Feb 13, 2013 ... Fire engines .... people succumbing to the chill in various parts of the region. ...
The Met office forecasts further drop in the mercury, with dense fog and misty ...
sounded in the higher reaches of the state keeping in view the possible
avalanche. ..... search for them, said Karsang Lama, a local villager.
SAARC Disaster Management Centre, New Delhi
SOUTH ASIA DISASTER NEWS www.saarc-sdmc.nic.in
Issue No.279
Date: 13-02-2013
WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS
Afghanistan Stranded 224 passengers rescued from snow Source: Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN), Charikar Date: 07 February 2013 Hundreds of people trapped in heavy snow on a pass were rescued in central Parwan province, an official said on yesterday. Up to 224 people in 110 vehicles had been stuck on the Sherbar Pass that links Parwan with neighbouring Bamyan due to snow avalanches since Tuesday afternoon in the Sheikh Ali district, the tow's administrative head, Noor Agha Sami, told Pajhwok Afghan News. Most of those stranded including women and children were transported out until late in the evening by security forces in cooperation with area residents, he said. They were shifted to hotels and homes in the town as efforts continued to clear the pass of snow as of Wednesday morning, he said. The governor’s spokeswoman, Roshna Khalid, said the passengers got trapped after they chose to travel through the Sheber Pass since the Salang Pass was closed by heavy snowing. He said the pass was reopened for traffic as a result of hectic efforts by officials of the public works department. "Otherwise we may have been talking about fatalities," he said. The road through Ghorband valley and Sheber Pass leads to Dushi district in northern Baghlan province. Snowfall adds to IDPs miseries Source: Bakhtar News Agency (BNA), Kabul Date: 07 February 2013 The continued rain and snowfall have added to the problems of internally displaced people (IDPS) living in the Charahi Qambar area, a senior official with the ministry of refugees Mehri Khuda Sabar said yesterday. To reduce their problems, he said that meetings had been held with officials from UNHCR, WHO and DRS to provide tents and other essential items.
7 Die as snow, rains lash Kunar, Nuristan Source: Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN), Asadabad Date: 09 February 2013 Seven people, including two women, were killed and four others, including two children, were injured as continuous heavy snowfall and rains destroyed 73 homes in eastern Afghanistan, officials said on yesterday. A woman was killed and her three other family members, including two children, were injured in a roof collapse incident in the Shigal district of Kunar province following heavy rains, Governor Syed Fazlullah Wahidi said. In a similar incident in the Chapar Dara district, a man was killed, he told Pajhwok Afghan News, saying rains had so far destroyed a total of 73 houses in Kunar. In neighboring Nuristan, up to two meters of snow was measured in Paroon, the provincial capital and 1.5 meters in other districts police Chief Col. Ghulamullah Nuristani, said. He said a woman and her spouse were killed when the roof of a flour grinding mill collapsed in the Mangur area of Mandol district due to heavy snowing. The police chief said efforts were in place to clear roads from now in districts, but only one snow removing machine was involved in the process. “So it would take up to 45 days to unblock all roads,” he said, adding the problem had been shared with the central government, but it was yet to extend any help. Nuristani said road blockades sent food prices soaring. The rate of a 50-kg bag of flour soared from 1,000 afghanis to 2,500afs, he said, fearing the situation could further worsen if timely assistance was not provided. 5 die as car plunges into Jalalabad canal Source: Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN), Jalalabad Date: 10 February 2013 Five people died as the vehicle they were travelling in lost control and plunged into a shallow canal in the eastern province of Nangarhar, officials said on yesterday. The mishap that involved a pick-up vehicle took place in the Ghawchak area on the outskirts of Jalalabad, the provincial capital, around 3:30pm, 1st border police zone official, Col. Mohammad Ayub Husainkhel, told Pajhwok Afghan News. The dead included a child, a woman and three men, he said. Nangarhar Civil Hospital head Dr. Humayin Zaheer confirmed receiving five dead bodies from the scene. Witness Nasibullah said the vehicle fell into the deep canal after developing a technical fault. He said all those inside were killed in the accident.
