Page 907 - Disaster Accident
Taiwan hotel collapses after 6.4-magnitude quake
A hotel on the east coast of Taiwan has collapsed after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake, the national fire agency said, with reports that several other buildings have been toppled with some people trapped. Images on local television showed the Marshal Hotel in Hualien slanted on its side, partially crumpled into the ground. Media reports said there were 30 people trapped inside with others crawling to safety. The fire agency said a second hotel had also been damaged, with televison images showing roads strewn with rubble and cracks in highways. The quake hit at 23:50 pm (local time) around 21 kilometres (13 miles) northeast of the port city Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey. It follows almost 100 smaller tremors to have hit the area in the last three days. The quake comes almost exactly two years since a quake of the same magnitude struck the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan, killing more than 100 people.
HP CM urges Gadkari for early approval of shelf works
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur today urged Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for early approval of shelf works worth Rs 487 crore under the Central Road Fund (CRF). The chief minister stressed on connectivity through ropeways for men and material to cover the rural population which will also help in boosting tourism in the state. He also stressed on exploring the possibility of having seaplane connectivity to major water bodies in the state as airstrips in the state are small for large aircrafts. Thakur requested the ministry to grant approval for the construction of 43-km long Hathithan-Manikaran-Pulga road at an estimated cost of Rs 430 crore, 138-km long Rohru-Jangla- Sungri-Taklech-Sarahan-Jeori road at a cost of Rs 1,380 crore and 50 km Chandigarh-Karoran-Tanda-Prempura-Paploha- Shilukhurd-Jamgesh-Kasauli-Dharampur road at Rs 500 crore. The chief minister requested the Union minister for allocation of adequate funds for periodical renewal of ...
Three minors burnt alive in Assam blaze
Three minors were burnt to death after a fire broke out in the city in the small hours of Tuesday, police said.
CCI rejects complaint against Coal India
The Competition Commission today dismissed allegations of unfair business practices against state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) with regard to sale of coking coal. The complaint filed by Jharkhand-based Industries and Commerce Association was also against Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) and Coal Ministry, apart from CIL. Disposing of the case against these entities, the fair trade regulator said in an order that "no case of contravention of the provisions of the (Competition) Act is made out" against them. Industries and Commerce Association's members, which are involved in the manufacture and sale of hard coke, were buying coking coal from BCCL under the distribution system of 'linkage' till the introduction of National Coal Distribution Policy in October 2007. Under the new policy, they were required to receive 75 per cent of their coal requirement through Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) at notified prices to be fixed by CIL and balance 25 per cent through e-auction or ...
HC notice to TN authorities on closing shops in premises of
The Madras High Court today issued notice to authorities on a PIL seeking a direction to close shops inside premises of temples in the state in view of the fire mishap at the Meenakshi shrine here recently. A division bench of the court's Madurai bench comprising justices Sathayanarayana and Hemalatha also directed officials to file a report on the fire safety code and infrastructure for preventing fire accidents in temples in the state. Abdul Kalam Azad in his petition said during the recent fire in the Meenakshi temple several shops had been destroyed. Inflammable items in the shops worsened the impact of the fire, he said. A fire safety code was not in place in the shrine, he submitted. The petitioner said temples are heritage symbols and these should be protected at all costs. Issuing notice, the bench directed the Hindu Religious and Charitable Department Commissioner and Director of Fire Services to file their counter on February 27. A massive fire broke out inside ..
Fire in godown destroys saris, cloth materials
A fire broke out in a sari godown at Hanuman Bazaar area in this Silk City in south Odisha this evening destroying saris and cloth materials, fire brigade officials said. No casualty was reported due to the fire. At least seven fire tenders controlled the blaze in around three hours to extinguish the flames, said assistant fire officer, Berhampur, Sanatan Mohapatra. "Due to timely intervention, the fire could not spread to adjoining shops in the crowded market area. We are assessing the quantum of loss due to the fire mishap," he said. While the exact reason behind the incident was yet to be ascertained, short-circuit was suspected to have cause the fire.
Landslide: Jammu-Srinagar highway reopens after 9 hrs
The 300-kilometre long Jammu- Srinagar national highway was reopened for vehicular traffic after remaining closed for nine hours due to a massive landslide in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the police, there was a heavy landslide which blocked the highway this morning at Ramsoo stranding over 400 vehicles. Men and machines of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared debris on the highway. "Traffic on the highway was restored after nine hours. The debris due to the landslide has been removed from the highway," a senior traffic police officer said.
