Page 94 - Disaster Accident

7.2-magnitude earthquake rocks Papua New Guinea

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey.

7.2 magnitude earthquake jolts Papua New Guinea

An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale struck Papua New Guinea on Monday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.The quake hit a depth of almost 127 km and took place at 9:19 pm (UTC time). The epicentre of the quake was located 33 kilometres northwest of Bulolo, according to USGS.According to reports, tremors were also felt in capital Port Moresby.There were no reports of any casualties, injuries or damage to property. No tsunami warning has been issued.This is the second quake to hit Papua New Guinea in a day.An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 had jolted 76 kilometres west of Panguna. The quake took place at 2:13 pm (UTC time) and hit at a depth of almost 59 km, the USGS had said.No loss to life or property has been reported yet.Papua New Guinea lies in the 'Ring of Fire', an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, which is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Plane was heavy with extra fuel before deadly crash landing

A Russian airliner that took off from Moscow was airborne for just 28 minutes before returning to make an emergency landing while still heavy with unburned fuel, which then ignited after a rough touchdown. Flames quickly engulfed the aircraft, killing 41 of the 78 people aboard. A day after Sunday's horrifying accident at Sheremetyevo airport, Russian news media quoted the pilot, Denis Evdokimov, as saying he followed procedures for landing with excess weight. But the crew reportedly did not dump any fuel, which is common for flights that have to land soon after takeoff to prevent being overly heavy. The pilot said he was not certain why the plane landed hard. Video showed flames bursting from the jet's underside as it touched down, then raging across the rear of the Sukhoi SSJ100's fuselage within seconds as the airliner bounced down the runway. "Everything happened right away, at lightning speed. There was a strong blow my eyes almost popped out a second was a little quieter, a ...

Plane was heavy with extra fuel before deadly crash landing

A Russian airliner that took off from Moscow was airborne for just 28 minutes before returning to make an emergency landing while still heavy with unburned fuel, which then ignited after a rough touchdown. Flames quickly engulfed the aircraft, killing 41 of the 78 people aboard. A day after Sunday's horrifying accident at Sheremetyevo airport, Russian news media quoted the pilot, Denis Evdokimov, as saying he followed procedures for landing with excess weight. But the crew reportedly did not dump any fuel, which is common for flights that have to land soon after takeoff to prevent being overly heavy. The pilot said he was not certain why the plane landed hard. Video showed flames bursting from the jet's underside as it touched down, then raging across the rear of the Sukhoi SSJ100's fuselage within seconds as the airliner bounced down the runway. "Everything happened right away, at lightning speed. There was a strong blow my eyes almost popped out a second was a little quieter, a ...

Widow sues Mexican billionaire over fatal racecar crash

The widow of an auto racing instructor is suing a Mexican billionaire and his teenage son over the man's death last month in a training crash. The Palm Beach Post reports the wife of Peter London is suing Carlos Peralta Quintero and his 18-year-old son Nicols Peralta Quintero for the April 16 crash at Palm Beach International Raceway. The lawsuit says London was teaching the younger Peralta in the young man's 2013 Lamborghini Avendator when it crashed into a concrete barrier. London died, while Nicols Peralta suffered non-life threatening injuries. Authorities have not released many details about the crash. The elder Peralta is CEO of Grupo IUSA, a Mexico City-based conglomerate that owns manufacturing, automotive, publishing and telecommunications companies. The newspaper said Grupo IUSA did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

Private jet crashes in Mexico, 14 feared dead

The wreckage of a private jet that was flying from Las Vegas to Monterrey, in northern Mexico, was found Monday, an official said, after the plane disappeared with 14 people believed to be on board. Air-traffic controllers said they lost contact with the Bombardier Challenger 601 jet on Sunday evening, after it abruptly lost altitude over the state of Coahuila, in northern Mexico. Authorities flying over the area Monday spotted wreckage whose characteristics matched that of the missing jet. "Everything indicates it is the plane" that went missing, said Miguel Villarreal, head of the Monclova International Airport in Coahuila. "The flight plan reported there were 11 passengers on board, plus the crew. We are waiting for (emergency workers) to reach the site to confirm the plane's registration number," he told local TV station Multimedios. According to Mexican media reports, authorities believe there were three crew members on the flight, and that the charter jet was flying a group of ..

