Landslide

Major landslide occurs in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh, no casualty reported

A major landslide occurred on Dharchula-Tawaghat-Lipulekh road here in Uttarakhand, resulting in the closure of the road. There was no casualty, officials said. The landslide occurred around 11 am near Tawaghat in Pithoragarh, District Magistrate Vinod Goswami said. While there was no casualty in the incident, the landslide led to the closure of the road, he said. "SDM Dharchula and BRO officials have reached the spot and work on opening the road to Lipulekh on India-China border is on," he said. The road will be reopened soon, the DM added. The landslide probably occurred when debris from another road that is under construction above the main road started sliding, Goswami said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said traffic has been affected due to the landslide on Tawaghat-Dharchula National Highway. Expressing relief over the fact that there was no casualty in the landslide, he said efforts are on to open the route as soon as possible. "The district administration and the ..

Consider excluding Rs 120 cr from airlift charges: Kerala HC to Centre

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre whether it can exclude around Rs 120 crore from the Rs 132 crore demanded as airlift charges for rescue operations carried out by the IAF in the state since 2006. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Easwaran S said if the Rs 120 crore was freed up in this manner, the amount can be utilised immediately for the rehabilitation of the landslide victims in Wayanad. The bench asked the Centre to consider giving permission to temporarily free up the Rs 120 crore and relaxing the NDRF/SDRF norms so that the amount can be utilised for the rehabilitation purpose. "It is for a noble cause, so the central government should not have a problem," the court said and listed the matter on January 10, 2025 to await the Centre's response on the aspect. During the hearing, the bench also said that the sending of the bill of Rs 132 crore as airlift charges in October right after the state sought financial assistance from the Centre for ...

Wayanad landslide: Union govt 'adding chilli' to wounds, says Kerala FM

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Sunday criticised the union government for demanding payment for disaster relief and rescue operations conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Wayanad landslides. He described the move as "adding chilli to the wounds" of the state, already burdened by the aftermath of the disaster. Addressing reporters here, Balagopal accused the BJP-ruled Centre of "failing" to provide even the funds it had promised to the state for disaster relief. The Finance Minister alleged that this was akin to mocking the people of the state. "In addition to such an approach, a new bill has been introduced in the name of the Air Force," he said. "Really, this approach is like adding chilli to a serious wound," Balagopal added. He also questioned the stance of BJP leaders, including Union Minister Suresh Gopi and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan, on the issue affecting Kerala. Balagopal made these remarks in response to queries regarding a letter dated O

Priyanka Gandhi slams Centre for not providing relief package to Wayanad

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Centre of denying assistance to landslides-affected people of Wayanad due to politics and asserted that there should be no discrimination in times of natural disasters. Her remarks came after MPs from Kerala, including Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises Saturday, demanding a relief package from the Centre for landslides-hit Wayanad. Staging their demonstration in front of the steps of the Makar Dwar, the MPs raised slogans calling for "justice for Wayanad". They also held a banner with "Justice for Wayanad, provide relief package for Wayanad" written on it. Speaking with reporters, Priyanka Gandhi said, "We are very disturbed by the fact that the government is refusing to give a special package to Wayanad. We have gone to the home minister, we have written to the prime minister and to everyone possible, to declare that this as a calamity of a severe nature and to give a special package." Simi

10 dead, 2 missing after landslides, floods hit Indonesia's Java island

Indonesian rescuers recovered 10 bodies that were swept away in flash floods or buried under tons of mud and rocks that hit hilly villages on the country's main island of Java, officials said on Monday. Two people are still missing. Torrential rains since last week have caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through more than 170 villages in Sukabumi district of West Java province, as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down mountainside hamlets, said Lt. Col. Yudi Hariyanto, who heads a rescue command post in Sukabumi. Landslides, flash floods and strong winds devastated 172 villages and forced more than 3,000 people to flee to temporary government shelters, Hariyanto said. Authorities have warned nearly 1,000 people to evacuate as more than 400 houses are threatened by extreme weather. The disasters also destroyed 31 bridges, 81 roads and 539 hectares (1,332 acres) of rice fields, while 1,170 houses were flooded up to the roof. Extreme weather has also damaged more than 3,300 other

