Page 930 - Disaster Accident
Four hurt, one missing after Japan volcano erupts: officials
Four people were injured today and another person reported missing after a volcano erupted near a popular Japanese ski resort, prompting an avalanche, officials said. Japan's Meteorological Agency urged nearby residents to stay away from Mt. Kusatsu Shirane after it detected what it said was "slight volcanic activity". According to the Japanese government's top spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, four people in a ropeway gondola at a ski resort in Gunma, northwest of Tokyo, were injured by shattered glass. Local fire department official Yuji Shinohara also told AFP there were four injured, adding: "We are still trying to help them." "The avalanche was apparently caused by a volcano explosion," said Shinohara, with another local official confirming that authorities were also hunting for one person still missing.
The Government of India, the Government of Uttarakhand and the World Bank sign $120 million Loan Agreement to improve access to Water Supply Services
The Uttarakhand Water Supply Program for Peri-Urban Areas will help the State increase water supply coverage as well as ensure sustainable water supply service delivery in peri-urban areas. It will develop and implement a service-oriented and efficient water supply policy for peri-urban areas, strengthen the current monitoring and evaluation systems, and provide dedicated incentives for preparation and adoption of water supply 'master-plans' in peri-urban areas.
Philippines' 'most active volcano' erupts massively
A massive volcanic eruption took place in the Philippines' most active volcano, Mount Mayon, spewing lava and sending a huge amount of ash and smoke into the sky, late on Monday.Mount Mayon, located 2,462 mts above the sea level, in Albay Province, is also one of the tallest mountains in the country. It had been spewing lava sporadically since it became active on January 13.The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Monday raised its alert to Level 4, meaning that a hazardous volcanic eruption is imminent, the CNN reported.For a brief time, it was Level 3, which meant that such an eruption could be "weeks or even days" away. But seeing the nature of the eruption, the level was raised.Around 40,000 residents have been evacuated to safer areas. A level 5 alert signifies that a hazardous volcanic eruption is underway.The Phivolcs issued a warning statement, "We strongly advise all people, both residents and tourists, to avoid the danger zone, and airlines to ...
Thousands stranded, scores injured in snowbound Tokyo
A rare heavy blanket of snow in Tokyo today left thousands of travellers stranded and scores injured, as frozen conditions snarled public transport in the Japanese capital. Japan's weather agency recorded as much as 23 centimetres of snow in some parts of Tokyo, the biggest snowfall since February 2014. The weather paralysed yesterday evening's commute as millions of workers battled to get home in one of the world's most populous cities. Notoriously hard-working Japanese employees were urged to knock off early but this did not prevent delays and crushes at major stations. Public broadcaster NHK said at least 180 people had sustained minor injuries on the frozen streets and there had been around 700 traffic accidents, police said. Cars became trapped in a tunnel, sparking a 10- kilometre-long tailback from Monday evening through early morning today, broadcasters said. And for the second day running, dozens of domestic and international flights departing from and arriving ..
Tokyo hit by heaviest snowfall since 2014
Tokyo witnessed its heaviest snowfall in four years on Monday, as authorities urged commuters to return home soon from outdoors and get ready to brace for major traffic jams.The heavy snow in the capital prompted the Japanese Meteorological Agency to issue a warning to all of Tokyo's 23 wards, the Japan Times reported.The country's transport ministry issued an emergency announcement on Sunday, urging people to remain in their homes and not to go out unless absolutely necessary.Due to heavy snowfall, about 50 cars were stranded on the Rainbow Bridge over Tokyo Bay. Authorities said that the bridge had been closed due to car accidents caused by the snow, leading to a massive traffic disruption.Train services at Yurikamome Metro Line, which also passes Tokyo Bay after snow accumulated on a slope over the track. The line is still closed as of now.The snow disrupted air and rail traffic as well. The Japan Airlines cancelled over 120 flights at Haneda International Airport as of 5:30 pm on .
