Page 9 - Natural Disasters

Tripura flood: Death toll rises to 31, central team to arrive on Wednesday

Five more people died in the flood in Tripura taking the total death toll to 31, said an official on Tuesday. An inter-ministerial team led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs B C Joshi will be reaching the state on Wednesday to assess the loss caused by the deluge, Chief Minister Manik Saha said. As many as 72,000 people are still in 492 relief camps as their houses were washed away in the floods, Secretary of Revenue Department Birjesh Pandey told a press conference. He said five NDRF and six SDRF teams are engaged in relief works mostly in Gomati and South Tripura districts, two worst flood-affected districts of the northeastern state. "Altogether 31 people died in the floods while two others are missing during the devastating floods from August 19 to 23," he said. Chief Minister Manik Saha later held a meeting with senior officials to review the flood situation. Saha said, "There must be an effort to present the true picture of devastation due to the floods bef

Himachal received just Rs 433 cr from Centre as disaster relief: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh received only Rs 433.70 crore as disaster relief from the Centre in 2023 while the state government released Rs 4,495.43 crore to tackle the catastrophe, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in the state assembly on Tuesday. Replying to a debate on damage and loss due to monsoon disaster, Sukhu said the state suffered losses amounting Rs 9,000 crore during monsoon in 2023 and that he would again meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand compensation for the loss. The debate under Rule 130 (motion to consider policy, situation, statement, report or any other matter) was initiated by Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. Under the relief package announced by the state government for relief and rehabilitation, Rs 847.73 crore were released under the heads of national and state disaster relief fund, he said. The CM added that Rs 1,871.75 crore was given by the Finance Department, Rs 1,085 crore by Rural Development department, Rs 146.97 crore by Planning ..

Wild week of weather in US includes heat waves, snowstorms, flash floods

It's been a wild week of weather in many parts of the United States, from heat waves to snowstorms to flash floods. Here's a look at some of the weather events: Midwest sizzles under heat wave Millions of people in the Midwest have been enduring dangerous heat and humidity. An emergency medicine physician treating Minnesota State Fair-goers for heat illnesses saw firefighters cut rings off two people's swollen fingers Monday in hot weather that combined with humidity made it feel well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius). Soaring late summer temperatures also prompted some Midwestern schools to let out early or cancel sports practices. The National Weather Service issued heat warnings or advisories across Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Several cities including Chicago opened cooling centers. Forecasters said Tuesday also will be scorching hot for areas of the Midwest before the heat wave shifts to the sou

23 killed as heavy rain lashes Tripura, thousands take shelter at camps

At least 22 people died and two others went missing in Tripura due to incessant rainfall in the past few days and landslides, officials said. As many as 65,400 people have taken shelter at 450 relief camps in the state as their houses were damaged due to the downpour, they said. Ten people were buried under the rubble after landslides hit the Ashwani Tripura Para and Debipur in Santirbazar, Chief Minister Manik Saha said in a Facebook post. ... I convey my deepest condolence to the families of the victims. This is an irreparable loss. The state government has announced payment of Rs 4 lakh to each victim's family as financial assistance, he said. Earlier, Brijesh Pandey, Secretary, Revenue Department, had said that 12 people died due to heavy rainfall in the northeastern state. So far, 12 people have lost lives and two persons are missing. Preliminary reports suggest extensive damage to physical infrastructure and agriculture crops along with damage to houses and livestock. The ac

Himachal incurs Rs 1,195 cr losses since monsoon onset, 55 roads shut

As many as 55 roads are blocked in Himachal Pradesh due to landslides and floods triggered by the ongoing rains and the state has incurred losses of Rs 1,195 crore since the monsoon onset this year, official data released on Wednesday showed. As many as 139 people have died so far this monsoon season in rain-related incidents. Fourteen roads are closed in Mandi, 13 in Shimla, 12 in Kangra, 11 in Kullu, two in Kinnaur and each in Bilaspur, Una and Sirmaur districts, according to the state emergency operation centre. The rains also disrupted 29 water and 14 power schemes in the state, as of Wednesday, the centre said. Meanwhile, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap on Wednesday urged the residents here, especially students, office-goers and patients visiting hospitals for treatment, to keep a half-hour margin while travelling. The traffic problem in the state capital is worsening due to the limited number of roads, with landslides further exacerbating the situation, leading to

