Accidents & Disasters – Weekly Newsletter for March 1-7, 2011

Monday, March 7, 2011

Two killed in protests against power plant in Andhra

HYDERABAD – Two people were killed and two injured Monday when police opened fire to quell violent protests against a controversial thermal power plant in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, police said.

Police opened fire when the villagers attacked them with iron rods, sticks and stones at Vadditandra village of Santhabommali mandal in Srikakulam …. Original source : Two killed in protests against power plant in Andhra.

Postmaster fleeing to Myanmar with rural job fund held

AIZAWL – Mizoram Police arrested a postmaster who was fleeing to neighbouring Myanmar with Rs.13.50 lakh meant to be disbursed for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), police said here Monday.

The money was deposited with Lalrodinga, 36, a postmaster at Vaphai branch Post Office in eastern Mizoram, by the …. Source article : Postmaster fleeing to Myanmar with rural job fund held.

Britain foils plan to export 1 bn pounds in Libyan banknotes

LONDON – British authorities have foiled an attempt to send out nearly one billion pounds worth of Libyan banknotes back to Tripoli, a media report said Monday.

It was revealed Sunday that an attempt was made last week to move 900 million pounds of uncirculated notes held in a secure storage facility in Britain back …. Original article : Britain foils plan to export 1 bn pounds in Libyan banknotes.

Youngest victim of New Zealand quake laid to rest

CHRISTCHURCH – Five-month-old Baxtor Gowland who was named the youngest victim of the Christchurch earthquake was laid to rest Monday, a media report said.

Gowland was born Sep 17 last year, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Last week, he was named as the youngest confirmed victim of the 6.3 strength quake that hit this New … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Youngest victim of New Zealand quake laid to rest.

Quake hits Chile

SANTIAGO – An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted the southern region of Chile, but there was no damage or casualty, Xinhua reported.

The quake occurred around 8.00 p.m. Sunday in the Bio-Bio region with its epicentre at a depth of about 16 km, the US Geological Survey said.
…. Source article : Quake hits Chile.

Bolivia rains: 250 homes collapse in La Paz

La Paz, Feb 28 (IANS/EFE) Nearly 800 Bolivian families became homeless after intense rains caused 250 homes to collapse in the capital city of La Paz, but there have been no reports of any casualties, an official said.

La Paz Mayor Luis Revilla said Sunday that the mudslides began Saturday night, destroying around 80 hectares …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Two dead in shooting at Puerto Rico concert

San Juan, Feb 28 (IANS/EFE) Two people were killed and five were wounded in a shooting at a music concert in Puerto Rico, police said.

Investigators were trying to determine what set off the shooting during Sunday’s concert by singer Elvis Crespo in Bayamon city near San Juan, police said.
One of the victims died … Read more >>.

Jodhpur pregnancy deaths: IV fluids firm manager detained

JODHPUR – A manager of a firm which allegedly manufactured the contaminated IV fluids responsible for the deaths of at least 12 pregnant women at a government hospital here was detained in Indore town of Madhya Pradesh Sunday, police said.

A team of Jodhpur police officers who went to Indore to probe the case detained … Read more >>>.

Wife murdered by husband on wedding anniversary

NEW DELHI – Hours after celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary, a wife was smothered to death by her husband who was tired of their constant quarrels and fights, police said Sunday. The man has been arrested.

Prince Kocher, 32 murdered Anchal Kocher, 29 in their home in Janakpuri in west Delhi on the night of … Read : Wife murdered by husband on wedding anniversary.

Police arrest betting gang in Ghaziabad

GHAZIABAD – Police Sunday arrested four businessmen from Ghaziabad for taking bets on the India-England World Cup cricket match and recovered around Rs.150,000 from them along with a cache of communication equipment.

In the raid conducted Sunday evening, the police also recovered a router equipped with a broadband connection with their betting counterparts in Dubai, …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Huge cache of arms recovered in Bengal

KOLKATA – A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from a pump house in an agricultural field in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, police said.

“Acting on a tip off, we raided Zahid Sheikh’s pump house at Ketugram and recovered 11 firearms, four pistols, two muskets, 60 box bombs, 40 kg of gunpowder, four …. Original article : Huge cache of arms recovered in Bengal.

