Page 922 - Disaster Accident

Defective wiring suspected cause of S Korea hospital fire

Defective wiring is suspected to have caused the deadly South Korean hospital fire that killed dozens and injured more than 150, police said, as public anger swelled over the country's worst fire disaster in a decade. The huge blaze that erupted at the hospital in the southeastern city of Miryang on Friday killed at least 38 people including 35 patients -- mostly elderly women -- and three medical staff. The fire came only a month after 29 people were killed in an inferno at a fitness club in Jecheon, a disaster blamed on insufficient emergency exits, flammable building materials and illegally parked cars blocking access for emergency vehicles. Authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the hospital fire but preliminary on-site inspection has suggested possible defects in the wiring in the first-floor ceiling of what used to be an office pantry. "There were no traces of burns on the floor, but clear signs of fire spreading toward the bottom from the top," an .

Search for Kiribati ferry finds seven in a dinghy

Seven people were found drifting in a dinghy today near the remote Pacific island nation of Kiribati where a ferry with 50 people on board went missing 10 days ago. The dinghy was spotted in an area of the central Pacific where a New Zealand military aircraft is searching for the MV Butiraoi. According to New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre officer John Ashby, the dinghy was believed to be one of two carried on the Butiraoi. "The group seem very relieved to have been found when the NZ Air Force Orion dropped supplies, including water and a radio, to them," Ashby said in a statement. A fishing vessel was diverted to pick up the seven while the aerial search continued for more survivors. The New Zealand Defence Force said today the fishing vessel was 92 kms northeast of the dinghy's location and expected to reach the survivors mid-afternoon. The Butiraoi was last heard from on January 18 when it set out on an expected two-day voyage from the island of Nonouti to Betio ..

Telangana man dies in Saudi Arabia-bound flight

A 55-year-old man died in Saudi Arabia-bound flight after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest on Saturday.The Jet Airways flight, 9W0206, which took off from Telangana's Shamshabad made an emergency landing at a Mumbai airport, said the local officials.Further details are awaited.

Fire breaks out in chemical company in Gujarat

In yet another relapse of safety, a fire broke out at a chemical company in Gujarat's Valsad district that was doused after eight hours.The incident came to light on Saturday night when the fire department was informed about the blaze in Sytech Petroleum Company.No casualty has been reported in the incident till now."We got a call at about 8 p.m. informing us that a fire has broken out in a private limited chemical company. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained," said a firefighter present at the site.It is believed that the company did not have safety measures in place, which is why the fire went on for eight hours.

Fire injures 31 workers at paper mill in southern Iran

Iranian media say a fire that broke out at a paper mill has injured 31 workers in southern Iran. Saturday's state TV report says 11 workers were taken to local hospitals and 20 received on-site treatment as their injuries were not severe. The report said firefighters are still trying to put out the fire in the town of Khorramabad, some 700 kilometers (435 miles) south of the capital Tehran. It did not elaborate on the cause of the fire. Iran's aging plants, hard hit by years of Western sanctions, suffer occasional accidents, including fires. Many incidents have also been blamed on disregard of safety measures. On Wednesday a fire at a bitumen storage facility in southern Iran killed three workers and injured two others.

J&K: Two killed in army firing in Shopian

Two people were killed and several others were injured in a firing, after an army patrol convoy came under heavy stone pelting from a mob in Shopian's Ganowpora Chowk in South Kashmir on Saturday.According to a statement from Public Relations Officer PRO (Defence), the convoy was passing through Ganowpora Chowk in Shopian when it came under unprovoked and intense stone pelting by a group of 100-120 people. Within no time, their numbers swelled to 200-250 persons.The crowd surrounded an isolated portion of the convoy consisting of four vehicles. They caused extensive damage to these vehicles and tried to set them on fire.A junior commissioned officer accompanying the convoy got hit on the head and fell unconscious, suffering a serious head injury, the statement added.As the situation went out of hand, the army opened fire at the mob for self-defence. A total of seven army men suffered injuries and extensive damage was caused to eleven vehicles. In the process, two civilians succumbed ..

Two killed, nine injured in two accidents in Himachal

Two people were killed and nine others injured in two separate accidents in Shimla district today, police said. Two people died and one sustained severe injuries when their car rolled 100 metres down a gorge at Sangroti Nallah in the remote Nerwa area of Chopal this morning, they added. The vehicle, carrying three passengers, was on its way from Nerva to Shamta. The deceased were identified as Bhavesh (23), from Shirguldhar village, and Virender (20), from Rana Kiyar village. The injured, identified as Suresh, was rushed to the IGMC Hospital at Shimla, officials said. The body of the victims were handed over to the family members after postmortem, they said, adding that a case was registered under sections 279, 337 and 306 A of IPC. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accident took place due to rash and negligent driving, police sources said. Eight people were injured when two vehicles skidded off the road due to slippery conditions created by ground frost in ...

