Page 18 - Natural Disasters

Himachal govt declares whole state as 'natural calamity affected area'

The Himachal Pradesh government Friday declared the massive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity. The entire hill state has been declared as a "natural calamity affected area" in view of the damage caused to human life and property due to heavy rains, a notification issued here on Friday said. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had told PTI that the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to declare the massive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity. The state is also awaiting a response from the Centre to declare the disaster in Himachal Pradesh as a national calamity, Sukhu said. Speaking to PTI, Principal Secretary (Revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma said that after the weather becomes normal and accessibility is improved, a complete assessment of the losses incurred by the hill state would be conducted and the report will be submitted to the Centre for recovery and reconstruction efforts. Meanwhile, with the recovery of three more bodies f

Out-of-control wildfire scorches Spain's Canary island, affecting thousands

An out-of-control wildfire on the Spanish Canary island of Tenerife has burned thousands of acres and affected some 7,600 people who are either evacuated or confined, Regional President Fernando Clavijo said Thursday. He said some 250 firefighters and members of the Spanish army are tackling the blaze, located in the north of the island. Clavijo said the fire had a nearly 30-km-long (19-mile) perimeter. This is probably the most complicated blaze we have had on the Canary Islands, if not ever, at least in the last 40 years, Clavijo told reporters. Extreme temperatures in the island, he said, added to specific meteorological conditions caused by the fire that turned the area into a virtual oven. The seven-island archipelago is located off the northwest coast of Africa and southwest of mainland Spain. Spanish authorities said their main goal is to contain the fire and prevent it from reaching more populated areas. The island's main town, Santa Cruz, is 20 km (12 miles) away from the

Huge challenge upon us, need year to rebuild infrastructure: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh will take a year to rebuild the infrastructure wrecked by the heavy rains this monsoon but the state is up to themountain-like challenge, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday. In an interview with PTI, he said the estimated damage in the two devastating spells of heavy rain this week and in July is about Rs 10,000 crore. Rains this week triggered landslides across the state, blocking roads and bringing down houses. About 60 people are dead, and more feared buried under the rubble. The chief minister said it takes time to rebuild roads and water projects. But the government is speeding up the process. We have to get the infrastructure fully restored within a year. I am working with this in mind. It's a big challenge, a mountain-like challenge. But we are not going to back away, he said. The state government will continue with its vision to make Himachal Pradesh self-reliant in four years and the country's most prosperous state in 10 years.But

Search efforts in Hawaii starting to move a little faster: Official

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters. SEARCH EFFORTS IN HAWAII ARE GOING TO MOVE A LITTLE FASTER, OFFICIAL SAYS A state official in Hawaii says the search-and-rescue operation in Maui is taking painstaking efforts to finds survivors and victims of last week's deadly mass fire. Jeff Hickman is the director of public affairs for the Hawaii Department of Defence. He said on NBC's Today show that teams are going street by street, block by block between cars, and soon they'll start to enter buildings. Hickman said the Hawaii National Guard has over 110 personnel assisting Maui County with the search and rescue operation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is al

Maui wildfire death toll reaches 93, making it deadliest in US in 100 years

A fire that swept through a picturesque town in Maui this week has killed at least 89 people, authorities said Saturday, making it the deadliest US wildfire of the past century. The newly released figure surpassed the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead. A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and raced through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds. At least two other fires have been burning in Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Maui's Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry. A fourth broke out Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

National Highway 205 blocked in Himachal near Bilaspur due to landslide

National Highway 205 (NH 205) was on Sunday blocked at Dakesh in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh due to a landslide, said authorities. They also said that two trucks and one light motor vehicle were damaged in the landslide."NH 205 totally blocked at Dakesh due to a landslide. Two trucks & one LMV were damaged. An alternate route is Darlamod to Beri via Kharsi ( single road)," HP Traffic, Tourist and Railways Police posted on X (formerly Twitter). Some of the other roads are also blocked today due to rain-related incidents. According to Shimla Police, Tutikandi-Phagli bypass is blocked near Kanlog; Cart Road is blocked near Edward School, Shimla; Mehli-Badagaon-Shoghi is blocked near Beolia; Shimla-Mandi NH 205 is blocked near Hiranagar.Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh continues to witness the monsoon fury, triggering landslides and flash floods. In that series, a fresh landslide was reported from Bilaspur district on Saturday. The combined death toll from rains, floods, ...