Massive landslide strikes Sikkim, hydroelectric project on Teesta damaged

A massive landslide struck East Sikkim on Tuesday, damaging parts of a 510-mw hydroelectric project on the Teesta river, officials said. The landslide happened at Dipu Dara near Singtam around 7 am, causing significant damage to the powerhouse of the Teesta Stage V hydroelectric project of the NHPC, they said. Around 17-18 houses were also damaged by the landslide, following which the affected families were moved to the NHPC quarters, they added.

Sindh CM mobilises local authorities as heavy rainfall wreaks havoc

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that Sindh will get significant rainfall and thunderstorms on Monday as well

Severe typhoon Ampil edges closer to Japan; disrupts flights, trains

The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to be careful of high waves, landslides, flooding of low-lying areas and rising or overflowing rivers in eastern Japan

Study finds alarming rise in lightning deaths in India between 2010-20

The decade from 2010 to 2020 has been the "deadliest" with an "alarming" spike in deaths due to lightning incidents, according to an analysis of the data shared by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The data showed a rise in the average annual fatalities per state and union territory from 38 during 1967-2002 to 61 in the period from 2003-2020, the research showed. Additionally, average deaths due to lightning in Indian states and union territories (UTs) almost tripled from 28 in 1986 to 81 in 2016, it noted. A team of researchers, including those from Fakir Mohan University in Odisha, found that lightning caused 1,01,309 deaths between 1967 and 2020, with an "alarming development" from 2010-2010, showing the highest increase. "The data show an increase in the average annual fatalities per states and UTs from 38 in the period 1967 to 2002, to 61 from 2003 to 2020. Notably, the decade from 2010 to 2020 emerges as the deadliest in terms of lightning incidents," the authors wrot

Disaster-prone Southeast Asia also best prepared, offers lessons: Survey

Southeast Asia is among the regions most prone to natural disasters, but a new analysis released Thursday shows its people also feel the best equipped to deal with them. It seems logical that the countries in and around the Pacific Ring of Fire, vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, storm surges and other dangers, are also the best prepared, but the survey by Gallup for the Lloyd's Register Foundation shows that's not always the case in other regions. Frequent exposure to hazard isn't the only factor that determines how prepared people feel, Benedict Vigers, a research consultant with Gallup, told The Associated Press. The report found the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has played a key role in disaster risk reduction, and Vigers said the region's wider approach includes widespread and effective early-warning systems, scaled-up community approaches and regional cooperation, and good access to disaster finance. Southeast Asia' success in feelings of disaster preparedness can

Kerala landslides: CM announces Rs 6 lakh compensation for kin of deceased

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs six lakh for the next of kin of those who died in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district on July 30 and claimed over 200 lives. Vijayan said that of the Rs six lakh, Rs four lakh would come from the State Disaster Response Fund and the remaining from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). He also announced that Rs 75,000 would be allocated from the CMDRF to those who lost eyes and limbs or suffered disability up to 60 per cent due to the landslides. The CM also said that Rs 50,000 financial assistance would be given to those who suffered disability between 40 to 60 per cent or suffered very serious injuries in the disaster. Besides that, the survivors opting for rented accommodation or living with their relatives will get Rs 6,000 per month towards rent as part of the government's rehabilitation programme, he said. This amount, however, will not be available to those who get ..

Kerala landslides: Search operations, rehabilitation continue side-by-side

Search operations and rehabilitation activities are going on side-by-side in the landslide-hit areas of Wayanad district, with three more body parts recovered from near Nilambur in Malappuram district, while the state government began preparations for the temporary resettlement of survivors. The Wayanad district administration said that body parts recovered are not confirmed to be human and will be sent for forensic examination. It said that so far 231 dead bodies and 206 body parts have been found, following the massive landslides that hit parts of Wayanad on July 30. A total of 401 samples of bodies and body parts underwent DNA testing and of them 349 were found to be of 248 persons -- 121 males and 127 females -- the district administration said in a statement. For rehabilitation of the survivors, a five-member committee of representatives of the panchayat, revenue department and social workers will identify and report on houses available for rent within the jurisdiction of the