Bangladesh Betel leaf garden, sugarcane field gutted in Jhenidah Source: The Daily Star, Staff Correspondent Date: 07 February 2013
Adhir Das gives a bleak look at his betel leaf garden which was destroyed by a fire yesterday at Kullapara village under Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah. Photo: STAR
Betel leaves on six bighas of land and sugarcane on two bighas of land were gutted in a devastating fire in Kaliganj upazila yesterday afternoon. The affected owners claimed that the loss caused by the fire could go up to Tk 10 lakh.Locals said, Hamid Ali, Israil Hossain, Adhir Das and Anil Das, of Kullapara village, lost betel leaves on 30, 18, 60 and 70 decimals respectively. They said that sugarcane field owner Daud collected waste from his plantation and torched to destroy it. But, it spread and soon engulfed the adjacent betel leaf gardens at around 5:00pm. On information, firelighters rushed to the spot and doused the blaze with the help of locals. Kaliganj fire fighting unit officer Bimol Kumar also
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said that the fire originated from the sugarcane plantation. Adhir Das said he borrowed Tk 50,000 from a local NGO and bank for the cultivation of betel leaves. “How I will repay the loan how”, he posed. Warehouses gutted in fire Source: The Daily Star, Staff Correspondent Date: 08 February 2013 Four warehouses of rags at Chandina of Kaliakair in Gazipur were burnt in a fire early on yesterday. Fire fighters said that the local people had first spotted the fire and informed them of the matter. Fire engines from Kaliakair, Joydevpur and Savar EPX stations put out the flames in three hours about 6:30am. The warehouses were Rifat Enterprise, Kalma Enterprise, Rupak Enterprise and Shajalal Enterprise, fire fighters said.Kalma Enterprise owner Sajub claimed that they the extent of loss could reach Tk 1.5 crore.Gazipur fire station officer Abu Jafar said that the fire had originated from an electric short circuit and the extent of loss might reach an estimated Tk 70 lakh. Man killed as boiler explodes Source: The Daily Star, UNB Date: 08 February 2013 A worker was killed and two others were critically injured on yesterday when a boiler exploded at a garment factory in Comilla Export Processing Zone at Sadar Dakhhin upazila in Comilla. Mohammad Moniruzzman Mia, 35, who worked at the water boiler of the factory of Nisa Group died of injuries at Comilla Medical College Hospital. One of the injured, factory engineer Kabir Hossain was also admitted to the hospital. Witnesses said the accident happened at about 12:30pm. Moniruzzaman was a native of Vakoi village in Laksam upazila of the district. The body was sent to the hospital morgue for post-mortem examination. Meghna launch capsize death toll 14 Source: New Age, Staff Correspondent Date: 10 February 2013 The death toll from Friday’s (09/02/2013) launch capsize in Meghna rose to 14 as rescuers recovered 12 more bodies on yesterday. Rescuers recovered two bodies in the place after the launch, the ML Saros, had capsized in the river at Gazaria in Munshiganj after being hit with cargo vessel carrying sand about 7:30am Friday. The launch was going from Narayanganj to Matlab in Chandpur.Families of the passengers of the launch gathered on the river bank in search of their relative from Friday to yesterday morning. On Friday, rescuers recovered the bodies of Mayna Akhter, 26, and a-half-year-old Rescue vessel Rustam on Saturday salvages MV Sarash, which Prince at Matlab. Others recovered dead on sank in the River Meghna in Gazaria of Munshiganj on Friday. Saturday were Sahajalal, 38, Sumon, 30, A total of 14 bodies of passengers were recovered. New Age Majibur Rahman, 45, Moni Akter, 15, photo Hajera Begum, 48, and Helena, 18, all from Matlab, the Gazaria police officer-in-charge, Jahangir Hossain, said. Ibrahim Khalil, 8, of Narayanganj, three-year-and-a-half-old Sanzid and his sister Mim, 8, of Kachua in Chandpur, Tania, 17, of Chandrakanda in Chandpur, Moktar Hossain, 35, and Chaina Begum, 26, of Kachua, were recovered dead. The passengers, who could swim ashore, said that the launch was carrying 75 to 85 people. The MV Rustam salvaged the launch about 3:15pm on Saturday, Fire Service and Civil Defence duty officer Mohammad Ali said. About 100 divers took part in the rescue operation.
