Page 863 - Disaster Accident
Fire breaks out at chemical factory in Maharashtra; 3 killed, 13 hurt
A major fire broke out after an explosion inside a boiler of a chemicals factory in Maharashtra's Palghar district last night, killing three people and injuring 13 others, police said. The incident took place at Ramdeo Chemicals in the Boisar-Tarapur industrial estate. The fire engulfed the factory around 11.40 pm yesterday after a massive explosion inside a boiler, a senior police official said. The impact of the blast was felt in villages around 8 km away from the factory, he said. Palghar Superintendent of Police (SP) Manjunath Shinge said that during a search, three unidentified bodies were found at the Arti industries site. "There may be more casualties. Search and rescue operation is going on," the SP said. Three factories neighbouring Ramdeo Chemicals were also gutted in the blaze and 13 people were injured. They were admitted to various hospitals, another senior police official said. The fire, which had spread to the other companies, has been brought under control and efforts .
PNG quake toll rises above 100 as PM warns of long recovery
The death toll from an earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea last month has topped 100 with thousands injured, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said today, warning it will take years for the region to recover. The Pacific nation's mountainous interior was struck by a 7.5-magnitude tremor on February 26, triggering landslides that blocked roads, caused power outages and cut off villages. Communities have also been rattled by strong aftershocks, sparking fears among disenchanted and suspicious residents that the shaking was somehow caused by oil and gas operations in the area. "Tragically, the Highlands earthquake has already claimed the lives of an estimated more than 100 Papua New Guineans, with many more still missing and thousands of people injured," O'Neill said. The premier has visited the devastated region and said his government and aid agencies were focused on delivering clean water, food and shelter to victims, and restoring electricity and communications. "There will be no quick ..
Strong 6.8 quake hits off Papua New Guinea
A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit off the Papua New Guinea coast early today, officials said, but there was no tsunami warning or immediate reports of damage. The quake struck at 3:39am local time at a depth of 15 kilometres about 20 kilometres offshore of the New Ireland town of Taron, the US Geological Survey said. A spokesman for the Port Moresby-based National Disaster Management Office said there were no immediate reports of damage but regional disaster management teams would carry out assessments later in the day. "We've been in contact with the regional office and they are going out to check it," he told AFP. The epicentre was more than 800 kilometres east of the 7.5-magnitude quake that hit the highlands region of the Pacific nation on February 26, killing at least 67 people. PNG sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity. Its mountainous and remote terrain means it often takes several days for information about damage from quakes to reach
Maharashtra factory fire: Rescue operation underway
The rescue operation is underway at the chemical factory in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Tarapur town of Palghar district that caught fire in the late hours of Thursday.Palghar District Collector Prashant Narnaware, who reached the accident site in the early hours of Friday, told ANI that work to extinguish the fire and rescue people was underway."Around 11:30 pm, we came to know about the incident. Police machinery, revenue machinery and health machinery geared together and they contributed their best to extinguish the fire. Our work of rescue is still continuing," Narnaware said and added that they have been able to control the fire to some extent.Five workers sustained burn injuries, and they have been admitted to a local hospital.Seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the fire, which started from a chemical factory. The blaze had reportedly engulfed two nearby factories too.Many workers are believed to be still stranded in the ...
Maharashtra: 5 workers injured after fire breaks out at chemical factory
Five workers sustained burn injuries after a fire broke out at Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in Tarapur town of Palghar district in the late hours of Thursday.According to reports, seven fire tenders have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire which started from a chemical factory. The blaze has reportedly engulfed two nearby factories too.Many workers are believed to be stranded in the factories and the death toll could rise, the fire teams have informed.More details are awaited.
3 killed when small plane crashes at Texas airport
Three people have died in the wreckage of a small plane that crashed at Laredo International Airport in South Texas after the pilot reported smoke coming from an engine. The Piper PA-31P had departed the airport this morning and was attempting to return when it crashed in a grassy area about 50 yards from commercial buildings adjacent to the airport grounds. Laredo police spokesman Joe Baeza says the airport was closed to all commercial and cargo air traffic following the wreck. The three killed were the only people on board the plane. Their identities have not been released. Federal Aviation Administration records show the Piper is registered to a man in Bruni, a small community east of Laredo. Baeza did not know the plane's destination.
Fire breaks out at chemicals company in Palghar
A major fire broke out after an explosion inside a boiler at a chemicals company in Boisar-Tarapur industrial estate in Palghar district around midnight, police said. The blaze started after a massive explosion inside a boiler at a company named Ramedeo chemicals around 11.40 pm, an official said, adding there were no immediate details about any casualty in the incident. The impact of the boiler blast was felt in the villages around 8 kms vicinity, he said. There is a fire after boiler blast in the Boisar industrial estate. Our team has reached the spot with fire brigade, Manjunath Singe, Superintendent of Police, Palghar told PTI. The fire has spread to another companies adjacent to the company and details about casualty is yet to be ascertained, he said. There are chemical drums inside these companies, due to which the fire is spreading, he said. Tarapur Automic Power Station, which is also situated on Boisar-Tarapur Road is around 20 kms away from the spot, he added. Fire tenders ..
