An autonomous hydraulic-powered robot equipped with special machinery has been deployed to accelerate the search operation for seven people trapped inside a partially collapsed tunnel in Nagarkurnool, Telangana. The robot, equipped with a 30 HP capacity liquid ring vacuum pump and a vacuum tank machine, can remove up to 620 cubic meters of soil per hour using a conveyor belt. This technology aims to expedite the rescue efforts and enhance the efficiency of the operation. State Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management) Arvind Kumar is supervising the search operation, which involves teams from the Army, NDRF, SDRF, HRDD, Singareni Collieries, a Hyderabad-based robotics company, and others.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in its 63rd mission, would carry the earth observation satellite (EOS-09) which would be capable of capturing high-resolution images of the Earth's surface under all weather conditions.
India's disaster relief assistance has increased substantially in recent years, from Rs 1.60 crore in FY23 to Rs 41.18 crore in FY24, and Rs 27.88 cr in FY25 (until January 2025).
India conducted nationwide civil defence mock drills simulating multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, fire emergencies, and rescue operations across several states and union territories. The drills, dubbed 'Operation Abhyaas,' aimed to enhance emergency preparedness in light of recent terror attacks. The exercises involved coordinated efforts by various agencies, including civil defence personnel, police, fire and emergency services, and the military. Mock drills were conducted at various locations, including railway stations, malls, and high-rise buildings, showcasing the response capabilities of authorities in different emergency scenarios. The drills highlighted the importance of public awareness and cooperation in dealing with real-time emergencies.
'Who gave the Tatas the right to discontinue technically sound practices related to safety and security?'
The helicopter carrying a total of seven people, including the pilot, crashed on the Rishikesh-Gangotri National Highway at around 8:45 am.
The first quarter has scored mostly flops, with just one blockbuster (Chhaava) and a smattering of those which have recovered costs.
The Indian government has informed the Lok Sabha that it does not maintain data on casualties and injured victims from the Maha Kumbh stampede, as "public order" and "police" are state subjects. The Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, stated that state governments are responsible for crowd management, disaster prevention, and providing assistance to victims. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority and the Bureau of Police Research and Development have issued guidelines on crowd management and crowd control.
The Ahmedabad air tragedy, which claimed the lives of all but one of the 242 passengers and crew on board, and several others on the ground, has left deep scars on BJMC's residential quarters and the psyche of the survivors.
'You're paying Rs 42 lakh for one game. Why not link it to qualification? It just shows how clueless the management is.'
Three Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 500-metre deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Sunday. The Army truck was part of a convoy moving from Jammu to Srinagar along national highway-44. The accident occurred near Battery Chashma at around 11.30 am. A joint rescue operation was launched immediately by Army, police, State Disaster Response Force and local volunteers. The deceased were identified as Naib-Subedar Sujeet Kumar, driver Amit Kumar and sepoy Man Bahadur. The crash has reduced the vehicle into a mangled heap of metal. Preliminary investigation suggested that the accident was caused by a technical glitch in the vehicle.
What happened in Bengaluru is a wake-up call, no celebration of sport should ever come at the cost of human life, asserts veteran cricket correspondent K R Nayar.
The DGCA directive called for a series of specific checks before each flight's departure from India, including inspection of fuel parameter monitoring systems, cabin air compressors, and electronic engine control units.
Eight persons have been killed in floods and landslides in Assam as incessant rainfall caused massive inundation in 17 districts, affecting over 78,000 people, officials said on Saturday.
Air India Boeing 787-8 crash in Ahmedabad has brought back all traumatic memories.
Trump said that leaders in India and Pakistan are "great leaders" and "they understood, and they agreed, and that all stopped".
Several Indian states bordering Pakistan have implemented stringent security measures, including school closures, blackouts, and cancellation of leave for police and administrative personnel, in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. These measures were taken after India conducted airstrikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam massacre. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and West Bengal have all implemented these precautionary measures.
Cadaver dogs from Kerala police have joined the rescue operation at the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana, where eight people have been trapped since February 22. The dogs, specially trained to locate missing humans and human bodies, are being used to identify the presence of survivors in the tunnel. Rescue personnel, including NDRF teams, are also working tirelessly to reach the trapped individuals amidst challenging conditions, including slush and seepage of water.
