Page 12 - Natural Disasters

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

Heavy rain, landslides kill 6 in India's Sikkim, 2,000 tourists stranded

Heavy rains triggered landslides at several locations in Mangan district, which covers north Sikkim and lies about 100 km north of the state capital Gangtok

One killed, five missing as Sikkim hit by massive rain-triggered landslides

At least one person was killed and five others went missing as massive landslides triggered by incessant rainfall caused devastation in Sikkim's Mangan district, officials said on Thursday. Landslides blocked stretches of roads and several houses were inundated or damaged, while electricity poles were swept away, they said. The body of a person was found in Pakshep area of Mangan, while three persons went missing from Ambithang near Rangrang and two others from Pakshep. Three houses were damaged in Geythang, while several houses were damaged and roads blocked at Nampathang near Pentok, they said. The Bringbong police outpost was shifted to another nearby location due to a landslide while the foundation of a bridge at Sankalan was damaged. Mobile network services were affected in North Sikkim even as a request was made by the district administration to send an SDRF team with ration to Mangan, the officials said. Meanwhile, Mangan District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri convened an u

DoT plans trials for drone & balloon-based 5G restoration during disasters

The Department of Telecommunications will likely conduct trials in the coming months to assess the effectiveness of this initiative

Death toll in Mizoram landslides rises to 29; among them 21 locals

The death toll in landslides in Mizoram climbed to 29 after the body of a 34-year-old woman was found in Tlawng River in Kolasib district, officials said. The woman, identified as Vanlalruali, and her husband had been missing after being hit by a landslide in Aibawk village in Aizawl district on Tuesday. The woman's body was found in the river in Hortoki village in Kolasib district, which borders Assam, on Friday, they said. Her body was taken to Kawnpui after being fished out of the river and her family members confirmed her identity. Search for five other missing persons four of whom are from Melthum, including a six-month-old, besides Vanlalruali's husband is underway. The deaths were reported in multiple landslides in Aizawl district on Tuesday. Of the deceased, 21 were locals while eight were migrants from Jharkhand and Assam. Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased. He said the government has earmarked

Cyclone Remal: Flood in Assam claims 8 lives, PM announces ex-gratia

The flood situation in Assam is still grim as nearly 350K people, including over 78,000 children from 11 districts, have been affected by the deluge

Cyclone Remal: Assam flood situation worsens; one dead, 198,000 affected

Assam's flood situation worsened on Thursday with over 1.98 lakh people affected in nine districts, and one person drowning to death as the water level of major rivers rose following incessant rainfall in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, officials said. A person drowned to death in Hailakandi district, pushing the toll in the state to six due to floods and rain since Tuesday, while 18 others were injured. Altogether 1,98,856 were affected in the districts of Nagaon, Karimganj, Hailakandi, West Karbi Anglong, Cachar, Hojai, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao, according to an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report. Cachar is the worst affected district with 1,02,246 people reeling under flood waters, followed by 36,959 in Karimganj, 22,058 in Hojai and 14,308 in Hailakandi, among others, it said. A total crop area of 3,238.8 hectares has also been washed away, while 2,34,535 animals have been impacted. Rivers Brahmaputra and Barak, along with its tributaries, ar

Mizoram: 29 dead, several missing as rain, landslides wreak havoc

At least 25 people, including 14 in a stone quarry collapse, were killed in Mizoram on Tuesday due to landslides and incessant rain in the aftermath of cyclone 'Remal', state disaster management authority said. Several other people went missing in landslides, mostly in the state capital region, which was cut off from the rest of the country for several hours during the day and bore the brunt of the natural calamities. In a massive landslide, at least 14 people, including two minors, were killed and around eight others were missing as a stone quarry collapsed in Aizawl district, the Mizoram State Disaster Management Authority (MSDMA) said. Four persons were also killed and 18 others injured in separate incidents in Assam on Tuesday as heavy rain accompanied by strong wind lashed the state in the aftermath of the cyclone. In Nagaland, four deaths and damage to more than 40 houses were reported while two persons died and over 500 others were injured as downpours wreaked havoc in ...