Blast, fire in Maharashtra chemical plant
A powerful blast followed by a massive fire ripped through a private chemical manufacturing company in the Tarapur MIDC area here late on Thursday night, police said.
Fire on board Maersk's ship rages; one crew member dies
A Thai national, who was among the 23 seamen rescued from the container ship of Maersk Line that caught fire in the Arabian Sea off the Lakshadweep coast, has died, officials said today. The fire continued for the second consecutive day today, and hopes of finding four missing crew members, including an Indian, "faded", officials said. The deceased crew member breathed his last while being taken to Colombo in the merchant ship which rescued them. The death and deteriorating health of two others led the company to divert the merchant ship to Kochi, where it is expected to anchor late tonight, Maersk chief operating officer Soren Toft told PTI over phone from its headquarters in Copenhagen. The huge fire continued on the 330-metre stationary vessel located in the Arabian Sea, about 340 nautical miles off Lakshadweep's Agatti island. Videos showed huge smoke billowing out from a part of the vessel and efforts by an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship, "Shoor", to douse the flames. Toft said ...
Gold bar worth Rs 5.6 lakh recovered from passenger's rectum
Customs officials at the Chandigarh International Airport on Thursday recovered a gold bar worth over Rs 5.6 lakh from the rectum of a passenger landing here from Dubai.
Bihar irrigation capacity to increase to 29.91 lakh hec
Irrigation capacity of Bihar will increase to 29.91 lakh hectares by the end of this month, the Assembly was informed today. Out of 53.53 lakh hectares of irrigation capacity of long and medium type schemes, the irrigation capacity of 29.69 lakh hectare has been created by the end of March 2017 which is further expected to increase to 29.91 lakh hectare by this month, Water Resources Minister Rajiv Ranjn Singh alias Lalan Singh said. Singh was replying to debate on his department's budgetary allocation for 2018-19 which was later passed by a voice vote. Opposition members staged a walkout from the House expressing dissatisfaction with the minister's speech. Singh said Rs 952.28 crore is estimated to be spent on the various schemes relating to irrigation in 2018-19. Of the state's total geographical area of 94.16 lakh hectares, 68.80 lakh hectares of land - 73.06 per cent - are flood affected, he said adding that the state government has started preparations to tackle the
Three sailors admitted to TVM medical college hospital
Three sailors, among the 23 sailors rescued from the container ship M V Maersk Honam that caught fire in the Arabian Sea, was today admitted to the medical college hospital here. The sailors were identifed as Deepu Jayan (31) hailing from Ambalathara here, Alen Roy (34), a Filipino and Sukun Suven peng (36) a Thai national, a hospital release said. It was also stated that they were injured after falling from the ship that caught fire off the Lakshadweep coast. A defence release said Indian Coast Guard station at Vizhinjam got a message from their counterparts in Mumbai and Kochi about the fire in the Singapore-flagged vessel. The Indian Coast Guard ship C-427 at Vizhinjam sailed with medical team comprising two army medical officers. The team assessed that three of the sailors needed critical medical care and they were brought here,it said. Earlier, the Directorate General of Shipping said while 23 crew members were rescued, one of them, a Thai sailor, died of burns while
Three dead as car catches fire after truck collision
Three persons were charred to death and two others seriously injured when the car in which they were travelling caught fire after hitting a parked truck near Bhadaj Circle on S P Ring Road here in the wee hours today, a fire official said. The speeding Volkswagen car, headed towards Bopal, rammed into the stationary truck from behind and burst into flames at around 2:30 AM, he said. One of the deceased, Rahul Barad (21) was a nephew of sitting Congress MLA from Talala constituency, Bhagvan Barad, said Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi. "We received a call around 2:30 AM that a car had caught fire after hitting a truck near Bhadaj Circle. Six fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the blaze. "Out of five persons in the car, three were charred to death inside the car before they could be pulled out, while two others were rescued with severe burn injuries and were rushed to the nearby Sola Civil Hospital," the official said. The deceased are identified as Rahul Barad
Five killed in collision between truck and container trailer
A truck collided with a container trailer on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in the wee hours today in which five persons were killed, police said. While four of them were charred to death in the fire caused after the collision of the two vehicles, another man died after his motorcycle hit the truck from behind, said a police official. The incident occurred around 5 AM near Goregaon village in Raigad district when the driver of the truck, headed towards Mumbai, lost control over the vehicle which collided with the container trailer coming from opposite direction, a police official said. After receiving information, police and fire brigade officials rushed to the spot. All the five persons were rushed to a hospital where they all were declared dead before admission, he said, adding that the exact cause of the fire is not known immediately. Further investigation is underway.
