Page 886 - Disaster Accident
7 killed on the outskirts of Patna as bus overturns
At least seven people were killed and about 20 others injured, some of them seriously, when a bus overturned on the outskirts of the city this evening, a senior police official said. The incident took place in Gauri Chak police station area of the district, about 20 km from here. The bus, which was carrying a marriage party, fell into a pit, SP City (East), Patna, Vishal Sharma told PTI. He said four people died on the spot while three others succumbed to injuries at the NMCH hospital in the city. The injured are also admitted at the hospital, the officer said. The condition of some of the injured passengers was stated to be critical, he added. The bus has been pulled out of the pit and all the surviving passengers have been rescued, Sharma said.
Search continues for wreckage of crashed Iranian plane
A day after a plane crashed in Iran, leaving 65 passengers dead, the search for its wreckage continued on Monday.The search for the wreckage of the Iranian Aseman aircraft remains "ongoing", IRNA reported.A Red Crescent official said there was "no reliable news" that the crashed aircraft bound to Yasuj city from Tehran had been located.Bad weather had thwarted a recovery mission on Sunday when a rescue helicopter was forced to turn back.It was not immediately clear if search and rescue teams were able to reach the crash site on Monday.The flight crashed 50 minutes after taking off from Kohangan, 120 km from Semirom town, authorities said.All required facilities, including six aircraft, several helicopters, 40 relief aid workers of the Islamic Republic of Iran Red Crescent Society and climbers from the Ministry of Sports and Youth are engaged in rescue and relief operations, a government official said.He said that 11 operation headquarters were formed for the rescue and relief, search,
Gujarat House clears bill to set up Road Safety Authority
In a to bring down the number of road accidents, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly today unanimously passed a bill to establish the state Road Safety Authority (GUJROSA) for the implementation of road safety programmes, as suggested by the Supreme Court. The Gujarat Road Safety Authority Bill 2018 was passed after a debate on the first day of the Budget session. In his address while putting the bill for discussion, Transport Minister R C Faldu said that more people had died in road accidents than those killed by terrorists in 2016 across the world. "As per a WHO report, road accidents killed around 12 lakh people globally in 2016. On the other side, 34,000 people were killed by terrorists. Road Terror killed 35 times more people than terrorism," he said. Faldu said the apex court had in 2014 asked state governments to consider forming Road Safety Authority to decrease accidents. "Complying with the suggestions of the supreme court, we will establish such authority in ...
GoAir pilot allegedly makes threatening remarks; airline denies
Passengers of a Bengaluru-bound GoAir flight had tense moments at the airport here after a pilot allegedly made threatening remarks. The incident happened on Sunday morning after the flight G-113 with over 180 people was delayed for more than an hour as pilots came late, a passenger said. According to the passenger, some of the agitated passengers walked to the aero-bridge and at that time, one of them apparently shot a video of the pilots who were coming late. When the pilot was told that the video would be put on social media, he allegedly replied that if such a thing is done, then he would crash the plane, the passenger claimed. As other passengers came to know about the purported remarks, they were agitated and at least three of them decided not to take that flight. When contacted, a GoAir spokesperson said that in the matter of alleged statements by the captain of Delhi-Bengaluru G8-113, the airline strongly refutes any such allegation. The flight was to take off at 5.50 ...
Mamata for 'Slow Drive - Safe Drive' boards to avert mishaps
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said 'Slow Drive - Safe Drive' boards can be put up at accident-prone spots along highways to avert mishaps. Banerjee was addressing an administrative meeting at Baharampur in Murshidabad district, where she expressed concern over traffic rule violation by motorists. "Make on-the-spot cancellation of license for those who refuse to listen. Put up boards carrying the slogan 'Slow drive - Safe Drive," she told Transport Department officials. The CM also referred to the bus accident in Murshidabad on January 29 in which 42 persons died, and said she had asked the PWD to set up crash barriers along certain stretches of highways to prevent such incidents. Replying to a question by a private hospital management official in the district, Banerjee said she did not support ransacking properties of state-run or private hospitals for alleged medical negligence. However, medical establishments should not be found wanting in rendering .
Fire in Toofan Express, no injuries
A fire broke out in Sriganganagar-bound Toofan Express on Monday but no one got injured as the train crew were quick to detach the affected coach, an Railway official said.
