Page 11 - Natural Disasters

Budget 2024: HP to get aid to overcome losses due to last year's floods

Himachal Pradesh, which suffered major losses due to floods last year, would be provided aid through multilateral development assistance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said during her budget speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Heavy rains triggered floods and landslides in the hill state last year and about 550 people died during the monsoon season. The Himachal Pradesh government has requested the Centre to release Rs 9,042 crore as financial assistance following a post-disaster assessment carried out by a central team. "Himachal Pradesh suffered extensive losses due to floods last year and our government would provide assistance to the state for reconstruction and rehabilitation through multilateral development assistance," Sitharaman said. The state received three spells of very heavy rains last year. It received 223.9 mm of rain from July 8 to July 12 against the normal of 42.2 mm, 111.2 mm from August 11 to August 14 against the normal of 41.7 mm, an excess of 167 per cen

Search underway for dozens missing after flooding leaves 25 dead in China

Rescuers on Monday were searching for dozens missing after heavy rains caused flash flooding and a bridge collapse in different parts of China, killing at least 25 people. Flash flooding tore through a village in southwestern Sichuan province in the middle of the night Saturday, and rescuers said 10 people died and they were searching for another 29 missing. Days of heavy rain swelled the river that runs through the village of Xinhua in Hanyuan county. The water swept away 40 houses on the riverbank, according to local media, while also breaking bridges and cutting off roads. In northwestern Shaanxi province, vehicles fell into a rushing river when part of a highway bridge collapsed late Friday, and state broadcaster CCTV reported at least 15 deaths confirmed as of Monday. A photo released by China's Xinhua news agency showed a section of the bridge snapped and folded at almost a 90-degree angle into the rushing brown water below. Rescuers said Saturday some 20 cars and 30 people we

Nepal landslide: 19 bodies recovered after two buses swept into river

Rescuers in Nepal have so far recovered 19 bodies, including that of four Indians, after two buses were swept into a swollen river following a landslide in the Chitwan district last week, sources here said on Thursday. The landslide happened in the Simaltal area along the Narayanghat-Mugling road in Chitwan district on Friday. Out of 54 people, three people swam to safety soon after the incident. Twenty-four people, including seven Indian nationals, were travelling on the first bus heading towards Kathmandu from Birgunj. Another bus heading to Gaur from Kathmandu was carrying 30 people. The two buses plunged into the Trishuli River when heavy mudslides hit them. Bodies of nineteen people have been recovered from the Simaltal twin bus accident site so far. Out of 19 bodies, four corpses belong to Indian nationals, according to the Armed Police Force sources. Five male dead bodies are yet to be identified. The local authorities in Nepal are coordinating with the Indian authorities i

Cities need a defence against disasters

There is an urgent need to strengthen the climate and disaster resilience of our cities-not just to prevent the damage to life and property, but also to keep the city functioning

Heavy rains in eastern Afghanistan kill at least 40, destroy houses

Heavy rains in eastern Afghanistan have killed at least 40 people and injured nearly 350 others, Taliban officials said Tuesday. Among the dead in Monday's storm were five members of the same family when the roof of their house collapsed in Surkh Rod district, according to provincial spokesperson Sediqullah Quraishi. Four other family members were injured. Sharafat Zaman Amar, a spokesperson for the Public Health Ministry, said the 347 injured people had been brought for treatment to the regional hospital in Nangarhar from Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, and nearby districts. About 400 houses and 60 electricity poles were destroyed across Nangarhar, Quraishi said. Power was cut in many areas and there were limited communications in Jalalabad city, he said. The damage was still being assessed. Abdul Wali, 43, said much of the damage occurred within an hour. The winds were so strong that they blew everything into the air. That was followed by heavy rain, he said. His ..

