Page 18 - Natural Disasters

Libya floods: 5,000 killed, over 10,000 missing; search operation underway

Authorities say that around 10,000 more are missing, potentially either swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble that's strewn throughout the city once home to over 100,000 people

Demand for declaring HP crisis as disaster to be raised in Parl: Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said that party MP from Mandi, Pratibha Singh, would raise in the special session of Parliament the demand for declaring the recent calamity in Himachal Pradesh a "national disaster". However, Gandhi said she was not sure if the party MP would be allowed to raise the demand during the session. A special session of Parliament will be held from September 18 to 22. We do not know what the session is about and whether she (Pratibha Singh) would be allowed to raise the issue or not but even if this does not happen, we should make a strong representation to the Centre on it and the Congress would fully support it, she told reporters during her visit to the Shiv temple site in Summer Hill here. Gandhi also met the families affected by the landslide. Twenty people were killed in the landslide at the Shiv temple on August 14. Three landslides had claimed 27 lives in Shimla city with Fagli and Krishnanagar slides claiming five and two ...

Earthquake of magnitude 4.4 jolts Tripura's Dharmanagar, says NCS

"Earthquake of Magnitude: 4.4, Occurred on 09-09-2023, 15:48:31 IST, Lat: 24.76 and Long: 92.74, Depth: 43 Km, Location: 72 km NE of Dharmanagar, Tripura," National Center for Seismology (NCS) said

Taiwan suspends work, transport, classes as island braces Typhoon Haikui

Taiwan suspended flights, rail transport and ferry services along with classes, outdoor events, and officials urged workers to stay home as the island prepared for the arrival of Typhoon Haikui later Sunday. The storm's approach came as Typhoon Saola continued to weaken while moving along the Chinese coast, where 900,000 people and 80,000 fishing vessels had been moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and parts of the coastal mainland closed down businesses, transport and schools. Damage appeared to be minimal, however, and restrictions had largely been lifted by Sunday. Parts of Taiwan were already feeling the effects of Haikui's heavy rain and high winds, and dozens of domestic flights were canceled, along with air services to Hong Kong and Macao. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 137 kph (85 mph), with gusts up to 173 kph (107 mph), according to the island's meteorological bureau. Among events canceled was a hot air balloon festival in the central Taichung region, several

IAF conducts HP relief operation, 11,000 kg relief material distributed

Till now, at least 367 people have died in Himachal Pradesh in rain-related incidents this year since the onset of monsoon, the State Disaster Management Authority said on Friday

HP devastation: Efforts being made to restore crucial roadways, says CM

Temporary roads are swiftly being constructed to facilitate the transportation of agricultural and horticultural produce, minimizing financial losses for farmers, the CM added

Himachal rains: Buildings collapse in Kullu, landslides block highway

A row of buildings in Kullu district collapsed Thursday and hundreds of travellers were stranded in relief camps after landslides blocked the road to Mandi in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh. On Wednesday night, there were over 900 people at camps near Pandoh on Kullu-Mandi road. Three more bodies were recovered on Thursday from the rubble of the landslide that buried a Shiv Temple in Shimla's Summer Hill area on August 14. The seven or eight buildings which collapsed in Kullu's Anni town had been vacated earlier and there were no casualties, officials said. Authorities have ordered the closure of all schools in Shimla on Friday. About 120 people have died in landslides and other rain-related incidents in the state this month, about 80 of them since August 14. Altogether, 242 people have died in Himachal Pradesh since the monsoon began on June 24. Officials said stranded people on the Kallu-Mandi highway were shifted to relief camps set up in hotels, rest houses and residential ho

Major wildfires burn in Greece, Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife

Major wildfires were burning in Greece and on one of Spain's Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 kilometres northwest of Athens, after a forest fire broke out Monday morning. The coast guard put two patrol boats and several fishing boats and private vessels on standby in case an evacuation by sea was necessary. Authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in the area under evacuation, with local media reporting the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his ...

More villages evacuated as a large wildfire in Greece rages for second day

Greek authorities evacuated another four villages near the northeastern border with Turkey Sunday where a large summer wildfire that has already destroyed several homes over the weekend drew dangerously close. There were no reports of serious injuries to firefighters or residents from the forest blaze near the town of Alexandroupolis, that forced the evacuation of another eight villages Saturday. Strong winds whipped on the flames, and civil protection authorities warned of an extreme fire risk Monday in the region around the capital, Athens, and other parts of southern Greece. Some 200 firefighters, assisted by 16 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and police, were battling the blaze near Alexandroupolis. Local authorities said about half a dozen outlying houses and outbuildings were badly damaged in two of the evacuated villages, as well as a church. Sections of a major highway were closed for a second day as smoke reduced visibility, while Alexandroupolis residents were advise

Centre approves release of Rs 200 cr to rain-battered Himachal Pradesh

The Centre on Sunday approved the release of Rs 200 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund as advance assistance to Himachal Pradesh to help the rain-battered state undertake relief measures for affected people. A spokesperson of the Union Home Ministry said the Centre had earlier approved the advance release of Rs 360.80 crore from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund in two instalments on July 10 and 17. The Central government also released Rs 189.27 crore of the state's past dues from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on August 7, the spokesperson said. The home ministry has approved the release of Rs 200 crore, as an advance from the National Disaster Response Fund to the government of Himachal Pradesh to help them undertake relief measures for affected people during the ongoing monsoon season, a spokesperson said. The central government is monitoring the situation in Himachal Pradesh round the clock and providing necessary logistics and financ

U'khand CM to meet ministers in Delhi, seeks assistance for disaster relief

100 per cent of the funds received from the central government under the centrally funded schemes run in the state should be spent on development works, said Chief Minister Dhami

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.