Page 99 - Disaster Accident
2 men missing after helicopter crashes near Kent Island
A search is underway for two men who were aboard a helicopter that crashed near Kent Island at the US state of Maryland on Saturday.The crash was witnessed at around 12:30 pm by the brother of one of the men on board who had been boating in the vicinity, Coast Guard spokeswoman Corinne Zilnicki said.Zilnicki added that the names of the missing men could not be released because their family members are yet to be informed about the incident.The Coast Guard got the report of the crash at around 12:30 pm (local time), following which, he deployed two search boats to the scene from its station in Annapolis, reported The Washington Post.The chopper was a white Cabri G2, a two-seat French-made aircraft. "The helicopter is submerged, but there's debris," Zilnicki said.Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as the Anne Arundel Fire Department's dive team and other agencies are on the scene to investigate the incident.
Cyclone Fani: CM Patnaik says efforts being made to provide all basic necessities
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said all possible efforts are being made to provide people with basic necessities like food, electricity, and restoration of communication after the cyclonic storm 'Fani' made landfall in the state on May 3.Extensive damage to telecommunications and power infrastructure was reported from Puri, Bhubaneshwar and other parts of Odisha when the storm with wind speed reaching up to 175kmph hit the state.Briefing media here on Saturday, Patnaik said Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him over the phone and discussed the situation in the aftermath of the cyclone."People in cyclone shelters will be provided cooked food for next 15 days and electricity and drinking water is being worked on war footing so that it is supplied to people very soon. Condition is bad. Prime Minister spoke to me. We are working very hard to restore communication too," he mentioned.Meanwhile, Special Relief Commissioner (Odisha) Bishnupada Sethi said the cyclone period has come .
'Miracle' as passengers safe after plane skids into Florida river
Dozens of shocked passengers were evacuated to safety from the wings of a stricken Boeing 737 on Saturday in Florida after the jet made a rough landing in a lightning storm and skidded off the runway into a river. The plane carrying 143 people including crew from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba slammed into shallow water next to a naval air station in Jacksonville after a hard landing that saw the plane bounce and swerve down the runway, passengers said. No fatalities or critical injuries were reported. "As we went down... the plane bounced and screeched and bounced more and lifted to the right and then it lifted to the left," Cheryl Bormann, a defense attorney who was on board the flight, told CNN. "And then it sort of swerved and then it came to a complete crash stop." Some oxygen masks deployed and overhead lockers flew open during the landing, she added. Twenty-one adults were taken to local hospitals, but none were critically injured, the Jacksonville sheriff's office said on Twitter. ...
Not much damage by cyclone Fani in Bengal: Mamata
Except for damaging a few huts, Cyclone Fani did not cause much havoc in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said as the severe cyclonic storm weakened Saturday morning and headed towards neighbouring Bangladesh. While flight operations resumed at the Kolkata airport at 9.57 am, train services on the Sealdah and Howrah sections are also getting back to normal. The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) resumed its routine operation Saturday morning at both Haldia and Kolkata docks. "The entire administration was awake the whole night. We were very worried about the cyclone," Banerjee said. She had cancelled her election programmes and stayed put at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district to monitor the situation. "There was not much damage in the state. At least 850 mud houses in the districts were partially damaged, while 12 were destroyed," the chief minister said. Banerjee said the state government will extend help to people whose houses have been damaged due to the cyclone. Trees .
Cyclone Fani: Rain to continue for another 6-8 hrs but no risk of 'more danger' in Bangladesh
The Meteorological Department on Saturday evening predicted that heavy downpour would continue for another six to eight hours.After 21 hours of hitting Odisha in eastern India a day before, cyclone 'Fani' crossed over to Bangladesh in the morning, killing at least 14 people and leaving behind a trail of destruction -- uprooting scores of trees and damaging nearly 13,000 houses.The National Disaster Response Coordination Centre said that over 53,000 acres of cropland were fully destroyed."This is the initial data we have gathered," GM Abdul Quader, Joint Secretary for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told The Daily Star.So far, the government said to have distributed 3,800 metric tonnes of rice, (Bangladesh Taka) Tk 1.97 crore in aid and 41,000 packets of dried food among the victims.Authorities said that Bangladesh is now completely out of any potential danger from cyclone 'Fani,' which has reduced down to a depression in the north."There is no more danger," Shamsuddin .
16 dead in Odisha in Cyclone Fani, massive restoration work mounted
The death toll in the Cyclone Fani rose to 16 in Odisha Saturday as the government mounted a massive restoration work across 10,000 villages and 52 urban areas ravaged by the storm that pounded coastal parts of the state, affecting nearly one crore people. The extremely severe cyclonic storm, that made landfall at Puri on Friday, was one of the "rarest of the rare" summer cyclones -- the first to hit Odisha in 43 years and one of the three to hit in the last 150 years It unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 240 kmph, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering into West Bengal, officials said. It was the severest cyclone to hit the state since the Super Cyclone of 1999, which had claimed nearly 10,000 lives and devastated vast areas of the state. The toll due to Cyclone Fani, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 16 Saturday -- four deaths in Mayurbhanj district, 3 each in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Jajpur; and 1 each ..
