Latest news with #StateDisasterReliefForce
Mint
8 hours ago
- General
- Mint
Air India plane crash updates: Birds, dogs too faced the wrath, says SDRF official
A State Disaster Relief Force official stated that the temperature around the Air India plane crash site rose to such levels that it was nearly impossible for even dogs and birds in proximity of the area to escape in time. The official pointed to carcasses of dogs and birds in the vicinity to show the intensity of the crash, according to PTI. According to fire officials, temperatures rose to 1,000 degrees Celcius in almost no time, and the 1.25 lakh litres of fuel inside the plane had a major role to play in it. As the plane's fuel tank exploded, it created an inferno so big, that the temperature in and around the area rose to unimaginable levels, which made surviving the crash almost an impossible chance. However, there is one person who has made it alive from the ghastly air crash. Air India has already confirmed that 241 members on board the aircraft are dead, and there is one British national of Indian origin, Ramesh Vishwaskumar, who is the lone survivor of the crash. The accident also resulted in the death of ex-Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
Scroll.in
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
In wake of ceasefire, damaged homes in a Jammu neighbourhood bear witness to human cost of conflict
On Saturday morning, Rajinder Kumar, his wife and two sons were cleaning debris in their small house in Jammu city's Rehari Colony. The tensions between India and Pakistan that had begun to rise since the commencement of Operation Sindoor on Wednesday had weighed heavy on Kumar's mind but he never expected the conflict to come to his own doorstep. Kumar's slumber was disrupted by a loud bang inside his house at around 5.35, waking up his family. Within a matter of seconds they were blinded by falling shards of their ceiling, concrete dust and smoke. 'We ran outside as fast as we could,' he said. Residents of the colony say that there was a loud bang but no explosion or fire. It is unclear whether this was a single explosive, or several that failed to detonate, or whether it was the debris of an intercepted aircraft or shells fired from Pakistan. Next door to Rajinder Kumar, his brother, Jatinder Kumar, was shaken awake too. 'We rushed outside to save our lives,' he said. His wife had been taken to hospital with injuries, Jatinder Kumar said. A woman named Shweta said her husband also had to be taken to hospital. Besides the houses of the Kumar brothers that seemed to have borne the brunt of the projectile's impact, at least three other houses across from theirs suffered notable damage. A few other houses had their windowpanes broken with the impact. As Indian officials on Saturday evening announced a ceasefire with Pakistan, the damage in Rehari Colony stood as testimony to the human cost of the conflict. Jammu and Kashmir and northern states have been subjected to a barrage of drone attacks by Pakistan in retaliation for Operation Sindoor, which India launched on nine sites across the border after terrorists shot dead 26 people in Pahalgam. Indian officials say between 300-400 Pakistani drones were intercepted. More than a dozen residents of Jammu and Kashmir's border region have been killed in intense shelling by Pakistan. By Saturday evening, the authorities had not made a statement about the nature of the projectiles that hit Rehari. In Rehari, the door to Rajinder Kumar's small single-storeyed house opens up to their tiny living room that is dominated by a sofa and two plastic chairs. A small passage leads to a bedroom in the back. One of Kumar's sons was asleep on the sofa and was lucky to have escaped serious injuries. For about an hour, residents say local authorities did not respond to the situation. 'We called everyone we could, but nobody came to our help,' said Kumar. By 8.30 am, the colony was swarming with personnel of the State Disaster Relief Force, the police, the Indian Army and the chief minister's security team. Twenty minutes later, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah arrived. Since Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded to Union territory status in 2019, much administrative power lies in the hands of the Centre. His visit and the arrangements that it entailed caused some anger among the residents. 'They said nothing to us,' said a neighbour of Kumar, who was helping with the clean up. 'We even asked [the personnel on ground] for help to open a jammed door but they didn't even do that.' Kumar's brother, Jatinder, also complained that the authorities had not been helpful. He said that his injured wife had to be taken to hospital by the neighbours. 'We had called everyone [in the administration], but nobody came for help,' Jatinder Kumar said. 'They came an hour later. He too was unimpressed with Omar Abdullah's visit. 'The chief minister came and saw what had happened, but nobody gave us any reassurances,' Jatinder Kumar said. Amit, another resident in the area whose house had been damaged, said the residents had been anxious ever since Pakistan had begun firing at targets in India. On Saturday, he said, it 'felt as if an earthquake had happened. It was a very loud bang, and everything was moving.' Shweta, another resident, was also woken up by the impact of debris falling on her house. She said some of the relatives had been injured in the incident. Like others in the neighborhood, she was upset with the government for failing to respond to the people's needs. 'Where will we evacuate to?' she asked. 'Nowhere is safe. ... we spend our whole lives building our properties. You want us to leave and run. It can't happen. This government has not given us as much as it has taken away from us now.'
