Page 928 - Disaster Accident
150 evacuated in Italy after avalanche, snow blankets Alps
Four helicopters evacuated 150 people trapped in a four-star Italy hotel and other remote structures today after an avalanche, authorities said as heavy snow caused disruption across the Alps. The Langtauferer Hotel, located near the Austrian border at 1,870 meters above sea level, was not directly hit by the overnight avalanche, but the area was at extreme risk for more, Katia Squeo with the civil protection agency in Bolzano, Italy said. "The electricity was restored and the guests didn't want to go, so the mayor ordered the evacuation," Squeo said. "The avalanche risk is still present." The evacuation took place under clear conditions, with each helicopter ferrying seven people at a time to a school gymnasium in nearby San Valentino, where they were fed. The evacuees included 75 guests and hotel workers, local residents and tourists staying in other accommodations. The whole village was cut off from the nearest major road, some 20 kilometers away, by the heavy ...
Four killed in mid-air aircraft collision in Germany
A light aircraft and a helicopter on Tuesday collided with each other in the air near the western Germany city of Karlsruhe, killing four people, police said.
Fire at Thrissur shrine, none injured
Fire broke out at Vilwadrinath temple in Thrissur district tonight, but no one was injured in the incident, the police said. At least eight fire tenders were rushed to the shrine in Thiruvilwamala which brought the blaze under control at 11.30 pm, fire department sources said. The shrine is dedicated to Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman. The fire is suspected to have been caused by a burning lamp. The extent of the damage can be ascertained only in the morning, the police said.
Neelanchal Express scrapes stationary truck in UP, none injured
A train accident was averted on Tuesday when the New Delhi-Puri Neelanchal Express brushed past a loaded truck parked close to the tracks in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district, officials said. No one was injured.
Puri-bound Neelachal Express hits truck in UP, none injured
The Puri-bound Neelachal Express from New Delhi hit a sand-laden truck this evening at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh this evening, but no one was injured, officials said. The train's cattle guard and footboards of six coaches were damaged in the incident which occurred at 8:38 pm, they said. Senior officials of the Railway's Lucknow division have reached the spot. The accident occurred as the truck was parked too close to the rail tracks, officials said. The train resumed its onward journay at 9 pm after getting clearance from railway staff, they said, adding the truck has been impounded by the police.
Didn't know my Twitter password: Guv on delayed Hawaii missile alert
Hawaiian Governor David Ige has admitted that there was a delay in notifying the public about the false missile alert earlier this month as he did not know the password of his Twitter account.The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency issued the threat alarm at 8:07 a.m. on January 13 and two minutes after the alert was sent across the state, Ige was told that it was a false one.However, his social media pages were not updated with the information until 8:24 a.m., more than 15 minutes after the alert.On Monday, after he gave the State of the State address reporters demanded an explanation for that long silence, according to the Washington Post."I have to confess that I don't know my Twitter account log-ons and the passwords, so certainly that's one of the changes that I've made. I've been putting that on my phone so that we can access the social media directly," Ige said.In addition to this, he also did not post a correction on Facebook until 23 minutes after the alert went out.On January
DGCA suspends licenses of two pilots for 'jeopardising' flight safety
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the flying licences of two pilots formerly employed with Jet Airways for indulging in a fight on-board a London-Mumbai flight.
Fire breaks out in Thrissur shrine
A fire broke out tonight at the Vilwadrinath temple in Thrissur district but none was injured, police said. At least five fire tenders are trying to douse the blaze in the shrine at Thiruvilwamala. The fire is suspected to have spread from a lighted lamp, police said.
Evening rain in parts of UP brings back winter chill
Light to moderate rain in many parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening pulled down the mercury once again.
Jet airways cockpit brawl: DGCA suspends license of both pilots
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday suspended the licenses of two pilots of Jet Airways London-Mumbai flight 9W-119 for five years for endangering the safety of aircraft operations.On January 1, 2018, the commander of the flight came out of the cockpit about one hour before the touchdown complaining of being physically harassed by the co-pilot.Soon after, the co-pilot also came out leaving the cockpit unattended thereby jeopardising the safety of aircraft operations.The DGCA conducted an investigation the matter.Keeping in view serious safety lapses endangering the safety of aircraft operations, the DGCA suspended the privileges of license of both the involved pilots for a period of five years.
One killed in AC compressor blast
A 24-year-old man was killed and three others injured in an explosion of the air conditioned compressor here today, an official said. The incident occurred at a gymnasium located in New Mhada Colony in the city. The deceased is identified as Sageer Ansari and the injured as Golu Chowdhary (19), Aavinash Mourya (24), and Ankit Singh (20), a Thane Municipal Corporation disaster cell official said. The cause of the explosion is not known yet, he added.