HC declines to stay Centre's advisory against crash guards
The Delhi High Court today declined to pass any interim order putting on hold the Centre's advisory to the states to take action against fitting of crash guards or 'bull bars' on vehicles. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar refrained from passing a direction on the oral plea moved on behalf of the manufacturers and sellers of such vehicle accessories seeking a stay on the advisory. The court, however, allowed them to be impleaded in a PIL which has claimed that while these crash guards and 'bull bars' may look stylish and protect the vehicle in low speed impacts, in high speed accidents they would defeat the in- built safety features of the car resulting in serious and fatal injuries to the passengers. The central government standing counsel, Anurag Ahluwalia, appearing for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways which had issued the advisory in December last year, said the PIL has become infructuous since its direction to the ...
Pvt schools told to submit safety certificate
Private school authorities in Guwahati have been directed by the Kamrup(Metro) district administration to take all the required basic safety measures and submit updated safety certificate from the concerned departments within 15 Days, an official release said today. "Kamrup(M) district deputy commissioner and ... Dr M Angamuthu has directed all the private schools, private junior colleges, pre primary schools, kindergarten schools, etc, to take all the required safety measures and submit updated safety certificate to ... DC's Office within 15 Days", the release said "Non submission/maintenance of the same will lead to necessary legal action against the school authority", it said.
Earthquake management plan for Guwahati
A comprehensive earthquake management plan has been prepared for quake-prone Kamrup district which houses capital Guwahati. Earthquake Management Plan for the district has been prepared by Kamrup Metropolitan. "Guwahati is not just Assam's largest city, it is the gateway to Northeast India for providing the best connectivity to other states. Since, the state headquarters is located in the Kamrup Metropolitan District and it is very prone to earthquake,an effective management of earthquake is of utmost importance", said a district administration statement today. The basic objectives of plan are to reduce earthquake risks by reducing vulnerability of people and infrastructure; To build the capacity of all stakeholders in the District to cope with the earthquakes, it said. The other objectives are to enhance district resilience to cope with the future earthquakes and better prepare the district Administration and the line departments for recovery, reconstruction and ...
Nigeria lassa fever death toll now 31: health minister
Thirty-one people have died from Lassa fever in Nigeria since the start of this year, the health minister said, with cases of the viral disease recorded across the country. Isaac Adewole told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the outbreak was currently "active in 15 states, (with) 105 laboratory-confirmed cases, three probable cases, with 31 deaths". Ten of the 31 dead were health workers, he added. Lassa fever belongs to the same family as Marburg and Ebola, two deadly viruses that lead to infections with fever, vomiting and in worst-case scenarios, haemorrhagic bleeding. In Ivory Coast, meanwhile, Health and Public Hygiene Minister Raymonde Goudou Coffie said Tuesday that the country had stepped up vigilance "in light of the... situation in affected countries and the flow of (travellers) among the nations of the sub-region." Coffie said that no cases of the disease had been registered locally, but warned of a potential risk from countries where it is endemic, such as ..
Massive reserves of mercury found in Arctic permafrost
Scientists have discovered that permafrost in the northern hemisphere stores massive amounts of natural mercury and a warming climate could release large amounts of this dangerous toxin that may cause neurological effects in humans and animals, ranging from motor impairment to birth defects.
Uber, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways join hands for road safety awareness
Taxi aggregator Uber on Tuesday reinforced its commitment to road safety today in the presence of Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari by announcing a slew of measures and initiatives.As part of its ongoing efforts to encourage road safety awareness, Uber will be jointly promoting road safety messaging on the Uber app and social media through Ministry of Road Transport and Highways co branded materials and mediums.Several advertisements and videos targeting prevention of drunk driving and promotion of rear seat belts and hands on the wheel among other themes, will be prepared and disseminated across the country as part of this safety campaign.Another key initiative towards impacting road safety awareness and education among lakhs of budding drivers both on and off the Uber app is the decision to jointly develop learning aids and informational tools that shall guide the driver training program in driving schools across the country.The Ministry of Road Transport and ...
