil well blaze in Indonesia has jumped to 15 with dozens injured, authorities said today, warning that there could be more victims of the explosion. Images from the accident showed a towering flame shooting some 70 metres (230 feet) in the air above homes and palm trees dotting a small community in Sumatra island's Aceh province. Firefighters on Wednesday afternoon were still battling the blaze sparked by an oil spill at about 1:30 am (1830 GMT Tuesday) in a residential area. Several homes were also destroyed. "The number of fatalities now stands at 15 people," said Syahrizal Fauzi, head of the local disaster mitigation agency. "We're still unable to control the fire. We don't know if there are still victims because we cannot get any closer." Authorities initially said at least 10 people died and some 40 "severely injured" victims were being treated. The jump in the death toll was from the subsequent deaths of five victims who had been rushed to ...
Saudi Arabia claims killing of Yemen rebel leader
Saudi Arabia has confirmed it was behind the air strike that killed the number two leader of Yemen's Huthi rebels last week, with insurgents warning they would avenge his death. "The heroes of the Royal Air Force were able to successfully target the leader of the Huthi militia Saleh al-Sammad," Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Prince Khaled bin Salman, tweeted late Tuesday. Sammad, head of the Huthis' supreme political council, was killed Thursday in the western province of Hodeida, the Iran-allied rebels said. The Huthis are battling the Saudi-backed Yemeni government -- and a military coalition spearheaded by Riyadh -- for control of the impoverished country. Prince Khaled said the strike was overseen by his brother, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after Sammad threatened a wave of missile strikes against Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed, who is also the Saudi defence minister, has been the driving force behind Riyadh's intervention in the devastating Yemen war. The ...
11 killed in Indonesia oil well fire
At least 11 people were killed and 40 injured on Wednesday after a fire broke out in an oil well in the Indonesian province of Aceh in Sumatra, officials said.
Indonesia oil well fire kills 11 people, injures dozens
A newly drilled, unregulated oil well caught fire as people were trying to collect the oil early Wednesday, burning to death at least 11 people and injuring dozens of others. National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the well in Pasi Putih village in eastern Aceh province ignited about 1.30 a.m. and is still burning. Five nearby houses were burned in the inferno. He said the well, drilled to a depth of about 250 meters (820 feet), was gushing when it ignited and many people were around it trying to collect the oil. The local arm of the disaster agency said 11 people had died and about 40 people were hurt. "I woke up when a very loud explosion shook our house like an earthquake," said 16-year-old resident Riska Sri Maulidyawati. "All our neighbors ran out to see what happened, but another loud explosion made everyone run away in panic," she said. "Everyone was shouting 'Fire! Fire!' I also heard people screaming in pain and asking for help," Maulidyawati ..
Engine of Chennai-bound train derails, no casualties
The engine of the Karaikudi-Chennai Egmore Pallavan Express derailed here today, Southern Railway officials said. No injury was reported. The front wheel of the locomotive of the Karaikudi-Chennai Egmore Pallavan Express derailed while entering Tiruchy junction at around 6.30 am. Top officials of Tiruchy railway division rushed to the spot and the locomotive was put back on the rails, they said, adding that the train resumed its journey at around 10 AM. Following the accident, rail traffic from Madurai to Karaikudi was affected for a brief while.
Fire breaks out at chemical factory in Navi Mumbai
A massive fire broke out in a chemical factory in Navi Mumbai's Belapur in the wee hours of Wednesday.The entire factory was gutted by the massive blaze.According to reports, the blaze is said to have razed four other factories in the area and destroyed property worth crores of rupees.As many as 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames.No casualties have been reported so far.More details are awaited.
10 killed in illegal oil well blaze in Indonesia: Reports
Ten people have been reportedly killed and 12 injured in an incident of fire at an illegal oil well in Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday.Further, the incident is said to be taken place in a residential area where the fire has engulfed at least three houses.10 charred dead bodies are said to have been recovered and the death toll is expected to rise.The injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital. Further, a team of firefighters have also reached the location and are conducting the rescue operation.The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.
10 killed in Indonesia oil well fire
Ten persons were killed and scores injured as an oil well in Indonesia's Aceh caught fire, said National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) on Wednesday.
At least 10 killed, dozens injured in illegal Indonesia oil well fire
At least 10 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a fire at an illegal oil well in Indonesia's Aceh province, authorities said today. An oil spill sparked a huge blaze about 1.30 am (1830 GMT Tuesday) that torched at least three houses and was still out of control mid-morning. "The [fire] is still soaring high and has not yet successfully been extinguished," Saiful, head of Aceh's Ranto Peureulak subdistrict who goes by one name, said.
Audi recalls about 1.2M vehicles; coolant pumps can overheat
Audi is recalling about 1.2 million cars and SUVs worldwide because the electric coolant pumps can overeat and possibly cause a fire. The recall covers the 2013 to 2016 A4, the 2013 to 2017 A5, the 2012 to 2015 A6, and the Q5 SUV from 2013 to 2017. All have 2-Liter turbocharged engines. The Volkswagen luxury brand says in US government documents that the pumps can become blocked with cooling system debris, or moisture in the pump can cause an electrical short. An Audi spokesman in the U.S. said there have been reports of fires but he had no details. Dealers will replace the pumps at no cost to owners. The spokesman said Tuesday that redesigned parts won't be ready until November, but dealers will install a new version of the current pump until the redesigned ones are available. Audi recalled the same vehicles last year and dealers did a software update. But the company says in documents posted Tuesday by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that pump problems ...