'China could intentionally release excess water.' 'The North East is already flood-prone during the monsoon, and even a controlled release from Chinese dams (during the monsoon) could worsen flooding.'
Her husband Raja's body has been discovered, but there is no trace of Sonam Raghuvanshi.
Cadaver dogs from the Kerala Police are being sent to Hyderabad to assist in the rescue operation for eight people trapped in a tunnel collapse at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project in Telangana. The dogs, specially trained to locate missing humans and bodies, will join the rescue effort led by the NDRF, Indian Army, and Navy.
As the election nears, political positions on prohibition are shifting.
'Heavy rains are not the primary reason for landslides in Wayanad.' 'There are all sorts of (human) intervention going on in that area.'
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) is on high alert after a Liberian vessel carrying hazardous cargo sank off the Kerala coast. While no calcium carbide containers have washed ashore yet, a thin layer of oil spill has been detected. The KPCB is working to contain the spill and prevent it from reaching the shore, but rough conditions at sea have hampered efforts to spray dispersants. The board is also taking steps to prevent the oil from reaching the Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes.
Twice every 12 days, the NISAR satellite will scan nearly all of earth's land and ice surfaces to measure changes in the planet's ecosystems, growth and retreat of its land and sea ice, and deformation of its crust.
With the summer approaching sooner than scheduled, Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, and West Bengal have already started experiencing heat waves with temperatures soaring above 40°C.
'I feel the murderers had done a recce of this place before murdering Raja.' 'It is isolated, there are no CCTV cameras.' 'It was a fit place to commit the crime.'
'Could the impending new crisis, vibe coding, similarly create not a disaster like what befell Indian handlooms during the Industrial Revolution but another opportunity like what the Y2K crisis created?' asks Ajit Balakrishnan.
UN chief Antonio Guterres, US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were among scores of world leaders who offered condolences to the people of India in wake of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
'They are going to create so many nations within one nation.' 'If you do this exercise without a clear vision, it will have far reaching repercussions. It will end up in disaster and that will be dangerous.'
A major fire broke out in a building housing an electronics goods showroom in the suburban Bandra area in the early hours of Tuesday, prompting the deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for firefighting operations. While no injuries were reported, the building adjacent to the affected structure was evacuated as a precaution. The fire, classified as Level IV (major), started around 4.10 am in a multistorey building on Linking Road in Bandra (west). The blaze initially confined to the basement later spread to the upper floors, engulfing the building in smoke. Thick black smoke was visible from afar, and photographs and videos of the blaze surfaced on social media. Around 6.25 am, the fire brigade classified the blaze as Level IV, indicating a major fire requiring extensive firefighting operations. Mumbai Fire Brigade chief Ravindra Ambulgekar and other senior officers rushed to the spot, with at least 13 fire engines and other firefighting vehicles deployed to douse the blaze. Other agencies have also been mobilized, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. This is the second major early-morning blaze in Mumbai in two days, following a fire at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Ballard Estate on Sunday.
For the 17 people who perished in a blaze near the historic Charminar in Hyderabad on Sunday, the house located in a tunnel-like alley with a narrow entrance and staircase proved to be the death trap as it prevented them from escaping to safety.
Indian Space Research Organisation's 101st mission from Sriharikota, an earth observation satellite onboard the agency's trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, could not be accomplished on Sunday following a pressure issue in the third stage of the launch vehicle, the space agency said.
Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande highlights the alarming trend of people in their 40s losing their jobs, calling it a 'financial and emotional disaster.'
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) was forced to suspend the operation after flooding was reported at the underground Acharya Atre Chowk station.
'We do not need to save the planet. Just respecting Mother Earth is enough.'
Such gaming zones and recreational facilities have come up without the necessary approvals from competent authorities, the bench of Justices Biren Vaishnav and Devan Desai observed.
Containers from a Liberian cargo ship that sank off the Kerala coast have started washing ashore, prompting authorities to urge the public to stay away from them. The ship carried 13 hazardous cargos, including calcium carbide, which reacts with seawater to release highly flammable acetylene gas. The Indian Coast Guard is leading pollution response efforts and monitoring the spread of the oil slick.
Because the aftermath of what happened before continues long after. War breeds hostility and hatred and creates mistrust and greed. It extinguishes humanity and breaks the human spirit, argues Aarti David.
The IMD issued a "Nowcast" warning, forecasting thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph at isolated places in Mumbai in the next three to four hours.
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