Assam floods: Home minister talks with CM Sarma, assures him of all help

The flood situation in Assam improved gradually even as over 5 lakh people in 17 districts are still reeling under the deluge, official sources said on Tuesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah telephoned Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to enquire about the situation, reiterating assurance of all help from the Centre, while Sarma also received a call from his Odisha counterpart offering use of the eastern state's disaster management system to mitigate the challenges. Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Monday and apprised him of the flood situation, a Raj Bhavan source said here. The Prime Minister said that the Centre is with the state government to deal with the situation and empower the state in mitigating the impact of flood. Modi also assured the governor of his support and assistance in helping the state government in carrying out the rehabilitation work, the source added. They said over 5,11,000 people remained affe

Nepal seeks India's help to search for passengers swept in landslide

Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs wrote to India on Monday, asking for India's assistance to search for the missing buses and passengers

Hurricane Beryl's cascade of crises in Texas a sign of storms to come

Beryl ripped through Texas last week and dropped up to 15 inches of rain in some areas, causing flooding. Storm winds knocked out power to over 1.3 million households and businesses

Houston struggles with Hurricane Beryl's chaotic aftermath, blackouts

Beryl, now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone after striking Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, brought heavy rain Tuesday to Missouri, Illinois and Indiana

Landslides disrupt surface communication to several Arunachal districts

Surface communication to several districts in Arunachal Pradesh was disrupted by landslides triggered by rains, officials said on Monday. Landslides buried a person in Shi-Yomi district on Friday, according to a report of the state disaster management department. So far four people have died in the state since April due to natural calamities. The Tezu-Hayuliang road remains blocked at Mompani area in Lohit and Anjaw districts, while landslides blocked the Dari-Chambang and the Palin-Taraklengdi via Langdang village PMGSY road in Kra Daadi district, they said. NH 513 also remained blocked at Geying in East Siang district, a report said. Over 72,900 people and 257 villages have so far been affected by floods and landslides in Arunachal since April this year. Floods and landslides also caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, culverts, power lines, electric poles, transformers and water supply systems. According to the report, 160 roads, 76 power lines, 30 electric poles, three ..

Tornado hits town in Eastern China, kills five, injures 100 others

The powerful storm caused significant destruction, tearing roofs off houses and uprooting trees, with debris scattered throughout the air

Assam floods top points: Red alert in state, death toll rises to 52

Assam floods: Brahmaputra river is expected to recede by 35-65 cm by Saturday night, authorities advise continued caution near the riverfront as the water levels remain dangerously high

Hurricane Beryl strikes Jamaica killing at least 10, causes destruction

Almost 500 Jamaicans were in shelters by Wednesday afternoon, PM Andrew Holness told reporters, urging people in high-risk areas to move

Assam flood situation continues to worsens; 8 dead, over 1.6 mn hit

The flood situation in Assam continued to deteriorate with eight more people losing their lives and more than 16.25 lakh people reeling under the deluge across 27 districts on Wednesday, an official bulletin said. According to the daily flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), two persons died at Tezpur revenue circle of Sonitpur district, while one each drowned at Mayong of Morigaon, Naharkatia of Dibrugarh, Pub Mangaladi of Darrang, Dergaon of Golaghat, Halem of Biswanath and Margherita of Tinsukia. With this, the total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood, landslide and storm has increased to 56. Besides, three more persons feared to be washed away by flood waters in Sonitpur, Sivasagar and Golaghat districts. The report said more than 16,25,000 people are hit due to the floods in Barpeta, Biswanath, Cachar, Charaideo, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup ...

Hurricane Beryl nears Caribbean after strengthening into Category 4 storm

Hurricane Beryl closed in on the southeastern Caribbean late Sunday after strengthening into what experts called an "extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, and government officials pleaded with people to take shelter. The storm was expected to make landfall in the Windward Islands on Monday morning. Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This is a very dangerous situation, warned the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami, saying Beryl was forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge. Beryl was centred about 150 miles (240 kilometres) southeast of Barbados late Sunday. It had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) and was moving west at 20 mph (31 kph). It is a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 30 miles (45 kilometres) from its centre. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Martinique and Trinidad. A tropical storm watch was issued for Dominica, Haiti's entire southern coas