Five missing in Oklahoma drilling rig explosion
Five Oklahoma drilling rig workers were missing after an explosion caused a serious fire that burned for hours, according to authorities in the central US state. The rig, near the small city of Quinton in eastern Oklahoma, exploded at approximately 8:45 am, officials said at a news conference. Emergency workers accounted for 17 workers who escaped the flames, but five others remained missing. Crews searching the surrounding areas for other workers had not been able to find additional survivors, authorities added. "The personnel that got off the location, they got together and knew who was on the location," said emergency manager Kevin Enloe of Pittsburg County, where the accident took place. Officials did not know whether the new well was drilling natural gas or oil. They said the fire continued to burn hours after the incident and that all of the rig's components were ablaze. "Pretty much everything that is on location is on fire," Enloe said, adding that personnel had
Jordan's Princess Haya launches new food emergency fund
Rome, Jan 22 (IANS/AKI) Jordan's Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein has contributed to the launch of a special fund to allow the rapid purchase and transportation of high energy biscuits to feed victims of sudden onset emergencies, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced.
NHRC issues notice to UP govt over police apathy
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government after some policemen refused to take two grievously injured boys to hospital in the police control room (PCR) van.The Saharanpur police on duty have allegedly refused to take the duo in the van saying that the vehicle will get smudged.Both were later declared brought dead by the doctors.The Commission observed that the reported insensitive attitude of the police personnel has caused two casualties."If they had taken the injured boys to the hospital timely, their lives could have been saved. The police personnel have not done their duty and due to their inaction, lives of two young boys have been grossly violated," the Commission stated.The Commission has issued a notice calling for a detailed report into the matter within six weeks, including the action taken against the delinquent police officials.It has also asked about the number of ambulance vehicles functional in the area along ...
Government signs $120 mn loan agreement for Uttarakhand water supply
The central government on Monday said it has signed a $120 million loan agreement with the World Bank to help increase access to improved water supply in the peri-urban areas of Uttarakhand.
3 dead in 15-vehicle pile-up in dense fog on NH 44 in Haryana
At least three people were killed and 10 others injured today in a highway pile-up involving more than a dozen vehicles in Haryana because of dense fog, the police said. Fifteen vehicles collided around 7.30 am on a flyover on the National Highway 44 between Gharaunda and Panipat about 100 km from New Delhi, said Harjinder Singh, station house officer, Gharaunda. Two people on a motorcycle lost their lives, while an occupant of a car was also killed in the collision, he said. The men on the motorcycle were from Karnal, while the other hailed from Patiala, Punjab, Singh added. The incident led to traffic disruption at the busy national highway, he said.
Central teams to assess losses in Raj's drought-hit districts
Three central government relief management teams, which arrived here today, will visit drought-hit districts of Rajasthan to assess losses. The teams' members also met state Disaster Management and Relief minister Gulab Chand Kataria. They said that the assessment report will be submitted to the Centre so that maximum relief can be provided to the state. Kataria informed the members that the state has forwarded the 2017 assessment report of damage to crops in 41 tehsils in 13 districts to the Centre. The teams will be visiting districts such as Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sawaimadhopur among others, Chief Secretary N C Goel said.
O P Singh likely to take over as UP top cop tomorrow
O P Singh, a 1983-batch IPS officer, is likely to assume office as the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police tomorrow, sources said today. Singh was relieved as the CISF chief yesterday. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had cleared a home ministry proposal for "premature repatriation" of 59-year-old Singh to the state. The post of the UP DGP has been lying vacant for over a fortnight after Sulkhan Singh retired on December 31. Singh, a gallantry medal winner, had been heading the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) since September, 2016 and was given the credit for ushering in some major changes in the work profile and operations of the force, especially in the aviation sector. Under his initiative last year, the force did away with the traditional system of putting tags on air passengers hand baggage, a move seen as a major game changer in the airport security domain. He also initiated simpler flying procedures ...