India to build 50,000 houses for quake victims in Nepal
To assist earthquake-ravaged Nepal in its reconstruction effort, India today pledged to build 50,000 houses in its two worst hit districts. India signed an agreement with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50,000 homes for quake victims in Gorkha, the epicentre of 2015 earthquake, and the Nuwakot district. Under the project, 26,912 home owners will be benefited in Gorkha and 23,088 homeowners in Nuwakot, according to Indian Embassy sources. Socio-technical teams from UNDP and UNOPS will assist home owners to reconstruct their houses as per the Government of Nepal's earthquake resistant norms. They will also guide them through the inspection and certification process at different stages of construction so as to enable them to have access to various tranches of housing grant. Under the agreement, India will give USD 8.41 million to the UNOPS and USD 7.41 Million to the UNDP for the reconstruction of the 50,000 ...
'Sudden turn' by US warship led to collision off Singapore: report
A "sudden turn" by the American warship USS John S McCain led to a collision with a tanker last year off Singapore that left 10 sailors dead, a report by the city-state's government said. Singapore's transport ministry, releasing the results of its investigation into the incident, said a "series of missteps" by the destroyer's crew and insufficient action by those of the tanker, the Alnic MC, contributed to the accident. The vessels smashed into each other in the predawn hours of August 21, 2017 in the busy shipping lanes around the Strait of Malacca. There were no casualties among the tanker's crew. The commander of the John S McCain is facing charges including negligent homicide and dereliction of duty, the US Navy said in January, after its own investigation into the incident found "multiple failures" by the ship's crew. Singapore said its 35-page report did not blame any organisation or individual for the fatal crash, but found the warship made an abrupt turn after a transfer of ..
India to give UN $15.82m for Nepal quake reconstruction
India on Thursday pledged 15.82 million dollars in assistance to quake-ravaged Nepal for its massive reconstruction programme.New Delhi signed an agreement in this regard with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to build 50000 homes for the quake victims.As per the agreement, the Indian Government will give 8.41 million US dollars to the UNOPS and 7.41 Million US dollar to the UNDP.Sanjay Mathur, Regional Director, UNOPS, said, "It is significant that the Indian Government has decided to partner with the United Nations in this effort between UNOPS and UNDP. We have covered every district affected by the earthquake. We have strong partnerships and have strong relation with local governments and communities. The close collaboration with the Government of India, Government of Nepal, Provincial and Local Government and with our UNDP partners is an essential part of this programme."As per the agreement, the UNDP will build .
Tori-Balumath railway line to be inaugurated tomorrow
The long-pending Tori-Balumath railway line, a crucial project for faster coal transportation from mines in Jharkhand to power plants, will be inaugurated tomorrow, the Railways ministry said today. Union Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha will inaugurate the railway line through video-conferencing and a train would also be flagged off on the newly-constructed section, the ministry said in a statement here. The 19.3-km Tori-Balumath railway line in Jharkhand is part of the 44-km Tori-Shivpur section and work on the project had started in August 2000, with an initial completion date in 2006. The line was completed at a cost of Rs 1,063 crore. The statement said the railway line will facilitate faster transportation of coal from Central Coalfields Limited's Magadh, Amrapali, Chandragupta and Sanghamitra open cast mines. The project is being funded by the coal major and implemented by the Eastern Railway, it said. The railways earns a revenue of Rs 100 crore for every 1 MT of ...
No plan for pre-flight safety announcements in regional languages: Govt
The government today said there is no proposal at present to make announcements of pre-flight safety instructions in regional languages. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Lok Sabha that on-board announcements of pre-flight safety instructions for passengers about seat belts, emergency exits, oxygen masks and life vests are normally made in Hindi and English on all flights. These are consistent with printed language on all documents for passengers' safety information, he added. To a query on whether the government is taking any measures to ensure that all such announcements are made in regional languages, the minister said, "no such measures are being proposed by this ministry at present". On whether the government is aware that thousands of flyers are facing difficulty in understanding the announcements as they do not understand either Hindi or English, Sinha said no such information is available with the civil aviation ministry. "However, the Directorate ...
'54 cases of air safety norms violations this year'
As many as 54 cases of violations of air safety norms by Air India and private airlines were reported this year till February, the government said today. "There were 352 safety violations by Air India and private airlines in the year 2016 whereas the number of violations in the year 2017 was 269," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Lok Sabha. In a written reply, he said the number of such cases was 54 this year till February. According to the minister, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken various measures to maintain the safe operation of aircraft and high international standard. To a query on whether there have been cases of involvement of airport personnel in foul play and smuggling in cargo at airports, Sinha replied in the affirmative. Citing information from the Central Board of Excise and Customs (Anti-Smuggling Unit), he said a total of 13 cases of foul play and smuggling involving 31 officials were taken up in 2014-15. In 2015-16, .