Time of India
07-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
100 sign up for disaster mitra, training starts today in Lucknow
Noida: A batch of 100 volunteers from GB Nagar set off for Lucknow to undergo training under the Apada Mitra initiative of the UP govt on Thursday. The team, flagged off by district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, will attend a 12-day training session in the state capital from May 8 to May the course is completed, the volunteers will serve as Apada Mitras and Sakhis in the district, supporting the administration and police in rescue and relief work during disasters, officials training will be conducted by the State Disaster Relief Force and will cover essential skills such as swimming, rescue techniques, CPR, first aid, and the use of emergency response kits."The aim is to develop a trained group of local volunteers who can act as first responders during emergencies, The volunteers will be trained to reach the affected area quickly and assist in initial rescue operations before formal teams arrive," said district disaster expert Omkar 100 participants will receive identity cards and emergency responder kits upon completion of the training. The govt will also provide insurance coverage to the they will not receive any monetary honorarium for their to officials, each district has been directed to appoint 100 Apada Mitras as part of the state's disaster preparedness plan. After receiving training, the volunteers will return to their homes and continue with their normal lives, but will remain on standby to assist during emergencies."They are not full-time workers, but their role in disaster situations will be critical," said Chaturvedi.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
7 killed in AP temple wall collapse
Visakhapatnam: Seven devotees were killed and one injured after a wall collapsed near the queue lines at the famous Simhachalam temple in the Eastern Ghats, Visakhapatnam, early on Wednesday morning. The dead included four members of the same family. The temple's hereditary trustee, former Union minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju, and his family were in the temple offering prayers when tragedy struck but they suffered no harm. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Thousands of devotees from across Andhra Pradesh had gathered at the temple dedicated to Lord Varaha Narasimha Swamy to witness the annual Chandanotsavam. All through the year the idol is covered in sandal paste, and only during Chandanotsavam does the deity give darshan in His original form, attracting thousands of devotees. Tragedy struck between 3 am and 3.15 am when a newly built wall, meant to act as a barrier against landslides, collapsed on devotees standing in queues. The 20 feet long and 2.5 feet wide wall caved in after a heavy 40-minute downpour accompanied by thunderstorms and fierce gales. The wall was built only last week. State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) jawans retrieved six bodies by removing debris with their bare hands and also rescued two people. They did not have any equipment at the time. Devotees alleged the wall collapsed because of substandard construction. They said from the debris it seemed as if it contained excessive sand and insufficient cement. The wall was also built without supporting pillars or beams on the ground. This is the first ever tragedy at the centuries old temple during Chandanotsavam. Though there have been minor stampedes in the past, there were no fatalities. State home minister V Anita said, "Action will be taken against those responsible for the accident." Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference with ministers Anam Ramnarayaa Reddy, Anita, Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Anagani Satya Prasad, Visakhapatnam MP M Bharat, Gajapati Raju, and others. There was tension at the King George Hospital mortuary for almost five hours as family members and relatives of Pilla Umamahesh and Sailaja, a software engineer couple, did not agree to a postmortem unless the govt announced higher compensation and a govt job to a family member. BOX The Andhra Pradesh govt appointed a three-man committee to look into the cause of the tragedy. It includes municipal administration principal secretary Suresh Kumar, Eagle Force chief Ake Ravikrishna, and irrigation engineer-in-chief Venkateswara Rao. CM N Chandrababdu Naidu announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. One member of the family will also receive a govt job. The injured will receive Rs 3 lakh each. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the deceased's families and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM relief fund. List of the dead HCL employee Pilla Umamaheswara Rao (30), his wife Pilla Sailaja (27) of Chandrampalem, his mother-in-law Pyla Venkata Ratnam (45), and a relative G Mahalakshmi (65) K Manikantha Eswara Sesha Rao (29) and Pathi Durga Prasad Naidu (30) from Korlapativaripalem in Ambajipeta, East Godavari district Yedla Venkata Rao (58) of Adavivaram Gurukul School area in Vizag Pyla Praveen of Arilova, the injured person, is receiving treatment in VIIMS hospital.