Vice Admiral visits naval base hit by cyclone Fani
As the cyclone Fani hit the Indian Naval base and neighbouring areas, Vice Admiral Karambir Singh made an urgent visit to INS Chilka, regarded as the premier training establishment of the Navy, to assess the losses due to the natural disaster.
16 die in Nigeria road crash: Official
Sixteen people were killed in a three-vehicle road crash outside northern Nigeria's largest city of Kano, a spokesman for the road safety agency said Saturday. The accident occurred on Friday when the vehicles collided in Tukui village, 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Kano, said Kabiru Ibrahim of the Federal Roads Safety Commission, in a statement. He blamed the accident on "suicidal speed" by drivers of two of the vehicles, causing a head-on collision. Accidents are common on Nigeria's poorly-maintained roads due to speeding, reckless driving and disregard for traffic rules. Last month, 19 wedding guests, including women and children, were killed when their vehicles veered off the road and burst into flames in neighbouring Jigawa state.
Cyclone Fani: IAF sends 3 Super Hercules aircraft to Bhubaneswar for relief ops
The Indian Air Force Saturday sent three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to Bhubaneswar from Hindan Air Base for humanitarian aid and disaster relief, an IAF spokesperson said. The aircraft are carrying approximate 45 tonnes of relief material including medicines for the locations affected by Cyclone Fani. "The IAF had remained on hot standby for a launch ever since the first warning about the cyclone was received. The aircraft were positioned at Hindan for a short notice take off, waiting for the restoration of landing facilities at cyclone affected airfields," he said. The Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter landed at Bhubaneswar for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The helicopter, launched from Guwahati airbase, is one of many IAF aircraft being deployed to the cyclone affected areas, he said. "Air operations began after the restoration of landing facilities at cyclone affected airfields and are going to continue with full force in the coming days. "The Indian ..
NEET exam postponed in Fani-hit Odisha
The Health Ministry on Saturday decided to postpone the NEET examination in Odisha, scheduled for May 5. The decision comes after Odisha was hit by cyclone Fani which caused massive destruction of property and partial shutdown of power and telecom services in the state.
Powerful blast rocks Illinois chemical plant
A powerful explosion ripped through a chemical plant in Illinois injuring four people, with three others still unaccounted for, fire officials said Saturday. The blast took place at a silicone plant in Waukegan, 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Chicago, late on Friday night. A "very loud explosion sound and ground shaking" were reported in the area, Lake County Sheriff department wrote on Twitter. Fire, police and paramedic personnel were dispatched to the scene, it said. Nine people were believed to be in the building at the time, said Steve Lenzi, fire marshal for Waukegan fire department. Four were taken for treatment at nearby hospitals while two were not injured. "We are unable to account for three subjects at this point," Lenzi told a local ABC affiliate. The fire has been extinguished at the site, he added.
Cyclone Fani: People warned of flash floods, landslides in Myanmar
As cyclone 'Fani' continues to impact regions across the Indian subcontinent, people living in hilly areas and near small rivers in Myanmar were warned of flash floods and landslides on Saturday by the country's Meteorology and Hydrology Department.Strong winds and heavy rains are expected in the wake of the severe tropical storm, which is being touted as one of the worst cyclonic storms to hit the region in the last decade.Even though cyclone 'Fani' has weakened into a deep depression, rain or thundershowers were forecast for regions like Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Bago, Yangon, and Ayeyarwady amongst others in Myanmar, according to Xinhua.The department further outlined that occasional squalls with rough seas were forecast along Myanmar's coasts in the wake of the cyclone.The cyclone claimed the lives of at least 12 people in Bangladesh, after making landfall on Friday.Meanwhile, cyclone 'Fani' wreaked havoc in the Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal on Friday, leaving a trail of ...
Train services to resume in Bhubneswar
Trains originating from Bhubaneswar will resume from tomorrow a day after cyclone Fani hit Odisha causing massive destruction. The services were kept on hold as the rail lines were damaged by the cyclone.