Landslides, floods hit Indonesia's Java island; 10 dead, 2 missing

Indonesian rescuers recovered 10 bodies that were swept away in flash floods or buried under tons of mud and rocks that hit hilly villages on the country's main island of Java, officials said Monday. Two people are still missing. Torrential rains since last week have caused rivers to burst their banks, tearing through more than 170 villages in Sukabumi district of West Java province, as mud, rocks and trees tumbled down mountainside hamlets, said Lt Col Yudi Hariyanto, who heads a rescue command post in Sukabumi. Landslides, flash floods and strong winds devastated 172 villages and forced more than 3,000 people to flee to temporary government shelters, Hariyanto said. Authorities have warned nearly 1,000 people to evacuate as more than 400 houses are threatened by extreme weather. The disasters also destroyed 31 bridges, 81 roads and 539 hectares of rice fields, while 1,170 houses were flooded up to the roof. Extreme weather has also damaged more than 3,300 other houses and building

Wayanad landslides: SDMA figures of relief funds inaccurate, says Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court on Saturday criticised the state government and its disaster management authority (SDMA), saying their figures regarding the funds in connection with rehabilitation of the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad are "inaccurate". A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohmmed Nias C P also questioned why the funds were being delayed for months and observed that it was turning into another disaster. It said when asking for assistance from the Centre, the state government should provide accurate figures. The court observed that auditing was not accurate and the funds were not being handled properly. It directed the government and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to submit accurate figures regarding the funds. It directed that the amount allocated from the Rs 677 crore in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for rehabilitation, the amount spent and the amount required should be placed before the court. The state government told the court that

Rock bolt tech speeds active landslide treatment in Uttarakhand hill zones

The rock bolt technology is successfully treating active landslide zones in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, an official of the Border Roads Organisation said here on Saturday. Landslides occur almost regularly in the hill areas of the state, especially during the monsoon season, blocking roads and causing inconvenience to Chardham pilgrims, and often claiming lives, he said. Active landslide zones on Gangotri and Yamunotri highways have been a major issue for the Chardham pilgrims as well as the local people for years, the official said. The Australian rock bolt technology is being used at present in the treatment of active landslide zones in Raturisera and Bandarkot on Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district, BRO Commander Vivek Srivastava said. The technology was used earlier too in the treatment of Nalupani and Chungi Badethi landslide zones which had long been active along the highway and the good results at the two points encouraged authorities to apply it elsewhere too, he ..

Kerala HC criticises Centre, state on lack of clarity in Wayanad relief aid

The Kerala High Court on Friday criticised the Centre and state governments for lack of clarity regarding the disaster relief and rehabilitation fund accounts in connection with the landslides that hit Wayanad in July this year. A bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Mohmmed Nias C P directed that the Finance Officer of the State Disaster Management Authority be present in person on Saturday to present the accounts. The court also posed several queries, including how much funds were required for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad and the amount of financial assistance to be provided by the Centre, to which it wanted answers. The queries also included how much amount was there in the relief fund before the disaster, how much was available for use out of it and what portion of the amount allocated by the Centre was utilised. The bench said once these queries are addressed, it will issue further directions. The queries from the court ca

Wayanad landslide: No information on Centre's relief aid, says Kerala govt

Stepping up its attack on the union government over the lack of assistance for the landslide survivors of Wayanad, the Kerala government on Sunday said it was yet to get any information regarding the amount to be allotted to the state for their relief and rehabilitation. The Left government reminded that the state and the Centre were not enemy nations, but part of the same Constitution and requested the Centre to act as a "guardian angel" during the time of tragedies. Revenue Minister K Rajan said the state government has submitted all the details in connection with the landslide and the union government has not notified it so far if there was any mistake in the figures provided by them. The figures of the loss suffered during the landslide had to be submitted by the state initially and it was done without any fail, he told reporters here. Later, the state had submitted the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in accordance with the norms. There was also no information about the

