Page 2 - Disaster

Invest in 'resilient infra' to ease impact of natural disasters: PM Modi

Vulnerable nations must get international support, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says at international conference

After Balasore, Silkyara, disaster response gears up for new challenges

Climate-change also a major discussion point, says NDMA

Himachal govt helped disaster-affected people by changing rules: CM Sukhu

According to the officials, in rain-related incidents in this year's monsoon so far, 400 people have lost their lives and over 13,000 houses have been damaged

Tamil Nadu: Acid tank at Ranipet chemical plant bursts open, no casualties

Large amounts of acid and toxic fumes filled the area, causes breathing issues and eye irritation to the factory workers and others in the area

NDMA tests pan-India 'emergency alert system' for disaster management

The sample testing message, sent through the Cell Broadcasting System, was timestamped at 12:19 pm on September 15

Govt working on war footing to open roads in disaster-hit Himachal: Sukhu

He said that he would talk to the Prime Minister and home minister if needed

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

Maui's emergency services chief resigns amid criticism for no fire sirens

The head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency resigned abruptly Thursday, a day after saying he had no regret about not using sirens to warn residents of wildfires that devastated the historic seaside community of Lahaina and killed at least 111 people. That decision from the agency directed by Administrator Herman Andaya, coupled with water shortages that hampered firefighters and an escape route that became clogged with vehicles, has brought intense criticism from many residents. The lack of sirens has emerged as a potential misstep, and The Associated Press reported that it was part of a series of communication issues that added to the chaos. Mayor Richard Bissen accepted Andaya's resignation effective immediately, the County of Maui announced on Facebook. Andaya cited unspecified health reasons, with no further details provided. Given the gravity of the crisis we are facing, my team and I will be placing someone in this key position as quickly as possible, Bissen said in the

Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green vowed to keep the land in local people's hands" after a deadly wildfire that incinerated a historic Maui community, as the island's schools began reopening and traffic resumed on a major road. Green said at a Wednesday news conference that he had instructed the state attorney general to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina, which he acknowledged will come with legal challenges. My intention from start to finish is to make sure that no one is victimised from a land grab, Green said. People are right now traumatised. Please do not approach them with an offer to buy their land. Do not approach their families saying they'll be much better off if they make a deal. Because we're not going to allow it. Also Wednesday, the number of dead reached 111, and Maui police said nine victims had been identified, and the families of five had been notified. A mobile morgue unit with additional coroners arrived Tuesday to help process and identify ...

Rain-related mishaps: Karnataka minister warns officials against laxity

Officials dealing with rain-related calamities will be directly responsible for any lapses on their part in taking precautionary measures in affected areas, Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has said. Strict action will be taken against the officials in case of shortcomings while dealing with the situation, the minister told a meeting held at the command control room of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) on Friday night. Discussions were held with district administration officials on the steps taken to manage the disasters occurring due to the incessant rains in the district. Gundu Rao said sufficient steps should be taken to prevent mishaps in low-lying areas, river shores and places near ponds. Fishermen should be given necessary instructions not to venture into the sea. He directed that officials remain in the control station and take disaster management actions without fail. Nodal officers are to be deputed in areas prone to disaster during the ...

Amit Shah approves release of Rs 6,194 cr disaster relief fund to 19 states

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday approved the release of Rs 6,194.40 crore to 19 states under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The amount includes Rs 1,209.60 crore as central share of the State Disaster Response Fund to four states -- Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh -- for 2022-23, according to an official statement. The statement added that Rs 4,984.80 crore will also be given to 15 states -- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Tripura -- for 2023-24. The release of funds will help states undertake relief measures during the current monsoon season. The central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has already approved the release of Rs 3,649.40 crore as central share of SDRF to nine states during 2023-24. Based on the 15th Finance Commission's recommendations, the central government has allocated Rs .