Nearly 200 live cartridges recovered in Bengal

KOLKATA – Nearly 200 imported live cartridges were found on the banks of a roadside pond in West Bengal’s North 24 Paraganas district Sunday, police said.

“Nine cases, each containing 20 rounds of imported bullets of different types, were recovered from an abandoned packet dumped on the bank of a pond near Rajarhat in the …. Read the original article : here.

LIC entrance exam paper leaked, one held

NEW DELHI – The question papers of an all-India examination for posts of 375 assistant administrative officers in the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) were leaked, police said Sunday. A youth, allegedly selling them for Rs.5 lakh each, was arrested.

On the basis of a tip-off, police got hold of two sets of …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Train hits road roller, derails; passengers safe

KOLKATA – The engine and 11 compartments of the Puri-bound Neelachal Express derailed Sunday in Orissa after it hit a road roller that had entered the railway track at an unmanned level crossing. The road roller driver was critically injured.

None of the train passengers were injured, according to a railway official.
The 12875 Puri-New …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Girl attempts suicide, critical

GURGAON – A 20-year-old girl was in critical condition Sunday after jumping from the third floor of the crowded Sahara Mall here, police said.

A guard tried to catch hold of Kanika but failed. The Paras Hospital said her condition was critical.
“The girl lives in Palam Vihar with her family and is employed with …. Source article : Girl attempts suicide, critical.

Rape-accused NCP legislator remanded to police custody

NASHIK – Suspended Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Dilip Wagh and his personal assistant Mahesh Mali have been remanded to police custody till March 3 for allegedly raping a 22-year-old woman here, police said Sunday.

A Nashik trial court has remanded Wagh and his personal assistant to police custody till March 3, a police officer … Read more >>.

CWG scam: Bhanot, Verma sent to 14 days’ judicial custody

NEW DELHI – A Delhi court Tuesday sent Lalit Bhanot and V.K. Verma, former high ranking officials of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee, to 14 days’ judicial custody in connection with financial lapses in a contract with a Swiss company.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Talwant Singh sent the OC’s former … Read this article on Gaea Times at : CWG scam: Bhanot, Verma sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.

Sri Lanka air force jets crash during air show rehearsal

COLOMBO – Two fighter jets crashed on the outskirts of Sri Lanka’s capital Tuesday after a mid-air collision during rehearsal for an air force celebration, the military said.

One of the pilots was killed in the crash in the Yakkala area, 30 km east of the capital, a spokesman said.
The air force’s …. Read the original article : Sri Lanka air force jets crash during air show rehearsal.

Woman, child crushed under reversing bus

PANCHKULA – A woman and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter were killed and her husband and nine-year-old son injured after a reversing bus mowed them down while they were asleep here early Tuesday, said the police.

According to the police, the deceased were identified as Bijli, in her late twenties, and her daughter Anjani.
The woman’s husband, …. Source : Woman, child crushed under reversing bus.

Four children injured in Patna explosion

PATNA – Four children in this Bihar capital were injured Tuesday when a crude bomb kept in a dustbin exploded, police said.

The incident took place near Gandhi Maidan. The children — who have been admitted to a hospital where their condition was stated to be stable — were playing near the dustbin.
… Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Four children injured in Patna explosion.

Geelani stopped at Delhi airport

NEW DELHI – Hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani was stopped at the Delhi airport Tuesday by Delhi Police personnel who took him for questioning in connection with a money laundering case, police said.

“Geelani was to board a flight to Srinagar when Delhi Police stopped him and took him to a Special …. Source article on Gaea Times at : Geelani stopped at Delhi airport.

Godhra train burning: death for 11, life for 20 (Second Lead)

AHMEDABAD – A special court here Tuesday sent to the gallows 11 people and gave life imprisonment to 20 others for the February 2002 burning of a train coach in Gujarat’s Godhra town, in which 59 people were killed triggering a communal frenzy that claimed an estimated 1,000 lives in the state.

The sentence was …. Source : Godhra train burning: death for 11, life for 20 (Second Lead).