Landslide, flash floods hit Indonesia's Sumatra; 16 dead, 6 missing

Rescuers in Indonesia recovered 16 bodies under tons of mud and rocks or that were swept away in flash floods that hit mountainside villages on Sumatra Island, officials said Monday. Six people are still missing, officials said. Mud, rocks and trees tumbled down a mountain after torrential rains over the weekend and rivers burst their banks, tearing through four hilly districts in North Sumatra province, washing away houses and destroying farms. Police, soldiers and rescue workers used excavators, farm equipment and their bare hands to sift through the rubble looking for the dead and missing in Semangat Gunung, a resort area in Karo district, said Juspri M. Nadeak, who heads the local disaster management agency. Rescuers recovered six bodies after a landslide hit two houses and a cottage late Sunday, he said. Nine injured people managed to escape, he said. Rescuers on Monday were still searching for four missing people, including two children. Rescuers on Sunday pulled two bodies

CM Vijayan again raises lack of Central aid for Wayand landslide victims

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday again highlighted the issue of lack of Central assistance for the rehabilitation of those affected by the landslides that hit Wayanad in July, saying that nothing has come from the union government despite several reminders. Vijayan, addressing a public meeting here as part of the campaign for LDF candidate in the Chelakkara assembly constituency, said that months after the disaster -- which claimed over 200 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes -- no assistance had reached the state from the Central government. The CM said that several reminders, including a unanimous resolution passed by the assembly, were sent by the state government to the Centre. "While no assistance has come yet, they have not said no to our request. So, that is a good thing," he said. At the same time, he questioned why Kerala was being ignored when other states affected by natural disasters were provided financial assistance. "Why was Kerala left out?" he ..

Worm-infested food kits for landslide survivors spark protest in Kerala

Survivors of the landslides in Chooralmala-Mundakai in Wayanad district alleged on Thursday that they were given worm-infested food kits by the Meppadi Gram Panchayat, leading to a violent protest by the DYFI on Thursday. The Meppadi Panchayat is governed by the Congress-led UDF. The protest began with activists displaying the allegedly contaminated food items and staging a sit-in. Tensions escalated around 11:30 am when DYFI workers attempted to force their way into the office of the panchayat president. However, they were blocked by police officers and panchayat members, leading to clashes. According to panchayat authorities, five people were injured, including the panchayat president, K. Babu, and four members, who have been admitted to a hospital. Earlier, there were complaints that the food kits distributed by the Meppadi Grama Panchayat to landslide victims contained worm-infested rice, rava, and atta. Subsequently, on Thursday, DYFI activists staged a sit-in protest, plac

Week after Spain's floods, people hope missing are alive as 89 unaccounted

Francisco Murgui went out to try to salvage his motorbike when the water started to rise. He never came back. One week after catastrophic flooding devastated eastern Spain, Mara Murgui still holds out hope that her missing father is alive. He was like many people in town who went out to get their car or motorbike to safety, the 27-year-old told The Associated Press. The flash flood caught him outside, and he had to cling to a tree in order to escape drowning. He called us to tell us he was fine, that we shouldn't worry. But when Mara set out into the streets of Sedav to try to rescue him from the water washing away everything in its path, he was nowhere to be found. He held up until 1 in the morning, she said. By 2, I went outside with a neighbour and a rope to try to locate him. But we couldn't find him. And since then, we haven't heard anything about him. Spanish authorities issued their first tally of the missing on Tuesday when a Valencia court said that 89 people are confirm