Four hurt in gas cylinder explosion
A cooking gas cylinder exploded today inside a room in a chawl in suburban Dahisar, leaving four persons seriously injured, a civic official said. The incident occurred around 9:30 am in Rawalpada area of the suburb, said the official from Disaster Management unit of the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation). It is not yet known whether the injured, who all were present in the room at the time of the mishap, are family members. The official said fire brigade department was alerted immediately after the explosion by residents of the chawl. The four victims were rushed to Shatabdi hospital by fire personnel. All of them have suffered 50 per cent to 90 per cent burns, he said. They are identified as Minakshi Ravan (40), Prachi Ravan (15), Chirag Ravan (13), and Subhash Patkar (48).
Audi recalling 1.16 million vehicles worldwide over coolant pump issue
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG's luxury unit Audi said on Tuesday that it was recalling 1.16 million vehicles worldwide because of concerns that an electric coolant pump could overheat or short-circuit from moisture within the pump and pose a fire risk.
Six dead, two injured as lightning strikes North Andhra
Six people, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed and two injured when they were struck by lightning in two districts of north Andhra Pradesh. Four persons, including a 54-year-old woman and her nine-year-old grand-daughter, died when lightning struck them in Vizianagaram district, police said. In Srikakulam district, two people died and an equal number were injured, they said.
Italy sends medical kits to Niger
Rome, April 24 (IANS/AKI) With support from the UN, Italy has flown 15 tonnes of medical supplies and drugs to Niger to treat the country's main infectious diseases, Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said on Tuesday.
500 slums gutted in fire in Shahbad Dairy
A fire broke out today at a vacant plot in the Shahbad Dairy area of Rohini which housed 500 slums, an official from the Delhi Fire Service said. There were no casualties in the incident. A call was received around 11.30 am about the blaze and 21 firetenders were pressed into service, he said, adding that the fire was doused by 4pm. The fire also triggered multiple cylinder blasts in the area. He said that locals told them that more than 500 shanties were gutted. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. As many as 1,000 people have been rendered homeless due to the blaze. Yesterday, a six-year-old girl was killed in a fire that broke out in slums in the Mansarovar park area which gutted 300 shanties.
Jewar airport likely to handle 10 crore passengers by 2050: PwC report
The proposed international airport at Jewar in Greater Noida, which got the final nod yesterday, is expected to handle over 10 crore passengers by 2050, PwC, the agency which prepared the techno-economic feasibility report for the airport, has projected. It said 88 per cent of Jewar airport traffic would be domestic and 15 per cent international, adding that adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh such as Agra and Gautam Budh Nagar would be the main contributors to the fliers volume to the airport. It's likely that the passengers can take flights from the airport to international destinations such as London, Abh Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Katmandu and Bangkok apart from flying to key domestic destinations, the report said. "By 2050, Jewar Airport can serve 37 domestic and 31 international destinations," it said. In its report, PwC has said it is expected to handle 60 lakh passengers by 2022-23, when the first phase of the project is slated to be ready and one crore passengers annually by ...
Construction work for Jewar airport to commence by the end of 2018
The construction work for the second international airport in the national capital region (NCR) -- the Jewar airport -- will commence by the end of 2018.
Fire erupts at tyre factory in Telangana
A major fire broke out in a private rubber factory at Patancheru in the district today, police said. There were about 400 workers at Agarwal Rubber Factory Limited when the fire erupted, but no one was hurt, they said. Police suspect electric short circuit to be the cause of the fire. Eight fire tenders from Patancheru, Sangareddy, BDL and BHEL rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after six hours. Tyres, raw material and chemicals stored were reduced to ashes while machinery was badly damaged in the accident, police said. Home Minister Nayini Narsimha Reddy visited the factory. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Patancheru, Seetharam said there were no casualties. Investigation is on, he added.
HC directs Delhi govt to give food, water to slum dwellers at fire site
The Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi government to immediately provide necessary facilities, including water, tents and food, to the slum dwellers of Mansarovar Park in east Delhi where a massive fire broke out yesterday in which a six-year-old girl died. The court asked the authorities -- AAP government, Delhi Police, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, National Disaster Management Authority and Delhi Development Authority -- to examine the situation immediately where 300 shanties were burnt. When the court was informed that some NGO is providing water to the affected persons at the spot, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and C Hari Shankar asked the authorities to ensure that some containers or bottles are also made available to them. "Authorities shall immediately examine the situation and ensure that facilities which are needed, including tents, be immediately provided to the residents of the slum," the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on .
Pakistan places American Diplomat on 'black list' to prevent him from leaving country
Pakistan has put a senior US diplomat on the "black list" to prevent him from leaving the country over his involvement in a fatal road accident that killed a motorcyclist here, a court was told today. US defence and air attache Colonel Joseph Emmanuel Hall was driving a Land Cruiser that jumped a red light in capital Islamabad to hit a motorbike last month, killing one of the riders and injuring the other. The victim's family filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to stop the accused from fleeing the country under the guise of diplomatic immunity. Deputy Attorney General Raja Khalid Mehmood told the court during hearing that the interior ministry had placed his name in the "black list" so that he could not leave Pakistan. Earlier, the court had asked the government to explain why his name was not placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) that bars an individual from leaving the country. Mehmmod informed the court that placing someone on the ECL was a lengthy process and ...