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Families that still have their members missing gathered on the river bank wailing. Hafizur Rahman, 36, of Narail, Shahnaj, 20, Abul Hashem, 35, and his wife Shefali Begum were still missing. The police continued with their search, Shahabuddin Khan, superintendent of police in Munshiganj, said. The Munshiganj district administration handed over the bodies to their families and distributed Tk 10,000 against each of the deceased in burial cost. The shipping ministry has set up a four-member committee, led by the ministry’s deputy secretary Hafuzur Rahman, to investigate the incident and submit a report to the ministry in seven working days, the BIWTA chairman, Md Shamsuddoha Khandkar, said. He also said that the BIWTA would give Tk 40,000 against each of the deceased to the families in compensation. Vulnerable public buildings need seismic retrofitting: experts Source: New Age, Staff Correspondent Date: 10 February 2013 Disaster management experts on yeserday called for seismic retrofitting of vulnerable buildings in leading cities to ensure the safety and security of life from quakes. Speaking at a workshop they said that existing public building structures needed seismic retrofitting to strengthen them against possible quakes. Seismic retrofitting ensures the safety and security of a building, reduces seismic hazards and losses, they said. At the workshop on ‘seismic retrofitting of buildings towards disaster risk reduction’, the experts cautioned that unless the needed action was taken vulnerable buildings would play havoc claiming many lives in the event of quakes. Seismic retrofit enhances existing building structures to save them from the effects of seismic activity, they said. A team of Capacity Development on Natural Disaster Resistant Techniques of Construction and Retrofitting for Public Buildings hosted the workshop at a city hotel. CNCRP is a joint technical project of Public Works Department and Japan International Cooperation Agency.The four-year project seeks capacity development of PWD for designing and implementing retrofitting of public buildings to enhance safety of public buildings from quakes. It would consider taking up of public buildings in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet for retrofitting against possible seismic actions, said officials. Inaugurating the workshop, Disaster Management and Relief minister AH Mahmood Ali said that retrofitting of old buildings would help the nation minimize the effects of quakes. He said that the ministry was preparing the rules under the Disaster Management Act 2012.State Minister for Housing and Public Works Abdul Mannan Khan hoped that the engineers of PWD would be able to prepare the design of retrofitting vulnerable public buildings on their own. Housing and Public Works secretary Khondaker Showkat Hossain, JICA chief representative in Bangladesh Takao Toda, Japan Embassy deputy chief of mission Hiroyuki Minami, CNCRP project manager Abdul Malek Sikder, Japanese expert team leader Fumio Kaneko and PWD chief engineer Kabir Ahmed Bhuiyan attended the workshop. Later, at two technical sessions, experts spoke on ‘sharing experience and activities of CNCRP’ and ‘sharing of experience gained from Japan tour’. 50 shops gutted Source: The Daily Star, UNB Date: 11 February 2013 At least 50 shops were gutted in a devastating fire at Nagerpara Bazar in Gosairhat upazila early yesterday. Fire Service and Civil Defence and local sources said the fire originated from a shop of Nagerpara Market at about 12:05am and soon engulfed other adjoining shops. On information, a fire fighting unit from Gosairhat rushed in and doused the blaze after four hours of frantic efforts with the help of locals at about 3:00am. District and upazila administration officials visited the spot. The reason behind the blaze could not be known immediately. The loss caused by the fire could not be ascertained yet. 3 cyclone centres at Sandwip Source: The Independent, Staff Reporter Date: 11 February 2013 The Karitas, a NGO constructed three new cyclone centres at the offshore island Sandwip in Chittagong. The lawmaker of Sandwip Mostafa Kamal Pasha inaugurated the newly built one cyclone shelter at Sandwip on Saturday while rest two will be inaugurated on Monday and Tuesday. James Gomes, the Regional Director of Karitas said, “We are happy for building the new cyclone shelters. The locals of the offshore island Sandwip can be safe during the natural disasters at the upcoming seasons.” “A total of Tk