Priyanka slams BJP for 'politicising' landslide disaster in Wayanad

Continuing her criticism of the BJP, Congress leader and UDF candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypolls, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Monday that the saffron party has politicised the landslide that struck this hill district in July, claiming numerous lives and displacing many residents. Kicking off her second day of campaigning, she addressed a corner meeting at Kenichira in the Sulthan Bathery Assembly constituency. "Even a disaster that caused immense pain to people was politicised by the BJP. And this is where we start today. We stand in a place where you must think about your country, your own needs, and the kind of politics you want in our nation," the Congress general secretary remarked. Taking a dig at the saffron party, Priyanka said the BJP's politics, "which is spreading across the country, is characterised by hatred, anger, divisiveness, and destruction." She stated that real issues facing the people are being overlooked, and their problems remain unresolved. She fur

Kerala govt criticises Centre's negative approach to Wayanad rehabilitation

The Kerala government on Sunday continued to express its displeasure over the delay in central assistance to landslide-hit Wayanad and said the union government was yet to announce the category in which the disaster is classified. Revenue Minister K Rajan said 100 days have passed since the massive landslides rocked the hamlets of Wayanad, but the state was yet to receive any assistance from the union government for its rehabilitation. The "negative approach" adopted by the Centre in terms of the rehabilitation of Wayanad was 'painful' for the state, he told reporters here. The state government has raised demands for central assistance several times. "What Kerala wants is not the amount from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)...What we want is a special package for Wayanad," Rajan said. Noting that the state had already submitted a memorandum to the Centre in accordance with the Disaster Management Act, the minister said the union government is now talking only about the amou

Nearly 130 dead and missing in massive flooding, landslides in Philippines

The number of dead and missing in massive flooding and landslides caused by Tropical Storm Trami in the Philippines has reached nearly 130 and the president said Saturday that many areas remained isolated with people in need of rescue. Trami blew away from the northwestern Philippines on Friday, leaving at least 85 people dead and 41 others missing in in one of the Southeast Asian archipelago's deadliest and most destructive storms so far this year, the government's disaster-response agency said. The death toll was expected to rise as reports come in from previously isolated areas. Dozens of police, firefighters and other emergency personnel, backed by three backhoes and sniffer dogs, dug up one of the last two missing villagers in the lakeside town of Talisay in Batangas province Saturday. A father, who was waiting for word on his missing 14-year-old daughter, wept as rescuers placed the remains in a black body bag. Distraught, he followed police officers, who carried the body bag

Tropical storm battering Philippines leaves 23 dead in flooding, landslides

Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 23 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs. The government shut down schools and offices except those urgently needed for disaster response for the second day on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami slammed into the country's northeastern province of Isabela after midnight. The storm was blowing over Aguinaldo town in the mountain province of Ifugao after dawn with sustained winds up to 95 kph and gusts up to 160 kph. It was blowing westward and was forecast to enter the South China Sea later on Thursday, according to state forecasters. At least 23 people died, mostly due to drowning in the hard-hit Bicol region and nearby Quezon province but the toll was expected to rise as towns and villages isolated by flooding and roads ...

India contributes to Nepal PM Fund to support victims of floods, landslides

Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava expressed his heartfelt condolences to Nepal

Nepal issues alert for rainfall after floods, landslides kill over 240

The government of Nepal issued a new alert for heavy rainfall on Wednesday, following days of relentless downpours that have triggered widespread floods and landslides, leaving more than 240 people dead across the Himalayan nation. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak directed authorities and disaster management agencies to remain on high alert as weather forecasts predict heavy rainfall in the Koshi and Bagmati provinces, as well as in the Kathmandu Valley, through Wednesday and Thursday. The warning came after the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology flagged potential risks of further downpours in parts of the two provinces. Lekhak urged the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), chief district officers, and local governments to caution against possible risk of disasters. The ministry also appealed to the public to remain on alert and be prepared to mitigate the potential risks of heavy rainfall and its consequences. "I have directed the chief district ...