Over 80,000 Tripura farmers impacted by natural disasters will get aid

Over 80,000 farmers in Tripura who have been affected by natural disasters will be given financial assistance amounting to Rs 23.61 crore, state Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath said. A total of 58,200 farmers were affected in November last year, while 20,078 farmers were affected in December last year. In May, another spell of disaster affected 2,134 farmers, he said. "The Agriculture Department after carrying out an extensive survey, submitted a report before the Revenue Department seeking Rs 14.58 crore to compensate the affected farmers. The Horticulture Department also separately conducted surveys," Nath said. "The government has sanctioned a total of Rs 23.61 crore, excluding Rs 44.60 lakh to be given under the Fasal Bima Yojana. The compensation will be given to the farmers at a programme in Julaibari on July 4," he added. The government will pay an assistance of Rs 8,500 per hectare, Nath said. The farmers will also separately get compensated under the PM Fasal Bima Yo

Flooding forces people from homes in Iowa as much of US broils in heat

Floodwaters forced people out of their homes in parts of Iowa, the result of weeks of rain, while much of the United States longed for relief Saturday from yet another round of extraordinary heat. Sirens blared at 2 a.m. in Rock Valley, Iowa, population 4,200, where people in hundreds of homes were told to get out as the Rock River could no longer take rain that has slammed the region. The city lacked running water because wells were unusable. Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo said a state helicopter was on its way to help but was called off when boats were able to reach stranded residents. We've had so much rain here, he said. We had 4 inches last night in an hour and a half time. Our ground just cannot take anymore. Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a disaster for 21 counties in northern Iowa, including Sioux County, which includes Rock Valley. In drone video posted by the local sheriff, no streets were visible, just roofs and treetops poking above the water. Elsewhere in the U.S., the miserabl

Over 200 tourists evacuated from Sikkim's Lachung, 1,000 still stranded

Fifteen more stranded tourists were evacuated from Lachung and adjoining regions of Sikkim's landslides-hit Mangan district on Tuesday, officials said. The district administration along with Border Roads Organisation (BRO), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other volunteers are taking the stranded tourists to safer grounds, officials said. More tourists are likely to be evacuated and moved to safer places as the day progresses, they said. Sixty-four tourists were evacuated from North Sikkim's Lachung on Monday and moved to Mangan town, officials said. The district administration had to set up log bridges over the slides to facilitate movement by foot and by vehicles where roads were motorable, they said. Incessant rains since June 12 wreaked havoc in Mangan, causing multiple landslides, and severing connectivity to most parts of the district. Due to the blockage of various roads at several locations, around 1,200 tourists got strande

DM orders closure of schools in Sikkim's Mangan due to safety concerns

The Mangan district administration on Tuesday ordered the closure of all government schools in the district with immediate effect due to safety concerns of students in view of damage to property and road blockages. An ordered issued by District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri said government schools in Manul, Singhik, Mangan and Mangshilla clusters of Mangan block and Lingdong, Hee Gyathang, Passingdong, Lingzya, Tingvong and Gor clusters of Dzongu block will remain closed till further orders. The order stated that the district magistrate deemed it unsafe for the students to attend schools in view of the damage to property and road blockages in different areas of Mangan district due to continuous and heavy rainfall that occurred on the intervening night of June 12-13. The heads and staff of schools shall remain in the station, the order said, adding the decision shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain valid till further orders. Incessant rains since June 12 wreake

Sikkim landslide: Evacuation of stranded tourists begins from Lachun

The much-delayed evacuation of stranded tourists began by road from Toong in Sikkim's Mangan district on Monday noon, officials said. So far, a total of nine tourists have been evacuated, they said. The evacuation process is being led by the Mangan District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri and officials from Tourism and Civil Aviation and Forest Departments, besides the Travel Agent Association of Sikkim (TAAS). Despite incessant rains and multiple slides to cross over, the team is handling the evacuation with safety, care and caution, in batches, they said. Around 1200 tourists, including some foreigners, are stranded in Lachung town for the past one week as the road and communication networks have been crippled by torrential rains and landslides in several areas of Mangan district disrupting connectivity with the rest of the country. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is carrying out the restoration of the road network to facilitate vehicular traffic to and from Mangan district at