Absconding major surfaces in US, says Al Qaeda present in Kashmir

SRINAGAR – An ex-army major, wanted for the 1996 disappearance and murder of a lawyer and rights activist, has surfaced in California and reportedly said the Al Qaeda is present in Jammu and Kashmir – a claim strongly denied by the authorities here who are now planning to seek his extradition.

Major Avtar Singh, who … Read more >>.

New Zealand quake toll reaches 155

CHRISTCHURCH – The toll in the devastating earthquake in New Zealand’s second largest city of Christchurch rose to 155, a media report said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the government has launched a probe into why the Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed in last Tuesday’s 6.3 magnitude quake where many bodies are still thought be lying buried in …. Source : New Zealand quake toll reaches 155.

Two air force jets crash in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO – Two fighter jets crashed on the outskirts of Sri Lanka’s capital Tuesday after a mid-air collision during rehearsal for an air force celebration, a military spokesman said.

One of the pilots was ejected safely, but there was no confirmation about the other pilot, the spokesman said.
The crash occurred in the Yakkala …. Original source : Two air force jets crash in Sri Lanka.

11 get the noose for Godhra train burning, 21 sentenced to life

AHMEDABAD – A special court here Tuesday sent to the gallows 11 people and gave life imprisonment to 20 others for the February 2002 burning of a train coach in Gujarat’s Godhra town that killed 59 people and triggered a communal frenzy, which claimed an estimated 1,000 lives in the state.

The sentence was pronounced … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : 11 get the noose for Godhra train burning, 21 sentenced to life.

11 get death for Godhra train burning, 20 sentenced to life

AHMEDABAD – A special court Tuesday sentenced 11 people to death and 20 to life imprisonment for setting a train coach on fire in Gujarat’s Godhra town in February 2002. The Godhra train burning — which claimed 59 lives — triggered a communal frenzy in the state in which 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
…. Read the original article : 11 get death for Godhra train burning, 20 sentenced to life.

Put Ashok Todi to trial in Rizwanur case: Supreme Court (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Tuesday cleared the deck for the trial of Kolkata-based businessman Ashok Todi in the mysterious death of his son-in-law Rizwanur Rehman.

An apex court bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan upheld the decision of the single judge of the Calcutta High Court directing the Central Bureau of … Original article on : Put Ashok Todi to trial in Rizwanur case: Supreme Court (Second Lead).

Put Todi to trial for Rizwanur death: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Tuesday cleared the deck for the trial of Kolkata-based businessman Ashok Todi in the mysterious death of his son-in-law Rizwanur Rehman.

An apex court bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan upheld the decision of the single judge of the Calcutta High Court directing the Central Bureau of …. Original source : Put Todi to trial for Rizwanur death: Supreme Court.

Put Ashok Todi to trial for Rizwanur murder: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Tuesday cleared the deck for the trial of Kolkata businessman Ashok Todi in the mysterious death of his son-in-law Rizwanur Rehman.

An apex court bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan upheld the decision of the single judge of the Calcutta High Court directing the Central Bureau of … Read more : Put Ashok Todi to trial for Rizwanur murder: Supreme Court.

Music stars denounce Puerto Rico crime wave

San Juan, March 1 (IANS/EFE) A group of Puerto Rican music stars Monday denounced

the crime wave sweeping the Caribbean island, where this weekend a hail of bullets took the lives of two new victims at a crowded concert.
Merengue singer Elvis Crespo told a press conference of his “pain and sorrow” for the … Read more »»».

Fire in wholesale grain market, no casualties

LUCKNOW – Goods worth around Rs.50 lakh were gutted when a fire broke out in a wholesale grain market governed by the State Agriculture Produce and Marketing Board in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri town, police said. There were no casualties.

The fire engulfed around 28 establishments of the Mainpuri Mandi Samiti in Kotwali Shehar area, following … Read more >>>.

5 Bodies found hanging from bridges in Mexican city

Mexico City, March 1 (IANS/EFE) Five bodies were found hanging from bridges in the Pacific resort city of Mazatlan, authorities said.

Officials have not released any information on the identity of the dead or the circumstances of the killings.
The public display of victims is characteristic of Mexico’s drug cartels and other criminal outfits.
… Original source on Gaea Times at : 5 Bodies found hanging from bridges in Mexican city.