Resentment among farmers over compensation for crop damage:
The Congress's Rajasthan unit chief Sachin Pilot today alleged that the state government and the Centre have failed to provide adequate compensation to farmers for damaged crops which has caused resentment among them. The opposition party leader also sought a clarification from chief minister Vasundhara Raje over what he described as "discrimination" by the central government despite the BJP being in power both at the Centre and in Rajasthan. Pilot said this while addressing public meetings in Mandalgarh assembly constituency of Bhilwara district, which along with Ajmer and Alwar Lok Sabha constituencies, is going to bypoll on January 29. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced relief packages for Gujarat and other flood-hit states but Rajasthan was ignored. "Rajasthan has faced drought, hailstorm and excess rains which damaged crops but the government failed to provide adequate compensations to affected farmers," he said. "More than 1,500 villages were ...
4 killed in mid-air aircraft collision in Germany
At least four people were killed when a light aircraft and a medical helicopter crashed mid-air in Germany on Tuesday, police said.
UP hospitals to provide free CT scan
In a major step towards improving healthcare, the Uttar Pradesh government will kickstart a project on Wednesday to provide free CT scan service in government hospitals, an official said on Tuesday.
62 stray dogs, cats from hurricane-hit Puerto Rico lands in US
Sixty-two dogs and cats have been rescued from hurricane-battered Puerto Rico and brought to the US mainland for relocation. After months of efforts, the Dallas-based Southwest Airlines completed a relief flight that brought 6,350 kgs of supplies to the Caribbean island. On a return flight to Baltimore, 62 stray animals left behind during Hurricane Maria were on board the aircraft. "Each animal was boarded in the cabin of the aircraft in a crate which was secured into seats with seatbelt extenders," the airline said. A veterinarian and volunteers from Lucky Dog were also on board to monitor the animals, WFAA TV station reported. Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and unincorporated US territory. The humanitarian flight was organised after a call from Washington, D.C.-based Lucky Dog Animal Rescue regarding their Puerto Rican partner's need to relocate animals rescued before or after Hurricane Maria hit the island in late September. "The devastation that Hurricane Maria ...
US fatalities in Kabul hotel attack
Americans were among the dead and wounded in the weekend attack by Taliban gunmen on a Kabul luxury hotel, a State Department official said today. "We can confirm that there were US citizen fatalities and injuries," the official said, without specifying how many Americans were involved. "We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and wish for the speedy recovery of those wounded.
Alaska hit by 7.9 earthquake; tsunami warning cancelled
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck off Alaska's Kodiak Island early today, prompting a tsunami warning for a large swath of the state's coast and sending some residents fleeing to higher ground. Officials at the National Tsunami Center cancelled the warning after a few tense hours after waves failed to show up in coastal Alaska communities. Alaska's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said there have been no reports of damage, so far. The strong earthquake hit at 12:30 a.m. (local time) and was recorded about 170 miles southeast of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Island is located about 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, which was not under a tsunami threat. Reports varied about how long the shaking lasted. In the popular cruise ship town of Seward, about 230 miles northeast of Kodiak Island, fire chief Eddie Athey said the quake felt like a gentle rattle and lasted for up to 90 seconds. "It went on long enough that you
Gas leak in London closes 2 railway stations
Two major railway stations were closed and around 1,450 people were evacuated from a nightclub and hotel after a gas leak in central London on Tuesday.
Kota-Udaipur highway accident toll reaches 4
A nine-year-old girl, severely injured in an accident on the Kota-Udaipur highway on Sunday, died during treatment at a hospital here, taking the toll up to four, police said. Three of a family, including two women, were killed and two others injured after their car plunged into a gorge on the Kota-Udaipur National Highway in Bundi district after the driver lost control of the vehicle late Sunday night. The incident took place when the family was returning to Kota after distributing wedding cards to relatives in Bhilwara. Jiya Sharma (9) succumbed to injuries last evening while she was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kota, Dabi police station ASI Irshad Khan said. The accident is most likely to have happened after the driver dozed off at the wheel, Khan said. Sampat Kumar Sharma (57), his wife Seema Devi (52), and their daughter-in-law Neetu Sharma (36) died soon after the accident, while Jiya and Manish were admitted to the hospital, Khan said, adding that
Philippine volcano spews lava fountains, 56,000 people flee
The Philippines' most active volcano spewed fountains of red-hot lava and massive ash plumes anew today in a dazzling but increasingly dangerous eruption that has sent more than 56,000 villagers fleeing to evacuation centres. Lava fountains gushed up 700 metres above Mount Mayon's crater and ash plumes rose up to 3 kilometers last night. At least three major blasts followed, today including an explosion at nightfall that was capped by one of the most massive lava displays since the volcano started acting up more than a week ago, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. "We couldn't sleep last night because of the loud rumblings. It sounded like an airplane that's about to land," Quintin Velardo, a 59-year-old farmer, told The Associated Press at an evacuation center in Legazpi city where he took his wife, children and grandchildren today. Despite the danger, he said he needed to return to his village, about 8 kilometres from the erupting volcano, to .