52 dead, 37 injured as rain continues to wreak havoc in Uttarakhand

According to officials, the victims, including one from Gujarat, were on their way to Kedarnath when the incident took place on Thursday evening

Maui wildfire survivors start returning to ruins, death toll likely to rise

The grim work of tallying the dead after a ferocious wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Maui came into sharp focus Saturday as crews picked through the devastation, marking homes with a bright orange X to signal they had searched for bodies and HR when they found human remains. At least 80 people perished in the inferno that swept through the centuries-old town of Lahaina on Maui's west coast. As the homes that remained standing got their marks, residents who barely made it out alive returned to take an inventory of their loss. Most of our focus will be on humans today, Gov Josh Green said Saturday as he and representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency stood under the scorched branches of an old, treasured banyan tree on historic Front Street. Green said operations were now centered on the loss of life. The fire reduced hundreds of homes to ash, sending emergency workers scrambling Saturday to find temporary housing for those lucky enough to survive. Communications wer

Earthquake of magnitude 6 strikes Japan's Hokkaido region, no casualties

An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck the Hokkaido region in Japan on Friday at 5.44 am (local time), according to GFZ, a German Research Centre for Geosciences. According to GFZ, a German Research Centre for Geosciences, the earthquake occurred at 5.44 am, local time, in the Hokkaido region of Japan. The depth of the earthquake is recorded to be 46 Kilometers. So far, no casualties have been reported. More details awaited.Similarly, on Thursday, an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 jolted eastern Turkey, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The earthquake occurred at 10 kilometres South South West (SSW) of Turkey's Malatya at 17:48 (UTC) on Thursday, according to EMSC. The depth of the earthquake was registered at a depth of 10.9 kilometres. Taking to its Twitter handle, EMSC stated, "#Earthquake 10 km SW of #Malatya (#Turkey) 19 min ago (local time 20:48:00). Updated map - Colored dots represent local shaking & damage level reported by eyewitnesses.

US President declares Hawaii wildfires major a disaster, approves aid

The assistance announced by Biden includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help people and business owners

3 dead, 17 missing in massive landslides U'khand's Rudraprayag district

Officials added that two roadside shops and dhabas were washed away in the heavy debris that came down from the mountain

Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 jolts Jammu-Kashmir's Gulmarg, says NCS

An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 on the Richter scale jolted Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg on Saturday, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) reported.The quake occured at around 8:36 am with its depth registered at 129 km.According to NCS, its epicentre was found at Latitude: 35.46 and Longitude: 73.32, respectively."Earthquake of Magnitude:5.2, Occurred on 05-08-2023, 08:36:01 IST, Lat: 35.46 & Long: 73.32, Depth: 129 Km, Location: 184 km NNW of Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir," the NCS tweeted.No reports of casualties or material damage were reported.Further details are awaited. An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 on the Richter scale jolted the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the early hours of Thursday.The quake hit the islands at 4:17 am.National Center for Seismology (NCS) said that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 61 km.

Portion of U'khand highway caves in following landslide, traffic diverted

According to officials, a stretch of around 60 meters has caved in and the area is close to an airstrip said to be strategically important

NH 5 closed at Chakki Mod due to landslide in Himachal's Parvati Valley

The Chandiagrh-Shimla Highway (NH 05) has been temporarily closed at Chakki Mod in the Parvati Valley of Himachal Pradesh due to a landslide, informed the Solan Police Department through a tweet. The Solan Police Department has further urged all travellers to adhere to the alternative traffic plan while the authorities work on clearing the debris.The recent landslide has caused a blockage on the highway, making it unsafe for vehicles and commuters.In response to the situation, the concerned authorities have initiated the task of removing the debris and stabilizing the affected area. As soon as the work is completed, the authorities will inform the public about the reopening of the highway, the authorities said.According to the HP disaster management authority data, so far 190 people have died in the monsoon due to various reasons. Of these, 54 people have lost their lives due to landslides and flash floods. 136 people have lost their lives due to road accidents or other reasons. Till .