At least 55 killed in Nigeria oil tanker explosion

At least 55 people were killed and 37 were injured in an oil tanker explosion in Nigeria, authorities say.

Berkshire's Munger confident about Boeing 737 Max

Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Charlie Munger has said that the problem of Boeing's 737 Max jet will be fixed well.

Five killed in road accident in Latur district

At least five persons were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Maharashtras Latur district, police said Monday. The mishap took place on Wanjarwada Road at Dhamangaon phata Sunday night when a speeding tempo hit a truck, an official said. The driver of the speeding tempo lostcontrol and hit small truck, which was ferrying passengers, he said. At least five persons died and six others injured in the mishap, he said. The injured are undergoing treatment at a local hospital, the official said.

Aircraft with 13 on board crashes in Mexico

A business jet carrying 11 passengers and two crew members from US' Las Vegas to Mexico's Monterrey crashed in a mountainous area after disappearing from radars on Sunday.The private Bombardier Challenger 601 aircraft went missing over the municipality of Monclova in Mexico's Coahuila, according to Sputnik."The Secretariat of Public Security of Coahuila and authorities of Nuevo Leon have begun searches for the private jet Bombardier Challenger 601 plane, registration N601VH, that flew from Las Vegas to Monterrey, with which contact was lost on Sunday afternoon," a journalist working with Radio Centro said.The passengers were reportedly returning after watching a boxing match in Las Vegas.

Odisha: 35 dead in cyclone Fani, 1.4 crore affected

At least 35 people died and around 1.4 crore people were affected by cyclone Fani, informed State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) on Monday.It also stated that 14 districts of the state, namely Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khordha, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh and Puri were affected by the severe cyclonic storm.Maximum number of people-21 had lost their lives in Puri district. Three people each died in Kendrapada and Cuttack whereas four people were reported dead from Mayurbhanj and Jaipur districts of the state.SEOC has also stated that 16,074 number of villages and 1,40,60,602 people were affected by the cyclone."In Puri district, where the cyclone has made its landfall, extensive damages have occurred to all kutcha houses. Structures of temporary street vendors have been completely damaged. 160 nos. of people injured and admitted to hospital for treatment. Special Circuit House Puri, Office and Residence of SP and ...

Cyclone 'Fani': Toll rises to 35 in Odisha, lakhs still without water & power

The death toll due to cyclone 'Fani' rose to 35 in Odisha Monday, as lakhs of people still grapple with water shortage and snapped power supply, three days after the storm barrelled through the coastal parts of the state, an official said. The toll was 34 Sunday. A fresh casualty was reported from the Kendrapara district Monday, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), B P Sethi, said. While a maximum of 21 people died in Puri, four deaths each were reported from Mayurbhanj and Jajpur, and three each in Cuttack and Kendrapara, Sethi said, adding at least 160 people were admitted to hospitals in Puri district with injuries. Unable to get water, and as their miseries compounded with each passing day, groups of angry residents hit the streets at several places in the state capital. Demanding immediate supply of drinking water, thousands of demonstrators staged road blockade at around half-a-dozen locations including Patia, Biju Patnaik Chhak and Rasulgarh on Monday, giving the administration a

Uttarakhand announces Rs 5 crore for cyclone victims of Odisha

Uttarkhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday expressed grief at the loss of lives and property in cyclone Fani in Odisha and announced an assistance of Rs 5 crore for the victims. "The people of Uttarakhand understand the misery brought about by natural disasters and they stand with the people of Orissa at this hour of crisis (sic)," Rawat said in a statement. The chief minister also appealed to NGOs and social service organisations to come forward for help.

