Accidents

Human error, lack of training led to BEST bus tragedy, suspect officials

Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials on Tuesday said they suspect that a "human error" and "lack of proper training" led to the horrific accident in Mumbai's Kurla, where a BEST bus fatally knocked down seven persons and injured 42 others. Soon after the incident occurred on Monday night, an investigation team of the Wadala RTO found that the brakes of the electric bus of Olectra-make were operating well. The e-bus operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking rammed into pedestrians and vehicles at around 9.30 pm on Monday on the S G Barve Marg in Kurla (West). Sanjay More (54), who was at the wheel of the ill-fated bus, was later arrested. A team of the Wadala RTO reached the spot a couple of hours after the incident. The RTO team led by motor vehicle inspector Bharat Jadhav completed the inspection of the bus at the BEST's Kurla depot this morning. BEST administration, with the help of Mumbai police, shifted the bus from the acciden

Govinda's revolver mishap: Mumbai crime branch officials meet actor

The Mumbai crime branch personnel have met actor Govinda, who sustained leg injuries after his revolver accidentally went off, and enquired with him about the incident, officials said on Wednesday. While the local police have been conducting an investigation, the Mumbai crime branch has also initiated a parallel enquiry into the incident. No one has lodged any complaint in this matter so far, police said. The accident took place on Tuesday at the Mumbai residence of the 60-year-old actor and he is currently recuperating at a private hospital here. A crime branch team led by senior police inspector Daya Nayak visited the hospital on Tuesday and spoke to the actor about the incident, an official said. Govinda was alone when the incident took place at his residence in the early hours of Tuesday, he said. The actor has a licensed revolver of Webley company and the bullet hit him near his left knee, the official said. The revolver, which is an old one, was not locked and got misfired

Three dead, five injured in multi-vehicle crash in MP's Neemuch district

Three persons were killed and at least five injured in a road accident involving three vehicles in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district on Saturday morning, police said. An official said the incident occurred on the Neemuch-Chittorgarh road. Superintendent of Police (SP) Ankit Jaiswal said a police vehicle, a pickup, and a truck were involved in this accident. Citing eyewitness accounts, Jaiswal said the pickup and police vehicle were stationary. A truck, bearing a Haryana registration number, crashed into the pickup vehicle, which further hit the police vehicle, Jaiswal said. The police vehicle got overturned due to the impact. Two occupants of the pickup vehicle, which was on its way from Indore to Ajmer, and the private driver of the police vehicle were killed in the accident, he said. At least five others were also injured in the accident, the official said. Police have seized the truck and efforts are being made to track down its driver, who fled from the spot, he added.

Ghatkopar reminder: Thane hoarding collapse injures three amid new rules

A billboard fell in the Kalyan area of Thane district of Maharashtra amid heavy rainfall, three months after a similar incident claimed the lives of 17 in Mumbai's Ghatkopar

Delhi to face more rain, IMD issues flood warnings; 2 dead in Ghazipur

Delhi grapples with waterlogging following heavy rainfall on Wednesday evening; Delhi minister issues last-minute school closure

Bihar witnesses another bridge collapse, 10th incident in over 15 days

Another instance of bridge collapse came to the fore in Bihar on Thursday, making it the 10th such incident to have been reported from the state in just over a fortnight, an official said. The latest incident was reported from Saran which witnessed two more bridge collapses in the last 24 hours, District Magistrate Aman Samir said. No casualty was reported after the structure, built 15 years ago by local authorities, collapsed this morning, he said. The small bridge over the Gandaki river was situated in the Baneyapur block and used to connect several villages in Saran with the neighbouring Siwan district. The small bridge was constructed 15 years ago. I am going to the spot. Several other officials of the district administration have already reached there. The exact cause of the bridge collapse is yet to be ascertained but desilting work was recently undertaken," the district magistrate told PTI. On Wednesday, the Saran district witnessed the collapse of two small bridges - one i

Baltimore port reopens 11 weeks after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The Baltimore port, one of America's largest shipping hubs, formally reopened on Wednesday, 11 weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when it was struck by a massive cargo ship mostly manned by Indians. The 2.6-km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River collapsed on March 26 after the 984-foot ship Dali' crashed into it. The crew onboard the crippled ship included 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan. I made clear that my Administration would move heaven and earth to reopen the Port of Baltimore one of our nation's largest shipping hubs. Today, thanks to the tireless work by the men and women in the Unified Command, the full navigation channel is now open to all vessel traffic, allowing a full return of commerce to the Port of Baltimore, US President Joe Biden said in a statement. Disruptions from the March 26 bridge collapse have cost the Baltimore region's economy about USD 1.2 billion, said Anirban Basu, an economist with Sage Policy Group, a ...

