Page 97 - Disaster Accident
Northern Railway cancels around 287 trains due after Cyclone Fani
The Northern Railway has cancelled about 287 trains passing through the East Coast Railway zone after damage to infrastructure due to Cyclone Fani, including Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express and Bhuvneswer-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, railways said Sunday. "These mail/express trains include those originating, ending their destinations at or passing through ECoR jurisdiction. Nine trains have been diverted, 10 have been cancelled partially and 187 local passenger, MEMU/DEMU/ EMU trains have been cancelled so far," Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said. Other trains which will remain cancelled on Monday are Anand Vihar-Bhubneswer Express, Puri-Anand Vihar Terminal Nandan Kanan Express and Puri Patna Express. Officials said that with Puri being the worst affected due to the storm, most trains on the route will remain cancelled. Operations are unlikely to begin before May 10.
Andhra CM announces Rs 15 cr for cyclone-hit Odisha
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced Rs 15 crore financial assistance for cyclone-hit Odisha.
Governor praises district admn for satisfactory relief work
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi Sunday praised the Paschim Midnapore district administration for the "satisfactory" relief work undertaken after cyclone 'Fani' hit the state. Though there was little damage in West Bengal as cyclone Fani had weakened before reaching here, Tripathi said the preparations were "satisfactory and adequate" and nobody made any complaint regarding the relief works. "Nobody had made any complaint to me regarding relief works," Tripathi said after speaking to locals at four places of Talmal basti, Kargil basti in word no 14 of Midnapore Municipality area, Gopgarh, Khejur danga, Midnapore-I block and Bharimba of Kharagpur II block. The governor Sunday also held meetings with district administration at the circuit house and assessed the overall situation of Paschim Midnapore district. Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Tripathi, on Saturday about the ground situation after cyclone Fani passed through the state. During his
'Several injured' in passenger plane emergency landing in Moscow
"Several people were injured" when a passenger plane made an emergency landing at Moscow's busiest airport and caught fire, Russian state news agency TASS reported. The Interfax agency reported that the plane, a Russian-made Superjet-100, had just taken off from Sheremetyevo airport on a domestic route when the crew issued a distress signal. "It attempted an emergency landing but did not succeed the first time, and on the second time the landing gear hit (the ground), then the nose did, and it caught fire," a source told Interfax. The agencies did not immediately say how many people were on board and TASS did not specify the number of injured. It said ambulances were sent to the scene of the landing and the passengers were evacuated. Russian television showed a column of smoke towering over the plane. Other images showed the aircraft on fire as it attempted to land, then passengers leaving by a forward door. According to the Ria Novosti news agency, the plane had been headed to the ...
10 killed in intercommunal violence in western DR Congo
Ten people were killed in fighting between two communities seeking power in an western village of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Sunday. During a night of fighting with machetes by rival clan members in Kahungu village last week "ten people were killed and six inured, including two police officers," said local official Tresor Kitambala, who added that two houses were torched. The last outbreak of fighting between the Bakwamanda and the Ngundu communities happened last July and left one person dead, said Blaise Nzuana, head of a regional farmworkers group.
Fani toll jumps to 34 in Odisha, Patnaik announces relief package
The death toll due to Cyclone Fani mounted to 34 in Odisha on Sunday, two days after it caused widespread damage in the coastal region and left hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts, an official said. Although the official figure is 34, many more are feared dead in the calamity as information from several areas, including the severely-damaged Khurda district, is still awaited. The number of people affected by the cyclone has also jumped to around 1.08 crore in 14,835 villages spread across at least 11 districts, the official said, adding that over 13.41 lakh people had been evacuated in a span of 24 hours ahead of the disaster. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already unveiled a relief package for those affected by the calamity. In Puri and in those parts of Khurda that had been "extremely severely affected", the families will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 in cash and polythene sheets if they are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Patnaik said. For the
Burning Aeroflot plane lands in Moscow, injuries reported
A plane belonging to Russian national carrier Aeroflot has landed in flames at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and unconfirmed reports say at least five people have been injured. Video on Russian news channel Rossiya-24 showed the plane, a Sukhoi SSJ-100 regional jet, landing Sunday evening with large flames engulfing the rear section. Russian news agencies cited unspecified sources as saying the plane had taken off for the northern city of Murmansk, but a fire broke out while it was in the air and it returned to Sheremetyevo. The reports say there were 78 people aboard the plane.