North Eastern states to be under orange and yellow alert till May 5: IMD
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued an orange warning for Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya in the north-eastern region, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall for May 4 and 5 in the wake of cyclone 'Fani.'"Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over West Kameng, East Kameng, Lower Subansiri districts in Arunachal Pradesh. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also expected in Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Barpeta, Udalguri, Darrang, and other districts in Assam," said IMD in a statement."South Garo Hills, East Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Janitia and Khasi Hills in districts of Meghalaya too are likely to receive very heavy rainfall."An orange warning has also been issued for Marmit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts in Mizoram and West Tripura, North Tripura, South Tripura, Gomati, Khowai, Sipahijala, Dhalai and Unakoti districts in Tripura.Orange weather
Rescue and relief operations mounted on massive scale in wake of cyclone 'Fani'
Rescue and relief operations were mounted on a massive scale in Odisha, which was recovering from devastation on Friday left by Cyclone Fani that crossed West Bengal on Saturday, bringing in its wake heavy rains in Kolkata and causing damage in various towns of the state.Extensive damage to telecommunications and power infrastructure was reported from Puri, Bhubaneshwar and other parts of Odisha when the storm with wind speed reaching up to 175kmph lashed the Odisha coast after it made landfall near Puri coast.The National Crisis Management Committee met in Delhi on Saturday and reviewed the rescue and relief measures being carried out in Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. It was felt that due to timely measures and large scale evacuation of people to safety shelters, loss of human lives was minimal.Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the death toll was only in single digit but did not give the exact figure. He said a record 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours and
14 dead, 63 injured as cyclone 'Fani' hits Bangladesh
At least 14 people were killed and 63 others injured as cyclonic storm 'Fani' barrelled into Bangladesh on Saturday, a day after leaving a trail of destruction in eastern Indian coastlines, media reports said. However, Bangladesh Disaster Management Ministry officially confirmed four deaths -- two in Barguna and one each in Bhola and Noakhali -- on the basis of "initial reports" from the three coastal districts and said it was yet to compile the details of the casualties and damages caused by the cyclone. "The detailed information from all the affected districts is yet to reach us," State minister for disaster management Enamur Rahman told reporters here. According to Dhaka Tribune, 14 deaths were reported from eight districts, including Noakhali, Bhola and Lakshmipur, which were among the places worst-hit by the cyclone. The dead also included a two-year old boy and four women. The severe cyclone, which entered Bangladesh through the southwestern region earlier this morning, also ...
Drought relief: Pawar says Maha govt woke up after his visit
NCP president Sharad Pawar Saturday came down heavily on the BJP-led Maharashtra government's drought relief measures, saying it woke up only after he toured some drought-affected areas recently. As many as 151 out of 358 tehsils in the state have been declared as drought-affected. Addressing a press conference here, the NCP chief alleged that drought relief measures were implemented late. The Model Code of Conduct for elections does not come in the way of drought mitigation, only the Election Commission has to be informed about the urgency of measures, he said. Pawar said he visited drought-hit areas of Solapur district soon after casting his vote on April 29 in the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. "The government has woken up now, after my visit. It was necessary to provide drinking water for people and cattle, employment, fodder, to set up cattle camps and put together a financial package for farmers," he said. An NCP delegation led by the ...
Coast Guard deploys ships, helicopter in search-and-rescue operations in Odisha
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed its assets, including ships and a helicopter, in search- and-rescue operations in Odisha after Cyclone Fani pummelled the coastal state on Friday. The ships and a helicopter are trying to locate fishing boats at sea. "While 02 @CoastGuard Ships and 01 Helicopter deployed off #Odisha Coast continue to look for marooned fishing boats at sea if any #Haldia dock reports operational normal as of now...," the Coast Guard tweeted. The Coast Guard had kept all its assets on standby to be pressed into service for the rescue operations. On Friday, the Coast Guard sent its ship to Gopalpur near Odisha ferrying food and relief material for the cyclone-affected areas. Around 12 people died in Odisha after Cyclone Fani slammed the state on Friday.
NCMC reviews rescue and relief operations in states hit by cyclone 'Fani'
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Saturday reviewed rescue and relief measures being carried out in cyclone 'Fani' affected areas in Odisha, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh.The NCMC was informed by Odisha government that extensive damage to telecommunications and power infrastructure had been caused in Puri, Bhubaneswar and other areas. However, due to timely precautionary measures including large scale evacuation, the loss to human lives was minimal.West Bengal reported mild impact of the cyclone while Andhra Pradesh informed of heavy rainfall and some damage to crops and roads in Srikakulam district.Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha directed the Ministry of Power and Department of Telecommunications to immediately assist Odisha government by providing electrical poles, gang workmen and diesel generator sets of varying capacities for quick restoration of power supply."Flights to Bhubaneswar will resume by Saturday afternoon. No damages to ports and refinery installations ...
Cyclone: Flight operations resume at Kolkata and Bhubaneswar airports
As cyclone 'Fani' has moved away, flight operations resumed at Kolkata and Bhubaneswar airports on Saturday, said ministry of civil aviation. "Flight operations to and from Bhubaneswar airport has resumed. Alliance Air flight from Ranchi is the first flight to land," tweeted the ministry on Saturday at 4.26 pm. Alliance Air is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India. It mainly operates domestic routes under regional connectivity scheme UDAN. Kolkata airport, owned and managed by Airports Authority of India (AAI), also tweeted that flight operations have resumed. "Air India AI 743 to Agartala is the first departure from Kolkata at 0957 hrs; G8 101 from Delhi is the first flight to land in Kolkata at around 1010 hrs," it said on Twitter. IndiGo, which has around 44 per cent domestic passenger market share, resumed its operations to and from Bhubaneswar airport at 5.20 pm and Kolkata airport at 3.30 pm. About the Bhubaneswar airport, which is also owned and managed by AAI, the civil ...