Colorado's destructive wildfire caused by embers from old fire, power line

Embers from a smoldering scrap wood fire set days earlier outside a home used by a Christian religious communal group along with a sparking power line caused a 2021 Colorado wildfire fanned by high winds that destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and left two people dead, authorities said on Thursday. Authorities spent 18 months investigating and determined criminal charges were not warranted for either The Twelve Tribes that occupied the home or the utility in charge of the power line, Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said at a news conference. If we were to tell you today we are filing charges, it would be wrong and unethical," Dougherty said. The December 30, 2021, blaze in heavily populated suburbs between Denver and Boulder caused USD 2 billion in damage, making it the most destructive in Colorado history. Two people were also found dead after what was known as the Marshall Fire. The inferno erupted following months of drought amid a winter nearly devoid of snow and

Avalanche in U'khand: Woman pilgrim returning from Hemkund Sahib missing

A woman pilgrim went missing on Sunday after an avalanche occurred near Atlakoti in Uttarakhand when a group of Sikh devotees was returning from Hemkund Sahib, officials said. Four other pilgrims caught in the avalanche on their way back from the Sikh shrine have been rescued, Chamoli District Disaster Management officer NK Joshi said. Relief and rescue operation is underway, he said.

Concern in Myanmar as supplies needed for recovery from cyclone coming slow

As residents of Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin states worked Monday to repair the devastation from last week's Cyclone Mocha, concern is rising about whether the urgent needs for shelter, food, drinking water and medical assistance can be met before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains. Mocha hit the coastline of Bangladesh and Myanmar on May 14 with winds of up to 209 kilometers (130 miles) per hour. The damage was worst around the coastal city of Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, but was severe even as the weakened storm moved inland into Chin state. At least 148 people in Rakhine were killed by the storm, which brought flash floods and power outages, tore roofs off buildings and crumpled cellphone towers. Myanmar state media said more than 186,000 buildings were damaged by the cyclone. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Sunday that it was still in talks with officials in the national capital, Naypyitaw, for approval of a pla

Extreme weather events over half-century killed 2 mn, $4.3 trn damage: UN

Nearly 12,000 extreme weather, climate and water-related events over much of the past half-century around the globe have killed more than 2 million people and caused economic damage of $4.3 trillion, the U.N. weather agency said Monday. The stark recap from the World Meteorological Organization came as it opened its four-yearly congress among member countries, pressing the message that more needs to be done to improve alert systems for extreme weather events by a target date of 2027. The Geneva-based agency has repeatedly warned about the impact of man-made climate change, saying rising temperatures have increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather including floods, hurricanes, cyclones and drought. WMO says early warning systems have helped reduce deaths linked to climate and other weather-related catastrophes. Most of the economic damage between 1970 and 2021 came in the United States totaling $1.7 trillion while nine in 10 deaths worldwide took place in developing

Must pay attention to financing risk disaster mitigation: India at UNGA

India has underscored the need to pay adequate attention to financing disaster risk mitigation and disaster preparedness, emphasising that states must evolve a financial architecture that can address the entire spectrum of disaster risk reduction needs in a balanced way. Addressing the India-Japan side event at the High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the General Assembly on the Midterm Review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 on Thursday, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr P K Mishra, stressed that "In the 21st century, the States face complex challenges in disaster risk reduction. Mishra is leading the Indian delegation at the SFDRR-Midterm Review meeting taking place from May 18-19 at the United Nations Headquarters. The side event on The Roles of States for Promoting Investments in Disaster Risk Reduction Towards Resilient and Sustainable Future' was organised by India's National Disaster Management Authority

India accords high importance to disaster risk reduction: Principal Secy

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Modi PK Mishra on Thursday (local time) said that India gives high importance to disaster risk reduction issues and called it a central public policy issue

1.1m likely rise in sea levels spells disaster for Maharashtra coast

Amid all the gloomy predictions of the 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the Maharashtra coastal areas are also on the caution list for possible disasters

Outbreak of disasters can be minimized only by proactive approach: CM Dhami

CM said that along with disasters, earthquakes are a big threat to our state, to avoid such disasters, special attention has to be paid towards the use of modern technology for pre-disaster warnings

From China in 1556 to Turkey in 2023: Most destructive earthquakes ever

The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake in China is considered to be the worst in terms of the number of lives lost, as it killed over 830,000 people