3 killed in separate accidents in Kota

Three people were killed and as many injured in two separate road accidents in Baran district, police said today. In a car-motorcycle collision near the Dara Phatak on the ChabdaGuna National Highway last evening, two people were killed and one injured. The car belongs to Block Education Officer, Ganga Prasad Meena, who is at large after the accident, police said, adding that he was reportedly driving in an inebriated state. Suraj Bairwa (22) and Mukesh Bairwa (25), residents of Tachi village were killed, while Arvind Dhakad was injured, SHO, Kawai, Dalveer Singh said. The injured was admitted to the Baran District Hospital and his condition has been stated as stable, he said. In the other accident, a pickup vehicle loaded with stones overturned after colliding with a road median at the BhulBhulayaa circle yesterday. The driver Rakesh Bairwa (25), a resident of Ghat ka Barana village in Bundi district, was killed and Jagdish Meena (25) and Sonu Kheetak (30) were injured, .

Death toll in Kabul bombing jumps to 63: official

An explosives-packed ambulance blew up in a crowded area of Kabul today, killing at least 63 people and wounding 151 others, officials said, in one of the biggest blasts to rock the war-torn city in recent years. "The latest toll has reached 63 dead and 151 wounded," Baryalai Hilali, the director of the government media centre, told reporters. He warned the death toll might rise as some of the wounded brought to hospitals were in a "critical condition".

Paris braces for floods as swollen Seine inches higher

Paris was on alert today as the swollen Seine continued to creep higher, with forecasters expecting the flooding to peak at the end of the weekend. The river reached 5.7 metres at 9:00 am (local time) today, more than four metres above its normal height, causing headaches for commuters as well as people living near its overflowing banks. Forecasters believe it will continue to rise, peaking on Sunday night or Monday, but will not reach the 2016 high of 6.1 metres, when the Louvre museum was forced to close its doors for four days. But the world's most visited museum was on high alert, along with the Musee d'Orsay and Orangerie galleries, with the lower level of the Louvre's Islamic arts wing closed to visitors. Leaks had started to appear in some basements yesterday, while some residents on the city's outskirts were forced to travel by boat through waterlogged streets. A health centre in Paris's northwestern suburbs, where 86 patients were receiving care, was also ...

13 killed as minibus plunges into Maharashtra river (Third Lead)

At least 13 persons were killed and three others injured after a minibus fell into a river early on Saturday, an official from Kolhapur Control said.

17 killed in Kabul suicide blast

At least 17 people were killed and 110 others injured on Saturday in a suicide car bomb attack near Sidarat Square in central Kabul where several government offices are located.

3 men killed in road accident in UP

Three men were killed today when a speeding car collided head-on with their motorcycle on Narendra Mohan Bridge in Swaroop Nagar here, police said. The accident took place at around 6 am, they said, adding the passers-by took the injured persons to LLR hospital where the doctors declared them brought dead. The deceased have been identified as Yaman Tewari (22) and Jayant Yadav (23), while identity of the third victim is yet to be established, Superintendent of Police (West), Gaurav Grover said. The impact of collision was so severe that the car turned turtle while the bike was shattered throwing riders on the road, he said.

Tiger found dead in MP

A tiger was found dead on Saturday in an agricultural field at Shahdol in Jaisinghnagar, Madhya Pradesh.It has not been confirmed yet if the tiger died a natural death or was a victim of poaching.In a scenario, where the national animal is already endangered, the concerned authorities need to be more vigilant about the safety of the tigers.

Explosion in Kabul, casualties feared

An explosion occurred on Saturday afternoon in Kabul City.According to early reports, a car bomb was detonated close to the gate of the old Ministry of Interior building in the city, reported Afghan's TOLO News.Casualties have been feared.Emergency vehicles were "heard" rushing to the spot, as per media reports.More details are awaited.

China to launch 60 high resolution video satellites by 2020

China plans to launch 60 high resolution Jilin-1 video satellites by 2020, the satellite developer said. The high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites were independently developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. for commercial use, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today. Currently, China has launched 10 Jilin-1 satellites into space. In October 2015, four Jilin-1 commercial satellites were sent into space. In January 2017, Jilin-1 Video 03 was launched, and Jilin-1 Video 04, 05 and 06 were put into predetermined orbits in November last year. In January 2018, Jilin-1 Video 07 and 08 were launched into a preset orbit to provide remote sensing data and products for government and industry users in conjunction with eight satellites.

Labourer couple killed in fire mishap

: A labourer couple from Uttar Pradesh was charred to death in a fire in a village near here early this morning, police said. The victims were identified as Varshini Mandal (45) and Nomitha (40), they said adding another couple, also from Uttar Pradesh, sustained serious injuries in the mishap. The labourers were working in Pannikkampalayam village for the past few months and staying in huts, police said. The fire broke out at around 1.30 a.m. in one of the huts and spread quickly to the others, they said adding the reason for the blaze is being investigated. Some of the workers managed to run to safety with their children, police added. However, a middle-aged couple was trapped inside their hut and was charred to death on the spot. Police said another couple - Bharuthy (55) and Bulbull Mandey (50) - trapped in one of the huts was rescued and rushed to the government hospital in Erode with serious injuries. Fire and Rescue Services personnel put out the blaze.

Five killed in Tripura road accidents

Five persons, including two children and two women, have been killed in two road accidents in Tripura, police said on Saturday.

13 killed as bus falls into Maharashtra river

At least 13 persons were killed and four others injured after a minibus fell into a river early on Saturday, an official from Kolhapur Control said.

2 killed in Chhattisgarh road accident

Two people died and eight others were critically injured when a car rammed into a bridge in Chhattisgarh's Bastar on Saturday.The victims were travelling from Raipur to Dantewada.The injured have been admitted to the hospital.