Cyclonic storms have affected 45 million people in India since 2019

Cyclone Remal touched 74 kmph; Cyclone Tauktae in 2021 was worse, with wind speeds raging at 222 kmph

Stone quarry collapses in Mizoram amid Cyclone Remal: What is known so far

Seventeen people are dead and seven reported missing in a landslide triggered by Cyclone Remal at stone quarry in Mizoram

Cyclone Remal: 4 died, several houses damaged due to heavy rain in Nagaland

At least four deaths and damage to more than 40 houses have been reported in Nagaland in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, a senior official said. A seven-year-old boy drowned at Laruri village under Meluri subdivision following heavy rainfall under the impact of the cyclone, while two other drowning incidents were reported from Doyang Dam in Wokha district on Monday, he said. In Phek district's Rekizu ward, an elderly man was crushed to death after a wall collapsed, the official said. The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has received reports of extensive damage to houses and properties from across the state, including Chuchuyimlang village in Mokokchung district, Noksen subdivision under Tuensang district and Awotsakili village in Zunheboto district, he said. Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for the rescue and relief operation. For the first time in the history of the state, an underwater drone was pressed into service

India announces financial aid of $1 mn for landslide-hit Papua New Guinea

India on Tuesday announced an immediate financial aid of USD 1 million to provide relief and assistance to people hit by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea. A massive landslide hit Enga province of the island nation on May 24 that buried hundreds of people and caused major destruction. Over 2,000 people were killed in the landslide, according to media reports from that country. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep condolences and conveyed India's readiness to extend all possible support and assistance to the Pacific island country in its time of difficulty. "As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, the government of India extends an immediate relief assistance of USD 1 million to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts," it said. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday

2,000 feared dead in Papua New Guinea landslide, challenges for rescuers

The Papua New Guinea government said more than 2,000 people are believed to have been buried alive in a landslide in the South Pacific island nation, after the side of a mountain came down in the early hours of Friday morning when the village of Yambali was asleep. The settlement is located in a restive and remote area in the interior of the poor, rural nation off the northern coast of Australia, making search and rescue efforts complicated and hazardous. The government death toll is roughly triple the UN estimate of 670 killed. The remains of only six people had been recovered so far. In a letter seen by The Associated Press to the United Nations resident coordinator dated Sunday, the acting director of Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Center Luseta Laso Mana said the landslide buried more than 2,000 people alive and caused major destruction at Yambali village in the Enga province. Estimates of the casualties have varied widely since the disaster occurred, and it was not ...

Cyclone Remal: CM Mamata thanks administration for taking adequate steps

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed concern regarding the impact of severe cyclone Remal in the state, emphasising that the relatively lower loss of lives amidst the calamity was largely attributable to the precautionary measures enforced by the administration. With five recorded deaths, one in the city and the remaining in districts, Banerjee underscored the necessity of immediate compensation for affected families, while assuring that the administration would adhere to legal protocols in distributing aid for crop and property damages. She pledged to address these issues more comprehensively post the withdrawal of the Model Code of Conduct following the ongoing elections. "West Bengal is a riverine state, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Every year, we have to face various natural disasters. This time due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, our state has suffered a lot of damage," she wrote on X. "But above all, is human life. Fortunately and certainly due

Cyclone Remal ravages West Bengal, leaves millions without electricity

With winds gusting up to 135 kilometres per hour, severe cyclonic storm 'Remal' made landfall between the coasts of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal, bringing heavy rains that flooded homes and farmland, and leaving a trail of destruction. The landfall process began at 8:30 pm on Sunday over the adjacent coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country. 'Remal' flattened fragile dwellings, uprooted trees and knocked down electric poles. One person was injured after being hit by debris in the Gosaba area of the Sundarbans. More than one lakh people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in West Bengal before the cyclone struck. "Severe cyclonic storm Remal made landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh on Sunday night with wind speeds reaching up to 135 kmph," the meteorological office said. News footage showed gigantic tidal waves crashing into a seawall in coastal res

Cyclone Remal update: IMD issues red alert in Tripura; 3 injured in Kolkata

Updates on Cyclone Remal: At least seven people died in Bangladesh, and millions were left without power. Services begin to resume as reports of the cyclone weakening emerge