Cyclone Fani: Pradhan visits Puri, urges all to help rebuild Odisha
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday visited the affected areas in Puri that was recently ravaged by cyclone Fani."I came to Puri today morning. The city has been severely affected. It has to be rebuilt. Apart from Puri, 10 to 11 districts have been affected. We stand with those affected at this time. All should come forward to rebuild Odisha," Pradhan told ANI.He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in touch with authorities in the wake of the cyclone and assured that all necessary assistance was being given."The Prime Minister also spoke to me, Chief Minister and Governor to know about the situation. He has assured that all necessary assistance would be given," Pradhan said.The severe cyclonic storm Fani, with a wind speed touching nearly 200 kmph, made landfall at Puri coast on May 3.The cyclone also triggered heavy rainfall in the state. It left at least three people dead and over 160 injured along with leaving behind a trail of destructions that included damaged
Three injured in fire after cylinder blast in Mumbai
Three persons, including an elderly woman, were injured in a fire that broke after an LPG cylinder exploded at a residential building in suburban Andheri on Sunday, police said. The incident occurred around 11.25 am at the fourth floor of Sunita Building on Yari Road, an official said. "The fire was confined to electric wiring and installations, furniture, curtains, doors and windows," he said. "Three persons, including an elderly woman, sustained injuries and were rescued by the fire brigade. They were admitted to a hospital," he added. While one of them, a 27-year-old man, was discharged from the hospital, two others are still undergoing treatment, he said.
Central Railway to carry relief material free of cost to cyclone Fani hit states
The Central Railway on Sunday announced that it will transport free of cost, the relief material to cyclone "Fani" affected states of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh through coaching and goods trains.A press note issued by Sunil Udasi, Chief Public Relations Officer (PRO), Central Railway said on Sunday, "The Central Railway will transport relief material to cyclone "Fani" affected states of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh by coaching trains (parcel van/VP/SLR, etc.) and goods trains including in less than standard composition rakes free of cost till June 2 or till further orders whichever is earlier."The release said, "All Government organization across the jurisdiction of Central Railway can book relief material free of cost to aforementioned affected states.""Other organizations, as deemed fit by Divisional Railway Managers of Mumbai, Bhusaval, Nagpur, Pune and Solapur divisions may also avail of this provision. However, the consignor/consignee shall have to be ...
Goods train derails in yard in C'garh's Bastar
Two locomotives and three wagons of a goods train Sunday derailed and crashed into a track side overhead equipment carshed building on Kirandul- Vishakhapattnam railway section in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, an official said. No casualties were reported in the incident, he said. The incident took place at around 3:30 pm in the rail yard of Dilmili railway station, when the iron-ore laden goods train was heading to Visakhapatnam from Bacheli (Dantewada), he said. After derailment, the train crashed into the OHE inspection and maintenance car shed located on the side of the track, damaging a part of the structure, he said. The movement of trains was not affected as the incident happened in a yard, he said. A probe has been ordered, he added.
Kerala CM to go on tour of Europe for 13 days
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would undertake a 13-day trip to Europe from May 8 and participate in various programmes, including the United Nations (UN) world reconstruction conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference is a global forum providing a platform to collect, assess, and share experiences in disaster recovery and reconstruction and take forward the policy dialogue. The chief minister would share at the conference the devastation caused by the floods in August last and explain in detail the reconstruction plan, an official press release said here Sunday. Vijayan and his team would visit 'Room for River' project of Netherlands which is a model to rebuild a flood-hit state. The release said Chief Minister would also meet French economist Thomas Picketty in Paris on May 16. Vijayan would attend a meeting with Swiss investors to attract investment to Kerala. During his visit to Switzerland, Vijayan would hold a meeting with United Nations Development
PM to visit cyclone-hit areas of Odisha on Monday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Cyclone Fani ravaged districts in Odisha on Monday to take stock of the situation, officials said Sunday. The prime minister will arrive at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in the city and undertake an aerial survey of the cyclone situation in the districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore, they said. After returning from the aerial survey, the prime minister will review the relief and restoration work with the state government officials at the airport itself. The prime minister had earlier spoken to Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the phone and assured all possible help from the Centre for Odisha. The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, earlier in the day reviewed relief measures in affected areas of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who undertook a visit to
Kerala CM offers assistance to cyclone-hit Odisha
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has extended solidarity to the people and the government of Odisha, which was hit by cyclone Fani. Vijayan, in a letter sent to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday, said Kerala would do everything possible to assist in relief and rehabilitation of the cyclone-affected. The Kerala chief minister said Kerala and its people "offer all assistance" including provision of medical teams, fire and rescue services and state electricity board personnel if necessary. "We will also be able to provide provisions, clothing, tarpaulins and other essentials in numbers that you may indicate. I have asked out state relief commissioner to be in constant touch with your state authorities to render any assistance that may be required," Vijayan had said in the letter. "I take this opportunity to express our solidarity with the people of Odisha in these difficult times. Together, we shall overcome this calamity," Vijayan had said. 'Fani' hit ...