All women crew to operate railway station in Jaipur
In a step towards women empowerment, the Indian Railways has handed over the Gandhi Nagar railway station here to an all women crew, a railway official said. The station is fully operated by 28 women employees, including ticket checkers, RPF, operations staff and reservation and booking supervisors, North Western Railway spokesperson Tarun Jain said. "The Gandhi Nagar railway station in the Pink city links major train routes including Jaipur-Delhi. Around 50 trains pass through the station, of which 25 make a halt for 7000 passengers at this station everyday," Jain said. Employees working at this station are well trained, CCTV cameras and sanitary napkin vending machines were installed before handing it over to the staff, he added.
Search continues for crashed Iranian passenger jet
Search and rescue teams on Monday continued to search for the plane that crashed with 66 people on board a day before in central Iran.
17 killed in garbage dump collapse in Mozambique
Heavy rains triggered the partial collapse of a huge mound of garbage in Mozambiques capital today, killing as many as 17 people who were buried by debris. Authorities believe more bodies could be buried at the Hulene garbage dump on the outskirts of Maputo, and a search was underway. The garbage in the poor, densely populated area where the disaster happened rose to the height of a three-story building, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa. Twelve people died, Lusa reported. Radio Mocambique put the death toll at 17. Half a dozen homes were destroyed and some residents in the area fled for fear of another collapse. "The mountains of garbage collapsed on the houses and many families were still inside these residences," Fatima Belchoir, a national disaster official, told Lusa. Authorities are trying to help people who lost their homes, she said. The Hulene garbage dump is the largest such facility in Maputo. People often comb through the garbage, searching for food and items to
Fire in Toofan Express, alert driver averts major mishap
A major mishap was averted when the driver of Toofan Express detected a fire in the parcel coach and immediately detached it from other bogies, an Eastern Railway official said. There was no injury or casualty to any passenger of the train, and only the parcel coach was affected in the fire that occurred between Mugma and Thaparnagar stations of Asansol division of Eastern Railway, the official said. The 13007 Up Udayan Abha Toofan Express was travelling from Howrah to Shri Ganganagar when the blaze was detected at around 4.10 pm. The driver, Bidyut Mondal, detected the fire and showing exemplary presence of mind, stopped the train and immediately started taking safety measures, he said. The affected parcel van was separated from the other compartments and the engine. A separate engine was called in to take back the train to Mugma, from where it will proceed to its destination after lines are cleared, the official added.
Lay down norms for regular medical check up of drivers: HC to DTC
Concerned over lack of fitness tests of drivers in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) from induction till the age of 55 years, the Delhi High Court has directed the authority to lay down norms for regular medical examination as passenger safety depended on their fitness. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Pratibha Rani directed the DTC to ensure that its drivers undergo medical check-ups annually or bi-annually or as appropriate. In case they are found physically unfit to discharge their duties, they should be shifted to some other post. The direction was issued by the court as it was of the view that a DTC driver was responsible for the safety of passengers travelling on his bus as well as those on the road, and currently, no procedure had been laid down to test his fitness on a regular basis. It noted that presently, a medical examination of drivers is undertaken only when they attain the age of 55 years and if they clear it, their services are extended on a year-to-year ...
5.9 quake hits southern Mexico, but no damage reported
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on Monday, days after a more powerful temblor hit the same area. State and national emergency officials said they had no immediate reports of damage from the latest shake, but schools were cancelled across the state on Monday. It was felt in Mexico City, where quake alarm sirens had people springing out of their beds and into the streets. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at 12:57 am (0657 GMT). It was centered 25 miles (40 kilometers) beneath the surface at a point 33 miles (54 kilometers) east-northeast of Pinotepa Nacional and 69 miles (111 kilometers) southwest of the state capital, Oaxaca city. It appeared to be an aftershock of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck near the same area on Friday. That quake caused no deaths, though 13 people were killed in the crash of a helicopter sent to assess the damage.
Two killed in road accident in Belghoria
Two persons, including a woman, were killed and another injured today when the car they were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck in North 24 Parganas district, police said. The accident happened in Barrackpore Police Commissionerate area under the jurisdiction of Belghoria police station early in the morning, the police said. The car driver, 20-year-old Md Farhan, and one of the two passengers in the car, 19-year-old Tumpa Das, were seriously injured in the accident, the Deputy Commissioner II of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate Dhrubajyoti Dey, said. They were taken to Sagar Dutt Hospital where they later died , Dey said. The other passenger in the car received minor injuries, he said.