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three crore 59 lakh and 56 thousands were needed to construct the said three cyclone shelters,” James Gomes added.Sources said, around 40 lakh of people of coastal belt in Chittagong, Cox’s Baazar are living in high risk of natural disaster as there are no adequate numbers of cyclone shelters in the coastal areas as well as in Chittagong city. According to the sources, there are 880 cyclone shelters in the two districts (418 in Chittagong and 462 in Cox’s Bazaar) can accommodate over 40 lakh people of the lowlying coastal areas of the districts.The people of Anwara, Banshkhali, Sitakund, Mirersarai, Swandip in Chittagong district, Patenga, Halishahar and river side areas in Chittagong city, offshore island Saint Martin, Moheshkhali, Kutubdia, Mongnama, Pakua, Teknaf and sea side areas of Cox’s Bazar city are living in high risk of natural disasters like Tsunami, cyclone etc. Sources said, there are 62 cyclone shelters in offshore island Swandip, 58 in Anwara upazila and 117 in Banshkhali upazila. Besides, there are 59 cyclone shelters cum schools in Sitakund, 13 in Potiya, 75 in Mirersarai, 8 in Boalkhali, 5 in Chandanaish, 3 in Satkania, 3 in Rangunia, 2 in Fatikchhari, 2 in Raojan. Moreover, there are 72 cyclone shelters cum schools in the city area with capacity of 52 thousand and 700 people.According to the sources, many of cyclone shelters are using as schools. The keys of the said schools used to keep by the head masters. As a result, the people of coastal areas used to suffer for collecting the keys from the said chiefs of educational institutes. Flood affected family’s get BRCS grant Source: The Financial Express, BSS Date: 13 February 2013 A total of 115 flood affected and distressed families of Sadar and Sadullapur Upazilas in the district got grant of Tk 13,52,170 from Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS) in last few days. The objective of the grant distribution was to help the beneficiary people be self dependent so that they could pass their days without economical hardships through involving in different income generating activities.Earlier, deputy commissioner Dr. Quazi Anwarul Haque formally inaugurated the grant distribution programme to the beneficiaries in a function held at the office of BRCS of the town here on Sunday as the chief guest. Each of the beneficiaries received Tk 11,758 from the organization, said an official. General Secretary of BRCS, Gaibandha unit, Fazley Karim Pallab, monitoring officer Hasanuzzaman and field officer Faruque Rahman and members of the organization were present on the occasion.
Bhutan No disaster news found this week
India 4.5 intensity quake shakes Arunachal Pradesh Source: newsonair Date: 07 January 2013 A slight intensity quake shook Arunachal Pradesh today. The quake, which hit the state at 11:03 AM, measured 4.5 on the Richter scale, the MeT department said. The epicentre of the quake was located at Latitude 28.1 degrees North and Longitude 94.3 degrees, it said. A slight intensity quake had jolted Churachandpur region of Manipur on Thursday last.
Road accident kills 8 at Jaipur -Bikaner National Highway Source: newsonair
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Date: 07 January 2013 Eight persons were killed in a road accident near Rengus on in Rajasthan. The accident occurred ate night when a jeep collided with a state roadways bus. Four persons were died on the spot. The victims were returning to Taranagar in Churu district after appearing in the police constable exam from Jaipur.
Cold wave intensifies; 23 more die Source: The Hindu Date: 07 January 2013
Winter travails: Women filling drinking water in their buckets from a partially frozen canal in Srinagar on Sunday.