Toddler dies of suffocation in Bandra building fire
A one-and-half-year-old girl today died of suffocation after a fire broke out at an unauthorised structure built on top of the water pump room of a building at Perry Cross Road in suburban Bandra. Fire brigade officials said the fire started in a structure that was added to the pump room of Shoeb Manzil building and was being used as the residence of the building's watchman. Electrical wires and household articles in the makeshift structure fuelled the fire, officials said, resulting in choking fumes. "A girl, about one-and-half-year-old, was rushed to the Holy Family hospital due to suffocation caused by the fumes but was declared dead on arrival. Another child is currently in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit," a fire brigade official said. The fire brigade got a call about the fire around 12:02 pm today and its personnel reached the spot by 12:30 pm and doused the fire a little later, he said. Investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway, an ...
Seven siblings perish in UAE house fire
Seven brothers and sisters aged between five and 13 died of smoke inhalation in a house fire in the United Arab Emirates today, police said. Hundreds of fires are reported each year across the UAE, despite attempts by authorities to curb such incidents, but casualties are rarely reported. Police in the eastern emirate of Fujairah said the mother awoke at dawn to the smell of a fire in her house. "When rescue teams arrived at the house, the seven children were found dead: three sons and four daughters between the ages of five and 13," police said in a statement. The local police chief said investigations were underway and called on residents to install smoke detectors as a safety precaution. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, took to Twitter to express the nation's "shared grief and pain" over the loss of the seven children -- addressing "heartfelt condolences" to the family. The UAE's civil defence force in July said it had dealt ...
Measles, malnutrition kill nearly 100 in Indonesia's Papua
A measles outbreak and a spike in cases of malnutrition in Indonesia's easternmost Papua province have killed at least 95 people, mostly indigenous children, highlighting severely inadequate health care in the impoverished region. An army chief in the provincial capital of Jayapura, Boni Christian Pardede, said 25 people in one subdistrict had died from malnutrition and an outbreak of diarrhea. He said the situation in mountainous Okbab subdistrict was first reported last week by church activists, who said 23 children and four adults had died. However, Pardede said the latest reports from a health team who had arrived there put the death toll at 25. He said the military is planning to dispatch a second team including doctors and paramedics from Jakarta tomorrow. Meanwhile, a health official in remote Asmat district said the death toll from a measles outbreak and malnutrition since September has risen to 70 people. The latest two victims were children who died Saturday in
Dengue strikes early in Delhi, three cases in Jan
It is January, but at least three people have already been diagnosed with dengue in the national capital, the first reported cases this year. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between mid-July and November-end, but this period may stretch up to mid-December. "Three cases of dengue have been reported till January 20. However, no cases of malaria or chikungunya have been reported," according to a municipal report released today. There was no cases of any vector-borne disease till January 13. At least 10 people died in Delhi due to dengue last year, according to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which tabulates the data for the entire city. The vector-borne disease had affected 9,271 people here in 2017. Five of the 10 victims were not Delhi residents, but had died in the national capital. The official toll maintained by the Delhi municipal authorities till December 26 stood at four, even though some hospitals had reported a few more deaths due .
Two killed, scores of shops gutted in Bengal fire
Two persons were killed when a major fire gutted scores of shops in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal early on Monday, fire brigade official said here.
Changes in Mercury's orbit reveal an ageing Sun
Changes in the orbit of Mercury -- the planet closest to the Sun in the solar system -- has demonstrated the repercussions of an ageing Sun.
Ker proposes 3D mapping of west coast, min wage for teachers
Keeping the devastation caused by Ockhi cyclone in mind, the Keralagovernment has proposed 3D mapping along the state's west coast to identify vulnerable areas and facilitate emergency preparedness to meet natural disasters. To ensure quality education, the state government proposes to enact the 'Minimum Wages Act' for teachers in private unaided schools, Governor P Sathasivam said in his customary address to the Assembly, outlining the policy of the CPI(M)-led LDF government. "This would help attract the best minds to the teaching profession," said Sathasivam. As the ninth session of the Assembly began this morning and the governor rose to address the house, opposition members raised slogans, holding banners and placards referring to the allegedly shoddy manner in which the disaster was handled by the government. However, the governor began his speech by saying he would hear them at length after his address. He said that in the wake of the cyclone, a satellite- based ..