Page 891 - Disaster Accident
Two IAF pilots killed in Assam crash
Two pilots of Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed on Thursday when their microlight aircraft crashed on Assam's Majuli island, officials said.
Fire at Haryana civil secretariat building
A fire broke out today at the first floor of the Haryana civil secretariat building here, police said. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the flames in the morning, they said. The exact reason for the blaze could not be ascertained, however, it appeared a short circuit could have caused it, they said. Employees rushed out of their offices for safety after the flames erupted. The extent of losses in the fire is yet to be ascertained, they said.
Cong creates din in C'garh Assembly over payout to farmers
OppositionCongress created uproar in the Chhattisgarh Assemblytoday demanding speedy compensation to the drought-affected farmers in the state. Congress MLAs were suspended after they trooped into the Well of the House following a comment made against them by state Revenue Minister Prem Prakash Pandey on the issue. However, their suspension was revoked later. Senior Congress MLAs Satyanarayan Sharma, state party chief Bhupesh Bahgel and Dhanendra Sahu raised the issue of "delay" in disbursing compensation to drought-hit farmers through a Call Attention Motion notice. "As many as 96 tehsils of 21 districts were declared drought-hit (in the kharif season). At least 11,04,767 farmers belonging to 11,297 villages are bearing the brunt of drought," Congress members said. After the crop failure, the affected farmers are worried about paying their debts. "The state government has assured to provide economic assistance to farmers and waiver of land revenue taxes. But ...
NHRC notice to Centre, C'garh over rise in arsenic cases
The NHRC has sent a notice to the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government over reports that the number of people affected by fluorosis and kidney diseases is increasing due to high level of arsenic and fluoride in drinking water in the state. The Commission has issued notices to the chief secretary, of Chhattisgarh and the secretary of the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, seeking detailed reports in four weeks, including on the steps taken or proposed to be taken to deal with the menace. "The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that despite the joint efforts of the Centre and the government of Chhattisgarh, the number of patients suffering from fluorosis and kidney diseases is increasing due to high level of arsenic and fluoride in drinking water in the state," the NHRC said in a statement today. The total number of patients till August 2016 was 1,148, which has gone up to 1,170 now. The villages, adjacent to the industrial ..
NMMC offers reward to people who report illegal debris dumping
The Navi Mumbai Municipal corporation (NMMC) has offered cash reward to those people, who report about illegal dumping of debris or garbage within the city limits, especially in mangrove areas. This announcement was made yesterday by municipal commissioner N Ramaswamy, an official said today. The move is aimed at ensuring that debris is not dumped illegally or in a haphazard manner, the official said adding that the NMMC wants people to send pictures of illegal debris or garbage dumping. "The civic body has offered cash reward of Rs 1,000 to those who expose the people or vehicles dumping debris or garbage illegally in the city, especially in the mangrove areas, " an NMMC spokesperson said. "The corporation wants people to take photographs of the vehicles dumping debris and send it to us. We will not only act against the vehicle owners or the persons who dump it, but will ensure that they clear the dumped debris from the spot," the spokesperson added. In order to ...
Maharashtra hailstorm: Government wants autopsy of hens, cocks
Farmers in Maharashtra's Jalna who lost poultry birds in the recent hailstorm will now be required to submit autopsies of the killed cocks and hens to claim compensation from the state government.
Srinagar-Jammu national highway opened to clear stranded vehicles
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway was today opened to clear vehicles stranded on it after the road remained shut for four days due to landslides caused by heavy rains and snowfall, an official said. "The highway has been restored for stranded vehicles only. Vehicles from Jammu would not be allowed to proceed towards Srinagar at the moment," a senior traffic department officer said. The arterial road, which has been closed since Monday, was briefly re-opened for traffic on Tuesday but had to be closed again due to landslides. The highway -- the only all-weather road link connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of India -- was closed for traffic on Monday as Kashmir experienced the season's first major snowfall. The closure of the highway resulted in shooting of prices of essential commodities in the valley while fresh vegetables disappeared from the market. Divisional administration officials, however, maintained that there was adequate stock of essential commodities in the ...
Bengaluru building collapse leaves three dead
A five-storey building under construction today collapsed in the city, killing at least three persons and injuring seven others. Several others are feared trapped, police said. The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital while rescue operations have been taken up on a war-footing. The condition of one of the injured is said to be critical. Police said the under construction building at Kasavanahalli suddenly collapsed about 3.30 pm, trapping many. Fire brigade and police personnel, who were informed, launched rescue operations assisted by local people. Two labourers were found dead under the debris while one of the rescued succumbed to injuries in hospital, Bengaluru Mayor R Sampath Raj said. Deputy commissioner of police of Whitefield division, Abdul Ahad said the building belonged to one Rafique from HSR Layout. "We are gathering more information.It was developed to accommodate paying guests but later the owner tried to convert it into a commercial building," he ..
Two IAF pilots killed in crash in Assam
Two Indian Air Force pilots were killed in a crash in Majuli today, minutes after their microlight aircraft took off on a routine sortie, defence ministry officials said. The aircraft crashed in the river island around noon, soon after taking off from the Jorhat air base, they said. The pilots killed in the crash were Wing Commander J James and Wing Commander D Vats. "An Indian Air Force Microlight Virus SW-80 crashed around 1200 hrs today, after getting airborne from Air Force Station Jorhat, for a routine sortie," the defence ministry said in a statement in New Delhi. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, the ministry said. The pilots attempted an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed in a sand bar in the northern part of the district and went up in flames, Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt. Col. Harshvardhan Pande told PTI. The crash took place at Darbar Chapori, a sand bar in the Brahmaputra where there is no human habitation. People ..