Earthquake of magnitude 5 jolts Andaman and Nicobar Islands, no casualties

An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 on the Richter scale has jolted Nicobar Islands on Wednesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported.The quake occured at around 5:40 am in the morning hours with its depth registered at 10 km.According to NCS, its epicentre was found at Latitude: 9.32 and Longitude: 94.03, rfespectively."Earthquake of Magnitude:5.0, Occurred on 02-08-2023, 05:40:11 IST, Lat: 9.32 & Long: 94.03, Depth: 10 Km ,Location: Nicobar islands," the NCS tweeted.No reports of casualties or material damage are known yet.Further details are awaited.

Earthquake of 5.8 magnitude jolts Andaman and Nicobar Islands, says NCS

An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Saturday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported.The quake hit the islands at 12:53 am on Saturday.Further, according to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 69 kms."Earthquake of Magnitude:5.8, Occurred on 29-07-2023, 00:53:47 IST, Lat: 10.75 & Long: 93.47, Depth: 69 Km, Location: Andaman Islands," read a post on the official Twitter handle of National Centre for Seismology (NCS).Earlier, on July 9, an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 hit the Southeast of Campbell Bay in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to the NCS.The earthquake hit Campbell Bay at 7:39 pm, at a depth of 70 kms."Earthquake of Magnitude:5.3, Occurred on 09-07-2023, 19:39:09 IST, Lat: 5.87 & Long: 94.83, Depth: 70 Km, Location: 162km SE of Campbell Bay, Andaman and Nicobar island, India," the NCS had tweeted on its official handle.

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25 dead in wildfires across Algeria, including soldiers fighting flames

Wildfires raging across Algeria have killed 25 people, including 10 soldiers trying to get the flames under control in the face of high winds and scorching summer temperatures, government ministries said Monday. At least 1,500 people were evacuated, the Interior Ministry said, without providing details. The Interior Ministry announced 15 deaths and 24 injuries. In addition, the Defense Ministry later announced 10 soldiers were killed and 25 injured as they fought fires in the resort area of Beni Ksila east of the capital Algiers. It wasn't immediately clear over what period of time the casualties happened but the fires have been burning for several days. Wildfires, some spread by strong winds, moved across forests and agricultural areas in 16 regions causing 97 blazes in the north African country. The largest and deadliest fires ravaged parts of Bejaia and Jijel in the Kabyle region east of Algiers and Bouira, about 100 kilometres southeast of Algiers, the Interior Ministry ...

Greece evacuates 19,000 people as wildfire blazes on the island of Rhodes

Some 19,000 people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes as wildfires burned for a sixth day on three fronts, Greek authorities said on Sunday. The Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection said it was the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country. Local police said 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels. Six people were briefly treated at a hospital for respiratory problems. A person who fell and broke a leg during a hotel evacuation and a pregnant woman remained hospitalized, the latter in good condition, authorities said. Package holiday companies TUI and Jet2 canceled flights to Rhodes. Jet2 said it was canceling five regularly scheduled passenger flights to the island on Sunday but would fly the planes to Rhodes empty to retrieve customers. TUI said it was canceling all its flights to the island until at least Tuesday. British tourist Kevin Evans was evacuated twice on Saturday with his wife and th

BJP to appoint 50,000 rugna sevaks in Maharashtra to serve patients

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the party will appoint 50,000 rugna sevaks' to serve patients and people needing medical assistance. This initiative will be flagged off on Saturday on occasion of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis' birthday, Bawankule told reporters here. A rugna sevak will be appointed at each of the 28,000 gram panchayats in Maharashtra and also in civic body wards in the state, he said. All of them will begin service of the people within a year, he added. Referring to the loss of lives in the landlside at a village in Raigad district, Bawankule said BJP workers and supporters should refrsin from putting up banners, posters, hoardings and firework display on Fadnavis' birthday. Bawankule asked BJP workers to celebrate the birthday as seva din'.