The entire North India continued to remain in the grip of severe cold wave on Sunday, with 23 more people succumbing to the chill in various parts of the region. Delhi shivered at season’s lowest of minimum 1.9 degrees, five notches below normal, while the maximum temperature plummeted by 9 degrees below normal to settle at 11.8 degrees. According to Met forecast, the city is likely to wake up to a foggy morning on Monday. In Uttar Pradesh, 15 more persons died due to intense cold conditions, taking the toll in the State this winter to 155. According to officials, three people each died in Bijnor, Etah and Muzaffarnagar, two each in Lalitpur and Mirzapur and one each in Unnao and Chandauli districts. Muzaffarnagar continued to remain the coldest place in the State, recording a low of 0.2 degrees, Met officials said. The maximum temperatures too remained below normal by six to 13 degrees in many parts of the State even though the night temperature rose marginally in Varanasi and Allahabad divisions. The Met forecast says cold wave conditions will continue to prevail in the State during the next 48 hours, with thick fog cover likely to descend on the eastern parts. At least six persons succumbed to the chill in Punjab and Haryana, where normal life remained affected due to biting cold and thick fog cover. While four persons died in Amritsar, one each succumbed in Hisar and Narnaul in Haryana, officials said. Hisar recorded an all-time low of minus 1.1 degrees Celsius, six notches below normal, whereas Narnaul registered a low of zero degrees Celsius, five notches below normal. Union Territory of Chandigarh recorded a low of 3 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal. Bhiwani in Haryana registered a low of 1.6 degrees Celsius followed by 3.5 degrees Celsius at Ambala, three notches below normal. In Punjab, Ludhiana had a low of 4.2 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal followed by 4.4 degrees Celsius at Amritsar. The Met office forecasts further drop in the mercury, with dense fog and misty conditions likely to prevail. Cold claimed two lives in Rajasthan’s Bundi district, with the temperature in Churu dipping to minus 2.2 degrees. While the hill resort of Mount Abu recorded a minimum of zero degree for the second consecutive day, Pilani registered a low of 0.8 degree Celsius. There was no respite from shivering cold in other parts too where Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaipur and Chittorgarh recorded minimums of 0.8, 2.4, 3.2 and 4.2 degree Celsius respectively. In Srinagar, the temperature continued to remain below freezing point to settle at minus 4.6 degrees Celsius. Famous skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the coldest place in the Valley with a low of minus 9.0 degrees. The tourist resort of Pahalgam, which also serves as a base camp during annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 8.0 degrees Celsius, about three degrees lower from on Saturday’s minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, a Met official said. In Himachal, mercury dropped further at many places to stay below freezing point. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the State with a low of minus 10.4 degree, followed by Kalpa in Kinnaur district with a
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minimum of minus 5 degrees, Met office said. Solan recorded a minimum of minus 3.5 degrees, Manali minus 3 degrees, Bhuntar minus 1 degree, Sundernagar minus 0.6 degree and Shimla 0.9 degree. Sunshine brings relief to HP; avalanche alert for higher reaches Source: newsonair Date: 08 February 2013 In Himachal Pradesh, the clear sky and bright sunshine for the second day today brought some relief to the people from the biting cold but the severe cold condition continues in the state. Normal life in most parts of the tribal and upper snowbound areas of the state is still out of gear as the most of the highways and road links are disrupted due to snowfall and the electricity supply is affected. A high alert has been sounded in the higher reaches of the state keeping in view the possible avalanche. The administration has announced the close down of educational institutions till 11th of this month. The government machinery has been geared up to restore roads and other basic amenities to the people in the snow bound areas. The vehicular traffic on the national highway 22 beyond Shimla is still blocked due to snowfall while the Kullu-Manali Highway which was disrupted at Patlikul has been restored for light vehicles. Meanwhile the clear sky and bright sunshine have cheered tourists and local businessmen in the tourist resorts Shimla, Manali, Kufri , Narkanda and Dalhosie which are covered with a while blanket of snow. Tourists from the plain areas have started thronging to these places to enjoy snow.