Assam: Two pilots killed in aircraft crash
Two onboard pilots lost their lives after a microlight aircraft crashed today in Assam's Majuli area during a routine sortie.The pilots were Wing Commander-rank officers.An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of accident.More details are awaited.
Three skiers killed by avalanche in Pyrenees
Three French skiers were found dead today in the Pyrenees mountains after being buried by an avalanche in an off-piste area, a local official said. The bodies of the three men from western France, aged between 29 and 38, were retrieved by rescue services this morning, the local government office in the resort of Cauterets said. Another skier died in the resort of Gavarnie in the Pyrenees on Tuesday. The mountain range between France and Spain has seen heavy snowfalls this year, as have the more popular Alps, leading to tempting but treacherous off-piste conditions where most accidents happen, local authorities warned.
Luke Wilson saves woman following a deadly car crash
Actor Luke Wilson saved a woman from a smoking car following a crash. Wilson, whose own car was clipped in the three-vehicle accident, also involving a Ferrari, pulled a 50-year-old woman from the wreckage of her BMW, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "He was the hero, he led the charge," said tattoo artiste Sean Heirigs, who was the eyewitness. Heirigs said Wilson feared the smoke coming from the woman's car could result in flames and decided to save her. "We were able to get her leg out from being stuck and then she came out and Luke was pulling her through the back trunk area and then we both carried her to the curb. "And this was all going on while the Ferrari's wheels are still spinning and blowing rubber and smoke everywhere and it's loud and you're smelling lots of smoke and there's glass," he added. Neither Wilson nor Heirigs was hurt. The woman from the BMW is hospitalised with serious injuries.
22-yr-old man killed in road accident
A 22-year-old man, going for an Army recruitment drive, was killed today after his motorcycle was hit by a Haryana Roadways bus near Paprola, around 50 km from here, police said. The accident took place on the Mandi-Pathankot highway this morning. "The deceased was identified as Jugal. He died on the spot," a police officer said, adding that he was going for an Army recruitment drive at Palampur. Following the accident, villagers blocked the highway. They were later dispersed by the police, he said. The officer said that a case has been registered and the matter is being investigated.
Minor fire at Haryana secretariat
A minor fire in the Haryana secretariat building here on Thursday led to a scare among people.
Man killed in Mumbai godown fire
A 30-year-old man was killed in a fire at a godown in suburban Andheri early today, a fire brigade official said. The godown, located on the sprawling premises of Mittal Industrial Estate on Andheri-Kurla Road, caught fire around 1.15 am, the official said. Four fire engines and water tankers were pressed into service. The fire was doused after two hours and fire brigade personnel recovered the body of a man, the official said. "The victim, later identified as Pradeep Vishwakarma, was sleeping inside the godown when it caught fire," he added. An investigation is on to know what started the fire, the official said.
16 people injured in strong winds at Winter Olympic Games
At least 16 people suffered minor injuries in Gangneung, one of the venues for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, due to strong winds, the organisers said on Thursday.
Mother, daughter charred to death in Mumbai fire
A woman and her daughter were charred to death in a fire which broke out at a cosmetic shop in Mumbai today.The incident took place at 4:00 am in Navi Mumbai's Airoli Sector-3.Four fire tenders were called who doused the fire.The reason behind the fire is not yet ascertained.An investigation is underway.
Two killed in tempo-truck collision in Palghar
Two persons were killed and as many others injured when a truck collided with a tempo on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway here this morning, police said. The accident affected the vehicular movement on the busy road for a couple of hours. The truck was on its way to Gujarat when it hit the tempo coming towards Mumbai at Somta village along the highway around 8.30 am, an official at the Kasa police station said. Two persons, who were in the tempo, died on the spot as the three-wheeler got crushed under the wheels of the truck, he said. The two injured persons were admitted to a local hospital, the official said. The victims were yet to be identified, he said. The truck driver was taken into a custody, the official said, adding that a case was registered against him.
Two killed as pick-up rams into motorcycle in UP village
The driver of a pick-up van lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a motorcycle in a village here, killing two men in their 20s, police said today. The incident in Sonbersa village on the Sonauli-Gorakhpur road took place last night. The deceased were identified as Ajai (20) and Pradeep (21), Purenderpur police station in-charge R P Singh said. A third person, 24-year-old Amar, was injured and has been hospitalised. The driver of the pick-up fled from the spot after the accident, he said.
Srinagar-Jammu NH shut for fourth day due to landslides
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway - the only all-weather road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of India - remained shut for the fourth consecutive day today due to landslides, a traffic department official said. Shooting stones and smaller landslides at a few places have hampered efforts to clear the highway, the official said. The highway was briefly re-opened for traffic on Tuesday after two days, but it was closed again yesterday due to the landslides, he said. He said road maintenance agencies were clearing the highway. "Clearance work is under process and a decision to allow movement of traffic on the highway will be taken only after the road is cleared off by the concerned road maintenance agency and after assessing weather as well as road condition," the official said. The highway was closed for traffic on Monday as Kashmir experienced the season's first major snowfall. The closure of the highway resulted in shooting of prices of essential commodities in the ...