Wayanad landslides: Death toll rises to 231, says Kerala minister

One more body and three more body parts were recovered on Monday as part of the massive search operation held in the aftermath of the devastating landslides at Wayanad. State Revenue Minister K Rajan said the death toll in the July 30 landslides has increased to 231. A total of 205 body parts have also been recovered so far. The Minister said the search by multiple teams will continue downstream of the river in the coming days. "Today the body was recovered during the search in the Nilambur region, while the body parts were recovered from Kanthanpara region," Rajan told the media here. He said a total of 236 volunteers took part in the search operations on Monday, along with the NDRF, Police, Fire Force, and Forest Department teams. Rajan said a detailed combing of the Chaliyar River will continue on Tuesday also. "A 60-member team comprising officials from the NDRF, Fire Force, Police, Forest Department is engaged in the river-based search operations. Volunteers and others are n

Kerala landslides: Search operations to continue after rains, says minister

Members of the cabinet sub-committee, who met the media said a detailed search will be conducted on August 12 and 13 to find those who are missing in the devastating landslides

No concept of national disaster in govt rules: UPA's reply in Parliament

Government sources on Saturday cited a 2013 reply in Parliament by a Congress-led UPA government minister to emphasise that no concept of "national disaster" exists under the rules of the central government. The clarification came amid a demand, including from Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, that the landslide tragedy in Kerala's Wayanad be declared a national disaster. The then minister of state for home and Congress MP from Kerala Mullappally Ramachandran had told the Lok Sabha in 2013 in a reply to a question that "there is no provision to declare a natural disaster as a national disaster", the sources noted. The reply stated that the government of India adjudges a calamity of severe nature on case-to-case basis, taking into account its intensity and magnitude, level of relief assistance, capacity of the state government to tackle the problem, and alternatives and flexibility available within the plan to provide succour and relief etc. The priority is immedia

Kerala landslides: Army partially withdraws from disaster-hit areas

Nine days after the massive landslides hit this north Kerala district killing hundreds, the Army, which led the search and rescue operations and also built the Bailey bridge to connect areas isolated in the disaster, on Thursday decided to partially withdraw from here. The Army's decision to partially withdraw from the operations was announced by state PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas who said the force fulfilled its duty and thanked them for their service. Riyas said the 190-foot long Bailey bridge built in a record time by the Army was instrumental in intensifying the search and rescue operations in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas which were devastated in the disaster and isolated completely. The Minister told reporters at the District Collectorate here it was painful to see them leave as everyone worked together, "like one body and mind", all these days. He said that the Army came at a time of distress and therefore, there was an emotional difficulty in bidding them ...

Wayanad landslides: Search, rescue operations continue for 10th day

Search operations in the landslides-hit areas of this north Kerala district continued for the 10th day with more cadaver dogs being pressed into service on Thursday to look for remains buried deep under the debris that cover the disaster sites. Using Air Force helicopters to drop special search teams to inaccessible areas along the Chaliyar river and deploying more rescuers, heavy machines and K9 dog squads in the segregated six zones of disaster-hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai continued. Till Wednesday, the number of persons suspected to be missing in the landslides was around 138 with more than 226 confirmed to be dead. Besides that, 192 body parts were also recovered from the disaster-hit areas and the Chaliyar river till August 7, according to figures provided by the Wayanad district administration. As the search operations progress, the state government is also working to ensure temporary rehabilitation of those affected by the landslides. A cabinet sub-committee, camped out at

Wayanad landslides: Death toll crosses 400-mark, over 150 still missing

Wayanad floods: The death toll from the Wayanad landslides crossed 400 on Wednesday, and around 152 people are still missing. Rescue operation is currently underway in the state

Himachal cloudbursts: Relief, rescue operations continue in Samej village

A total of 116 electricity supply schemes and 65 water supply schemes have also been disrupted in the state

Wayanad landslides: Search ops in final stage, to focus on remote areas

As per the officials, a scanning mission focusing on the Chaliyar River will be conducted today by a special team on a helicopter