Rain causes substantial loss to UP rabi crop Source: newsonair Date: 08 February 2013 In Uttar Pradesh, Rabi crops have suffered substantial loss due to incessant rain that continued for three days. Our correspondent reports that light to moderate rain and thundershower has occurred in some districts of eastern and western region during past 24 hours. Crops of wheat, pulses and tomato have got damaged in Bundelkhand and Terai regions due to heavy hailstorm. Swine flu outbreak: 23 dead in Haryana Source: newsonair Date: 08 February 2013 In Haryana, 10 more cases of swine flu have beenc onfirmed . With this the number of swine flu cases has risen to 88 in the state, out of which 23 had died.Health Director Dr Kamla Singh told that half of the patients are under treatment in government hospitals where as half are being treated in private hospitals. State may face drought, says Minister Source: The Hindu Date: 08 December 2012 ‘Conserve water sources’ PATHANAMTHITTA: The State is heading for a worst drought situation and the government has already started exploration of means to address the crisis with the available resources, Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph has said. The Minister was addressing a meet-the-press programme at the Pathanamthitta Press Club on Friday. According to him, conservation of all water sources is the need of the hour to effectively address the water needs of the State, besides introducing new drinking water supply schemes. Mr.Joseph said the government had also submitted a new drinking water supply project proposal as part of the second phase of the Japanese-aided drinking water supply project to the Union government for clearance. He said the government had also started modernisation of many rural water supply schemes. Water level in all major rivers in the State had come down drastically, leading to alarming depletion of ground water table and drying of wells. The low water level in rivers would affect the functioning of various drinking water schemes, aggravating the potable water crisis, the Minister said. He said the State had witnessed 50 per cent shortfall in monsoon rain this year which was comparable to a similar situation in 1986. However, the writing on the wall suggested that the situation today was likely to be more grave this time, he said. Rainwater harvesting
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The Minister stressed the need to ensure rainwater harvesting in all households with a view to addressing the drinking water crisis in future. He said rainwater harvesting would be made compulsory at all institutions in the State and Jalasree clubs should be set up at all schools. Drinking water He said steps had been taken to ensure the quality of drinking water supplied by the Kerala Water Authority. Steps had also been taken to provide water quality test at all primary health centres. As many as 10,000 staff attached to the Health Department were given training in this regard, he said. Mr. Joseph said the government would launch an awareness campaign to check water-borne diseases. He said the government would explore the possibility of launching an action plan to address the pollution problem facing river Pampa that houses not less than 30 drinking water supply schemes. Major accident averted after oil-tanker catches fire Source: PTI Date: 08 December 2012 Chandigarh: A major fire accident was today averted after a tanker carrying 20,000 litres petrol caught fire at a restaurant in Panchkula district. The petrol tanker was on its way from Bahadurgarh to Nalagarh and on the way it reportedly burst into flames at a 'dhaba' near Manakiya village, an official release said. Fire tenders from Derabasi, Ambala, Kalka, Chandigarh and Panchkula reached the spot and brought the situation under control, it said. 5 killed, 19 injured in separate road mishaps Source: PTI Date: 09 December 2012 Jaipur: Five persons, including a police officer and his family, were killed, and 19 people were injured in separate road mishaps in the state, police said today. Police constable Prakash Vir (45), his wife and son died when their motorcycle was hit by a car in Bharatpur district, they said. The car driver and other passengers fled after the incident leaving the car behind, they said, adding, the car was seized. 8 killed, 20 injured in separate accidents in HP Source: PTI Date: 09 December 2012 Shimla: Eight persons were killed while 20 others were injured in separate accidents in several areas of Himachal Pradesh today, police said. Three persons were killed and 15 others were injured when an overloaded pick-up van carrying them veered off the road at Lambidhar near Kufri, 18 kms from here, this evening, they said. The victims were rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College hospital here among which the condition of four was stated to be critical, they said. Eight killed as car crashes with lorry in West Bengal Source: newsonair Date: 10 December 2012 In West Bengal, 8 people were killed and two others injured when their car hit a lorry on National Highway-34 in Nadia district today. Police said, the incident occurred at Dhugulia area when the SUV was returning to Krishnagar. Eight passengers, including the driver of the car, died on the spot, while the two injured were taken to a local hospital.
4 students killed as lorry dashes against bus Source: newsonair Date: 10 December 2012 In Tamil Nadu, four students were killed and three injured in a bus accident in Chennai this morning. The incident took place when the state owned Metropolitan Transport Corporation Bus was hit by a lorry at Kanthanchavady on the IT Corridor. The students were travelling on the foot board when the lorry hit the
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bus from the rear and the students had fallen off the moving bus. The injured students have been hospitalised. Six women injured in road mishap Source: PTI Date: 09 February 2013 Rewari: Six women were seriously injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling collided with a mini-truck on Rewari Bawal road, police said today. The women, who belong to Farukh Nagar area of Gurgaon district, were seriously hurt in the collision near Arya Samaj Mandir in Jaliawas village, 8 kms from here, yesterday. Sunita Devi (30), Bhagwani Devi(60), Santra Devi (60), Maya Devi (65) and Bhagwati Devi (40) were among those who sustained injuries, police said.