Akshay Kumar may become face of govt's road safety campaign
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari today said his ministry has requested Bollywood star Akshay Kumar to be the brand ambassador for road safety awareness campaign. "I have talked to Akshay Kumar and he said that he will fully cooperate with us. He said he will be our brand ambassador," Gadkari said at Uber road safety awareness event here. "We will ask celebrities...so that they call upon people, which will have a positive impact on the new generation," the minister said. He said the biggest priority of his ministry was to reduce the number of road accident deaths. Besides, the minister said pollution was a big concern for his ministry and in a bid to curb vehicular pollution, the Centre has decided to implement stricter emission norms of Bharat Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020. "Petroleum ministry is spending around Rs 90,000 crore to improve its refinery ...and yesterday it (petroleum ministry) said, from Mathura...refinery they are able to provide fuel which is ...
Violence in Punjab town after 2 die in accident
At least four vehicles and one liquor vend were set ablaze in the violence that erupted following an accident in which two youth were killed in Punjab's Dera Baba Nanak town on Tuesday, police said.
3 girls charred to death in Guwahati fire
Three minor girls were burnt to death and two other children suffered serious burn injuries when a fire gutted 12 houses in Bashistha area of the city today, the police said. The fire broke out at one house in Patarkuchi locality of Bashistha area early this morning and spread to other 11 houses killing three girls on the spot. The two injured children have been admitted to a local hospital, police said. The cause of the fire and the extent of damage were yet to be ascertained. Local people alleged foul play behind the fire incident and investigation has started, the police said.
Second Japan pilot confirmed dead after army helicopter crash
Japanese authorities confirmed today that a second pilot was killed in a military helicopter crash a day earlier, after identifying a body part retrieved from near the crash site in the country's southwest. The Apache helicopter crashed yesterday in a residential area in Saga province, with authorities initially saying co- pilot Hiroki Takayama had been killed and lead pilot Kenichi Saito was missing. But the defence ministry confirmed today that Saito had also been killed in the crash after identifying a body part found by rescue workers. "The body part is now identified at local police as the pilot," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP. The helicopter crashed in seven minutes after takeoff, slamming into and setting on fire a house that was completely destroyed in the accident. An 11-year-old girl was in the house at the time, but survived with minor injuries. Video footage captured by a camera in a nearby car showed the helicopter dropping from the sky almost ...
33 homeless people found dead in Delhi in first week of Jan:
As many as 33 homeless people were found dead in the national capital in the first week of January, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Four of them were found near hospitals, three near railway stations and the remaining 26 at different places in the city, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said in reply to a question in the House. In all these cases, inquest proceedings have been conducted by the police to ascertain the cause of death, he said. The Union minister informed the House that according to the Delhi Urban Shelter Development Board (DUSIB) two night shelters are under construction with the funds received from National Urban Livelihood Mission scheme. The DUSIB has received Rs 2 crore under the scheme for construction of new night shelters. At present, DUSIB runs 83 pucca (permanent), 115 porta cabins and 66 temporary shelters in tents meant for winter season. The total capacity of these shelters is 21,134 people.
4 dead in Jakarta flash floods
Four people were killed and two went missing after torrential rains lashed the Indonesian capital and its suburbs since Monday evening, local authorities said on Tuesday.According to The Straits Times, more than 6,500 residents in low-lying areas in Jakarta were evacuated to shelters following torrential rains that caused widespread floods and landslides across the city.Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency pulled out three bodies from the rubble after the torrential rains inundated a village and triggered a landslide near Jakarta.Rescue operations were underway to find two others who were feared trapped and buried in a pile of mud in the village."Although thousands of houses have been inundated, a lot of residents declined to evacuate. They opted to stay at their house, having moved their belongings to the upper floor of their house," Head of Information Data Center and Public Relations of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a statement.In ...
111 killed in 822 communal incidents in 2017: Govt
As many as 111 people were killed and 2,384 others were injured in 822 communal incidents in the country in 2017, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir said that the highest number of communal incidents in 2017 were reported in Uttar Pradesh where 44 people were killed and 542 others were injured in 195 communal incidents. Karnataka has seen 100 communal incidents last year in which nine people were killed and 229 injured while there were 91 incidents of riots in Rajasthan in which 12 people were killed and 175 injured, he said. The minister said there were 85 communal incidents in Bihar in 2017 in which three people were killed and 321 injured and there were 60 incidents of riots in Madhya Pradesh in which nine people were killed and 191 injured. There were 58 incidents of communal violence in West Bengal last year in which nine people were killed and 230 injured while Gujarat has witnessed 50 riots in which eight people were ...