Danish ship taken hostage by Somali pirates

COPENHAGEN – A Danish ship with seven crew members on board has been captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Denmark’s foreign ministry said Monday evening.

The captured ship is said to be carrying a family of five, including three children aged 12 to 16, their parents, and two other adult helpers, Xinhua reported … Original source on Gaea Times at : Danish ship taken hostage by Somali pirates.

16 killed as power line falls during Brazil carnival

Rio de Janeiro, March 1 (IANS/EFE) At least 16 people were killed and around 50 were injured when a power line fell during a pre-carnival celebration in Brazil, police said.

The accident occurred Sunday in the main plaza in Bandeira do Sul, a city with 6,000 people in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
The …. Original article : 16 killed as power line falls during Brazil carnival.

Dubai customs bust credit card racket

Dubai, Feb 28 (IANS/WAM) Dubai customs have arrested two people who were travelling with 51 counterfeit creadit cards worth AED 1 million ($270,000).

The counterfeit cards were recovered Sunday from an Asian passenger who intended to smuggle them for use in the UAE market, Ali Almaghwai, Senior Manager of Airport Passenger Operation Department, said.
… Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Dubai customs bust credit card racket.

Raja to depose from jail via video-conferencing (Second Lead)

NEW DELHI – Former communications minister A. Raja was Tuesday exempted from going to court from Tihar Jail for hearings in the 2G spectrum scam. He will attend the trial through video-conferencing.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge O.P. Saini said proceedings shall be conducted through video-conferencing from the prison Thursday.
“A copy …. Source : Gaea News Network.

Raja to depose from jail via video

NEW DELHI – Former communications minister A. Raja was Tuesday exempted from going from Tihar Jail to court for hearings in the spectrum scam. He will attend the trial through video-conference.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge O.P. Saini said proceedings shall be conducted through video-conferencing from the prison Thursday. Raja would not have …. Source : Gaea News Network.

NALCO official’s wife sent to 14 days’ judicial custody

NEW DELHI – A Delhi court Tuesday sent Chandni Srivastava, wife of a top National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) official, and another accused in a corruption case to 14 days’ judicial custody.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini sent both Chandni Srivastava and Anita Bajaj to judicial custody till March 15.
…. Source article on Gaea Times at : NALCO official’s wife sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.

20 injured as lawyers, officials clash

ALLAHABAD – At least 20 people, including policemen, were injured here Tuesday when lawyers and district officials clashed and then fought pitched battles with police.

Tension gripped Colonelganj area when a verbal duel triggered fighting between hundreds of lawyers and employees of the chief development office, Deputy Inspector General of Police Ram Kumar said. … Read more : 20 injured as lawyers, officials clash.

Noose for 11, life for 20 in Godhra train burning (Third Lead)

AHMEDABAD – A special court Tuesday sent to the gallows 11 people and gave life imprisonment to 20 others for the February 2002 burning of a train coach in Gujarat’s Godhra town that killed 59 radical Hindu activists and triggered a communal frenzy claiming 1,000 lives in the state.

The sentence was pronounced by special … Read more : Noose for 11, life for 20 in Godhra train burning (Third Lead).

Saudi princess in sexual harassment row allowed to hide identity

LONDON – A Saudi princess accused of sexually harassing her British bodyguard has been allowed to hide her identity in court, a media report said Tuesday.

Her 40-year-old bodyguard claims that the royal was engaged in drinking, illegal drug-taking and ’sexually promiscuous’ behaviour, the Daily Mail reported.
The guard, who earned 100,000 pounds a year … Original source on Gaea Times at : Saudi princess in sexual harassment row allowed to hide identity.

Raja to take part in court proceedings through video conferencing from Tihar

NEW DELHI – A local court Tuesday allowed former communications minister A. Raja, lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, to attend court proceedings through video-conferencing.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge O.P. Saini said proceedings shall be conducted through video-conferencing from Tihar Jail March 3 and Raja would … Original source on Gaea Times at : Raja to take part in court proceedings through video conferencing from Tihar.

Justice S.N. Dhingra said: “Any recording sought to be used for judicial review before any forum cannot be permitted by the court unless there … Original source on Gaea Times at : Plea to record hearings goes to chief justice (Lead, superseding previous story).