Indonesia: 4 people killed in mine slides
Four miners were killed after mine slides struck an illegal gold mine in the South Kalimantan province, according to provincial disaster agency officials."The collapses hit the underground area twice, when the first one happened, it buried one miner, then four others tried to rescue him, but, suddenly, another mine slide struck and buried three out of the four," Syafarudin Syukur, the head of the emergency unit at the provincial disaster agency told Xinhua.The illegal mine is situated at Gunung Puncak in Kotabaru district. All the bodies were retrieved, the official added.Scores of miners excavate gold at traditional gold mines in the region, the official said. Even though the Indonesian authorities had barred the operation of illegal gold mines, small-scale ones can reportedly be seen throughout the region.In 2017, a gold mine collapse had claimed the lives of around 11 miners in Indonesia's Jambi. The collapse was triggered due to heavy rains. The bodies of the deceased were found ..
Cyclone Fani: Pre-emptive measures ensured zero loss of life at sea, says Coast Guard
Pre-emptive measures undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard like alerting the fisherfolk and merchant marine community resulted in zero loss of life at sea during Cyclone Fani, the maritime security agency said Sunday. In a statement, the Coast Guard said on April 24, when Fani was in its formative stages, it started working on risk assessment of the vulnerabilities on eastern coast. All the seven Indian Coast Guard (ICG) stations and six of its district headquarters on the east coast were put on alert. "No loss of life has been reported at sea. ICG Disaster Response Teams are assisting the state administration in the relief operations," the Coast Guard said. Around 14 ICG ships and four aircraft were tasked daily at sea to warn fishing and merchant marine community since April 24, it said. "ICG ships, aircraft and shore based remote operating stations relayed warning to fishing and merchant mariners on very high frequency (VHF) along the entire east coast," the Coast Guard ...
Army officer among two injured in Pak firing along LoC in J-K
An Army officer and a porter were injured Sunday as Pakistan army resorted to heavy mortar shelling and small arms firing on forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. While the colonel-rank officer was injured in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district, the 25-year-old porter suffered splinter injuries when a mortar shell exploded near him in Keri sector of Rajouri district, they said. Both the injured were evacuated to a hospital and their condition was stated to be "stable", the officials said. Earlier, a defence spokesman said Pakistan violated ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked shelling and firing from across the border in the two sectors around 11 a.m., prompting the Indian Army to give a befitting response. The officials said the shelling was intense in both the sectors, causing panic among the people who were asked to stay indoors to avoid any casualty. The cross-border firing stopped ...
Cyclone Fani: Maha to give Odisha Rs 10 cr
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Sunday said his government will contribute Rs 10 crore to Odisha for relief and rehabilitation measures post cyclonic storm Fani. 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and winds of up to 175 kmph, killing at least 29 people, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages. "Maharashtra stands firm with the people of Odisha. The state government will contribute Rs 10 crore towards the relief and rehabilitation measures in different parts of Odisha affected by cyclone Fani," he said. The Odisha government has mounted massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting nearly one crore people.
Chhattisgarh CM announces financial assistance of Rs 11 crore for cyclone-hit Odisha
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 11 crore from the Chief Minister Relief Fund for cyclone-hit Odisha.Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers announced financial assistance of Rs 10 crores each for the state.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami made the contribution from their respective state relief funds to help people affected by cyclone Fani that hit the state on Friday.On May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Central government released Rs 1000 crores in advance to Odisha and other states to deal with the devastation caused by cyclone Fani."I am in regular touch with these states. Rs 1,000 crore for relief work has been released as advance to deal with the situation. I want to assure that the whole nation and the Centre is with all those families and governments," PM Modi had said while addressing an election rally here.The severe cyclonic storm ..
Cyclone Fani: Guj govt offers Rs 5 crore to Odisha
The Gujarat government has offered an assistance of Rs 5 crore to Odisha following cyclonic storm Fani to help the state carry out restoration work. 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and winds of up to 175 kmph, killing at least 29 people, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages. "The people of Odisha are facing unprecedented adversity due to #CycloneFani. The Gujarat has always stood by the people of the country. During this hour of crisis, the Govt Of Guj has announced an assistance of 5 Crore to the cyclone affected people of Odisha from CM Relief Fund," Chief Minister Vijay Rupani tweeted. The Odisha government has mounted massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting nearly one crore people.