Telangana: 50 govt ambulances gutted in fire

Around fifty government ambulances were gutted in a fire that broke out on Monday in Jeedimetla police station limits.Subhash Reddy, Specialist Firearms Officer (SFO), Jeedimetla said, "On Monday afternoon around 1 pm, we received information about fire here in GVK EMRI parking place.""When we reached, we found several government ambulances on fire in the parking. Fire tenders were called in and after some time we doused the flame. Around fifty ambulances were gutted in the fire," he said.No casualties were reported in the incident. An investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire.

Dalai Lama, Patnaik, Pradhan donate for Odisha cyclone victims

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan have come forward with donations for people affected by cyclone 'Fani', which caused widespread destruction in the state and claimed at least 35 lives. "As a mark of solidarity with the people of Odisha, I am donating Rs 1,000,000 from the Dalai Lama Trust to the efforts to provide relief and rebuilt," a letter written by the Dalai Lama's office to Patnaik, said. He also hailed the measures taken by the Odisha government in facing the cyclonic storm. Due to the proactive steps, the human casualties have been minimal, the Dalai Lama said. "At the same time, I would like to express my sadness about the lives that were lost, the devastation of property, and hardship this storm has caused to many people," he said. Meanwhile, Patnaik announced he will donate one year's salary to the chief minister's relief fund for the cyclone-hit people. Union Minister ...

Cyclone Fani: Odisha CM Patnaik donates one year's salary for relief measures

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday donated a year's salary to the chief minister relief fund in view of cyclone 'Fani' which has caused unprecedented damage in the state.In a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also announced a release of Rs 1,000 crore for relief measures in the state. This amount is in addition to Rs 341 crore which the Centre had sanctioned in advance to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)."Power connectivity needs to be restored on a priority basis as drinking water supply, telephone connectivity and banking operations need electricity," said Cabinet Secretary Sinha.The restoration of power connectivity in Bhubaneswar and Puri remains one of the challenges for the state.The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which was postponed in the state, will now be held on May 20.

Home Ministry releases Rs 1,000 cr aid to Odisha

The Union Home Ministry on Monday released an additional financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for Odisha, which has been ravaged by cyclone Fani, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas and took stock of the relief measures earlier in the day.

SC seeks Centre's reply on plea for implementing MHRD's draft accountability guidelines

The Supreme Court Monday sought a reply from the Centre on a plea seeking direction to notify and implement draft accountability guidelines framed by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), which lays down responsibilities of school management in ensuring safety and security of children in government and private schools. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta issued notice to the Centre and the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights on a plea filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan. On August 20, 2018, the Department of School Education and Literacy of the MHRD released the "Fixing Accountability of School Management towards Safety and Security of Children in School Guidelines" in consultation with the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). "Only when such a notification is made by the Government of India can the schools, both government and private, be held responsible and consequently accountable for

Pak arrests 30 Indian fishermen off Gujarat coast

As many as 30 Indian fishermen have been arrested by Pakistan on Monday.An official from the Porbandar Boat Association said the fishermen were arrested by Pakistan's marine security agency near the international maritime border off the Gujarat coast.The official also mentioned that six boats were seized by the Pakistani agency, which belonged to the fishermen.Further details are awaited.

Tanker truck fuel blast kills 58 in Niger

Fifty-eight people died in Niger's capital Niamey after an overturned tanker truck exploded as crowds collected spilt fuel, authorities and witnesses said Monday. The blast on the RN1 route near the international airport Sunday night left the burnt truck's wreckage, motorbikes and debris scattered over the road. Nearby houses were damaged by fire. The explosion left 58 dead, the presidency said in a statement. "Motorbike riders and people were all around the truck when it exploded all of a sudden," a local trader said. "I saw at least 40 dead." Witnesses said people were trying to collect petrol leaking from the truck, which had overturned on railway tracks, when the explosion happened. "Just before midnight I went out and I saw the truck overturned. People came from everywhere to take gas, then I saw fire on its side and everything burst into flames," a college student told AFP. Nigerian President Mahamadou Issoufou visited some of the injured in hospital in the capital, according to