IAF brings back 45 Indians killed in Kuwait building fire: Key details

The devastating fire in a labour accommodation in Mangaf, Kuwait on June 12 claimed the lives of at least 45 Indians

Increasing turbulence: Why flights are facing more bumps in the sky

Fasten your seat belts: Experts believe that climate change is expected to make air travel bumpier than ever for air travellers. Learn about turbulence and safety precautions

7 killed in boiler blast fire at Dombivli chemical factory in Thane

The blast took place around 1.40 pm, causing cracks in the glass windows of nearby buildings and damaging many houses in the vicinity

Mumbai hoarding collapse: Retired couple stopping for petrol found dead

At least 16 fatalities have occurred in Mumbai following the collapse of the hoarding in Ghatkopar. The advertisement company responsible for the hoarding faces charges of culpable homicide

Fire breaks out at Lahore airport, Hajj flights, immigration affected

The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction in the immigration counter of the Lahore Airport, affecting Hajj flights scheduled to depart from today

7 people killed, 20 injured as racing car veers off track in Sri Lanka

The injured were taken to Diyatalawa Base Hospital and are currently undergoing treatment

1 dead, 2 injured after crane section falls from a South Florida high-rise

One person was killed and two others were hospitalised Thursday afternoon when a section of crane fell from a building in downtown Fort Lauderdale, officials said. Crews were in the process of stepping the crane during the construction of a high-rise building when a section being prepared to increase the crane's height came loose, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan said during a news conference. A construction worker fell with the crane section, causing fatal injuries, officials said. The crane itself remained secured to the building. The crane section landed on a nearby bridge, damaging at least two vehicles, Gollan said. A man and a woman who had been on the ground were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were listed in stable condition. Another person was treated at the scene and refused transport to the hospital. The bridge was damaged by the falling crane section, meaning the roadway will be closed indefinitely until it's repaired. The river that runs under the

Engineers find limited-access channel to Baltimore port to open in 4 weeks

Engineers working to clear the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore have said that they expect to be able to restore navigation in and out of the Port of Baltimore by the end of this month. The bridge collapsed within seconds on March 26 after being struck by the cargo ship Dali, which lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka. The ship issued a mayday alert with just enough time for police to stop traffic, but not enough to save a roadwork crew filling potholes on the bridge. Authorities believe six workers plunged to their deaths in the Patapsco River; two bodies have been recovered so far. Two others survived. The US Army Corps of Engineers announced a tentative timeline Thursday, saying in a news release that it expects to open a limited access channel to the port within the next four weeks measuring some 280 feet wide by 35 feet deep (85 metres by 11 metres). The channel would support one-way traffic in and out of the port for ...

Baltimore bridge collapse piques concern on safety, communication measures

In the moments before the cargo ship Dali rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it crumbling into the water, a flurry of urgent warnings crackled over radios and enabled police to block traffic from getting on the span, likely saving lives. But those warnings seemingly didn't reach the six construction workers who were killed in last week's collapse of the Baltimore bridge. Their deaths have raised questions about whether the construction company took proper precautions, including keeping a safety boat nearby that might have been able to warn them at least a few seconds before impact. Federal regulations require construction companies to keep such boats, commonly known as skiffs, on hand whenever crews are working over waterways, safety experts told The Associated Press. There is no indication that the construction company, Brawner Builders, had a rescue boat on the water or ready to be launched as the bridge fell. If you're working over a bridge like that, the standard

US Prez Biden to visit Baltimore bridge collapse site, pledges full support

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, situated on Interstate 695, occurred when the cargo ship Dali struck it around 1:30 am Tuesday, en route to Sri Lanka, according to The Hill

Baltimore bridge collapse: Crews continue removing twisted steel, concrete

As divers assisted crews with the complicated and meticulous operation of removing the steel and concrete from the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, some near the site took time on Easter Sunday to reflect on the six workers presumed to have plunged to their deaths. As cranes periodically swung into place and workers measured and cut the steel to prepare to lift sections of twisted steel, Rev. Ako Walker held a Mass in Spanish at Sacred Heart of Jesus, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) up the Patapsco River from the collapse. Yes we can rebuild a bridge, but we have to look at the way in which migrant workers are treated and how best we can improve their situation as they come to the United States of America, Walker said of the men who were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador and were patching potholes. Dive teams were in the river Sunday surveying parts of the bridge underwater and checking on the ship to ensure it can be safely floated away once the wreckage is

Ship, which crashed into Baltimore bridge, was under maintenance: Official

The ship that crashed into a bridge in Baltimore was undergoing "routine engine maintenance" in the port beforehand, the Coast Guard said. US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said at a news conference on Wednesday that authorities had been informed that the ship was going to undergo routine engine maintenance before it lost power. But he said authorities were not informed of any problems. TWO BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED AT SITE OF BRIDGE COLLAPSE, AUTHORITES SAY The bodies of two people have been recovered from the site of the Baltimore bridge that collapsed into a river early Tuesday when a ship crashed into it, said Col Roland L Butler Jr, superintendent for Maryland State Police. Butler said Wednesday that a 35-year-old and a 26-year-old were recovered from a red pickup truck in the Patapsco River near the mid-span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge. The six construction workers who were missing and presumed dead were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salva

Baltimore bridge collapse probe picks up speed as divers recover 2 bodies

Investigators began collecting evidence from the cargo ship that plowed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused its collapse, while in the waters below divers searched through twisted metal for six construction workers who plunged into the harbour. The bodies of two were recovered Wednesday, and the others were presumed dead. The bodies of the two men, aged 35 and 26, were located by divers inside a red pickup submerged in about 25 feet of water near the bridge's middle span, Col Roland L Butler Jr, superintendent of Maryland State Police, announced at an evening news conference. The victims were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Butler said. The investigation picked up speed as the Baltimore region reeled from the sudden loss of a major transportation link that's part of the highway loop around the city. The disaster also closed the port that is vital to the city's shipping industry. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board boarded the s