Medium intensity earthquake shakes SW Mexico, scaring residents
A medium intensity earthquake struck southwestern Mexico early today, scaring residents already shaken by a powerful quake two days earlier, though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The US Geological Survey said its magnitude was 5.9 and it struck at a depth of 40.2 kilometers (25 miles), some 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of the town of Santa Catarina Mechoacan in Oaxaca state at 0657 GMT. "So far, no impact has been reported," the countrys Civil Protection agency tweeted. President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted that the agency was in contact with local authorities. A 7.2-magnitude quake shook the same region on Friday evening. No one was killed by the seismic event but a helicopter carrying politicians to near the epicenter later crashed, killing 14 people on the ground. Memories are also still fresh of two earthquakes last September that killed a combined 465 people. Mexico sits at a spot where five tectonic plates come together, making it particularly ...
Indonesia's Mt. Sinabung spews massive smoke-and-ash column
An Indonesian volcano erupted Monday, sending a massive column of ash and smoke some 5,000 metres (16,400 feet)into the air, leaving local villages coated in debris and officials scrambling to hand out face masks to residents. Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island, which has been rumbling since 2010 and saw a deadly eruption in 2016, spewed the thick plume after activity picked up recent days. "This was the biggest eruption for Sinabung this year," said volcanology agency chief Kasbani, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. There were no reports of injuries or deaths. No one lives inside a previously announced no-go zone around the volcano. But hundreds of houses outside the seven-kilometre danger zone were covered in volcanic ash. Officials have distributed face masks and urged local residents to stay indoors to avoid respiratory problems, said local disaster mitigation agency official Nata Nail Perangin-angin. "In some villages the visibility was barely five metres after the ...
4 killed after tanker carrying coal tar falls into canal
Four people were killed after a tanker carrying coal tar overturned and fell into a canal near Nagla Vijan village in Sikandarau tehsil of this district, police said. The accident occurred late last night when the driver of the tanker tried to avoid hitting a nilgai which was crossing the road, they said. All the four occupants, including the driver and the cleaner, got entangled in the coal tar and died on the spot, police said. They have been identified as Maan Singh (28), Dinesh (33), Lekhraj (30) and Manoj Kumar (28). The bodies have been sent for post mortem, police added. The tanker was carrying coal tar from Mathura refinery to Gorakhpur.
Tibet's revered temple opens day after huge fire
Jokhang Temple, one of Tibet's holiest Buddhist temples which caught fire on Saturday, has been reopened amid official media reports today that the iconic monastery in Lhasa has not suffered much damage. The temple, considered to be the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism in the remote Himalayan region, attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists from home and abroad. An orderly crowd of pilgrims and tourists yesterday lined up to visit the temple, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The fire broke out at 6:40 PM on Saturday and was soon put out. No casualties have been reported. There are no visible signs of fire except some water marks in the main hall of the monastery, the report said. The temple, renowned in Tibetan Buddhism, has a history of more than 1,300 years and houses many cultural treasures, including a life-sized statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha when he was 12-year-old. The Barkhor, a bustling market street near the monastery, was reopened to the public after a ...
No relief to driver who rammed bus into tree, injuring 10
A Delhi court has refused to set aside the jail term of a bus driver for risking the lives of 10 passengers by negligently driving the vehicle and hitting a tree. Additional Sessions Judge Neera Bharihoke dismissed the driver's plea challenging a magisterial court order sentencing him to six months in jail for causing the accident in south Delhi in 2009 in which the passengers got seriously injured. The court relied on the testimonies of the passengers, who were eye witnesses to the incident, and said their statement that the driver did not slow down the bus despite their request, were trustworthy and reliable. "Eyewitnesses of the incident/injured persons have supported the case of the prosecution on all material particulars... "I have perused the testimony of all the witnesses of the prosecution and find them to be trustworthy and reliable witnesses. They have corroborated each other on material points and their testimonies have also remained unshattered and unshaken in their ..
Committed to doubling farmers' income by 2022: Goa Governor
Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, in her address on the first day of the Budget session of the state Assembly today, said the state government is committed to doubling the income of farmers by 2022. Sinha, on arrival for the session, was received by Speaker Pramod Sawant andsenior minister and MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar, in the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who has been hospitalised in Mumbai due to a pancreatic ailment. "The commitment of my government is doubling the real income of farmers by 2022 which is one of the targets of sustainable development goals of the state," Sinha said. To achieve it, the government is making efforts to identify wastelands and utilise them for cooperative farming by providing technology, modern equipment and subsidies, the governor said. Mapping of fallow lands in the state has been completed and the government is examining how they could be put to use, she said. To boost demand for local products, the government is encouraging ..
Iran resumes search for plane debris in mountains
Relatives of 66 people who were on board a plane that crashed in central Iran are desperately waiting for any news as rescue teams began a second day of search for the wreckage.