Latest news with #SafetyFirst
Observer
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Observer
Inside a harrowing, hail-damaged flight: ‘We thought it was our last'
Sheikh Samiullah, a frequent flyer, thought nothing of it when he heard the pilot of his flight tell passengers to fasten their seat belts and ask the cabin crew to be seated. But within minutes, the plane encountered a severe hailstorm and suddenly plunged. Samiullah and other passengers aboard the Wednesday flight by an IndiGo passenger jet traveling from the Indian capital of New Delhi to Srinagar, in the Kashmir region, started screaming and shouting. Even the flight attendants were crying, he said. 'They were calling their gods, we were calling our gods,' Samiullah, 33, said of the passengers shouting prayers in Hindi and Arabic. 'We thought it was our last flight; we thought we were going to die.' The plane jolted upward and from side to side, and then plunged again, over a period of five to six minutes, Samiullah recounted. He was sure the plane would crash into the mountains below or be struck by the lightning visible from the windows. A video that Samiullah, the CEO of a logistics company, posted on social media showed terrified passengers exclaiming as the plane jolted. 'Nobody was expecting we would go for a safe landing,' he said. But about 20 minutes after all the turmoil and fright, the plane landed safely. As passengers deplaned, they noticed a large chunk of the plane's nose was missing, apparently damaged by the hail. IndiGo said in a statement Wednesday that the flight had encountered a 'sudden hailstorm.' It added: 'The flight and cabin crew followed established protocol, and the aircraft landed safely in Srinagar.' Hail and turbulence — or unstable air movement caused by changes in wind speed and direction — are the greatest hazards to aircraft during thunderstorms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Hail can freeze onto other pieces of hail, sometimes growing into a huge ice ball. Hailstones larger than half an inch in diameter can 'significantly damage an aircraft in a few seconds,' the agency said. Hail can occur even in clear air several miles from a thunderstorm. Passenger aircraft are not designed to absorb large hailstone impacts without damage, Airbus said in its Safety First magazine. Extreme hailstorms can lead to loss of visibility, unreliable air data or engine failure, and the best way to avoid them is to rely on weather radars. Last year, a 73-year-old British man died and dozens were injured when a Singapore Airlines plane hit intense turbulence 10 hours into a flight from London to Singapore. The plane rose unexpectedly by 362 feet, likely because of an updraft, and sped up unexpectedly. Pilots manually hit the brakes in response, and the plane lost about 178 feet of altitude in less than five seconds. This article originally appeared in
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Time of India
‘Safety First' initiative focuses on kids, women on public transport
Panaji: Transport minister Mauvin Godinho launched the 'Safety First – Empowering and Protecting Women and Children in Goa' initiative at the Kadamba Bus Stand in Panaji on Wednesday. The initiative aims to raise awareness about public transport safety through the strategic placement of awareness posters and helpline stickers inside Kadamba buses, private buses, taxis, and rickshaws. The stickers prominently display contact information for essential helplines, including those for childline, women's safety, Goa Police, and other emergency services. 'Whether it is a bus, taxi, or rickshaw, women commuters should feel safe. Their safety is our priority. To ensure this, the helpline can be used to file a complaint if needed," Godinho said. 'There is a rise in untoward incidents, especially in public transport. The police cannot monitor every location or act unless there is a complaint. The helpline is there to ensure that women are aware that help is available and such incidents will be reduced. Our goal is to eliminate these issues," he added. The campaign is organised by the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) in collaboration with Goa Police and SCAN – Goa. The initiative, with a two-phase approach, first saw the installation of hoardings on electrical poles in Panaji. The second phase, currently under way, involves placing helpline stickers at bus stands across Goa. 'On average, we receive 30 cases a month. People often don't know that the police helpline number is now 112, not 100,' said a SCAN Goa representative. 'Through this campaign, we are working in prevention mode so that individuals can feel safe when using public transport.'
CTV News
07-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
First at Five: Know Your Risks
Atlantic Watch During Emergency Preparedness Week, First at Five looks at the importance of planning ahead – in case of a crisis.