Woman killed, 25 others injured in road mishap Source: PTI Date: 09 February 2013 Muzaffarnagar: A woman was killed and 25 persons were injured when a bus turned turtle and fell into a khud on Karnal- Meerut highway near lank village in Shamli district, police said today. The incident took place when the bus carrying passengers from Budhana to Shamli over turned yesterday, police said. The victim has been identified as Ramodevi (55). The injured were rushed to different hospitals at Budhana and Shamli. The driver absconded after the incident, police said.
Intense chill haunts Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana Source: The Hindu Date: 09 February 2013
SNOW AS FAR AS THE EYE GOES: A snow-cutter clearing the road to make way for tourists in Gulmarg near Srinagar on Friday.
Cold conditions prevailed in most parts of North India on Friday with the mercury dipping to sub-zero levels at several places even as a bright sunshine greeted the Capital. It was a pleasant day for Delhiites as the city witnessed a bright and clear day and temperatures remained normal. The maximum temperature was 21.7 degrees Celsius and the minimum 8.4. The humidity ranged from 96% to 46%. Meanwhile, intense cold tightened its grip on Jammu & Kashmir with Srinagar recording a low of minus 2.7 degrees Celsius as against Thursday’s minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg settled at a low of minus14 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam recorded a minimum of minus 8.4 degrees Celsius. Qazigund, the gateway to Kashmir, registered minimum minus 3.6 degrees Celsius as against Thursday’s minus 1.9 degrees Celsius. The mercury came down over four notches in Leh and Kargil in the cold desert region of Ladakh, with the twin towns recording a low of minus 17.6 degrees Celsius and minus 15 degrees Celsius respectively. A bitter cold wave continued to sweep most places in Punjab and Haryana. Amritsar recorded a low of 3.8 degrees Celsius, while it was a minimum of 8.4 degrees in Patiala. In Haryana, Hisar recorded a low of 7.5 degrees Celsius, Karnal 6.2 degrees Celsius and Narnaul 6.6 degrees. Chandigarh, the joint capital of the
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two neighbouring States, registered a minimum of 7 degrees Celsius. The mercury continued its downward spiral in tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh with Keylong shivering at minus14.5 degrees Celsius, six points below normal. An avalanche threat loomed large over tribal areas and people were been advised not to venture out for the next two days. All schools have been closed till February 11. The mercury hovered between minus 1.5 degrees Celsius and minus 0.6 degree at the key tourist resort of Manali, bracing for a winter carnival from today (Saturday), and Bhuntar. Thick ground frost occurred at several places in the hill State and vehicular traffic was affected due to slippery road conditions. Uttarakhand on high alert in view of swine flu outbreak Source: Zee News Date: 09 February 2013 Dehradun: With neighbouring states reeling under swine flu threat, Chief Medical Officers and Chief Medical Superintendents across Uttarakhand were on Saturday put on high alert to check the spread of H1N1 influenza. Director General medical health and family welfare has asked all CMOs to make available all facilities to affected persons if any. However, not a single case of swine flu has been detected in the state so far, state nodal officer Kiran Bisht said. As a precautionary measure, chief medical superintendents of all hospitals have been asked to set up an isolation ward for admitting people showing symptoms of swine flu, she said. "Though the situation in Uttarakhand is normal and there is no need to panic, we need to take precautionary measures in view of the swine flu threat in neighbouring states," she said. As many as 64 people have died due to H1N1 influenza in Rajasthan, while 18 deaths have been reported from Haryana, 10 from Punjab and three in Delhi till Wednesday. As per health ministry data, 494 cases of swine flu have been reported from these states in the first 37 days of the year. Fire in livestock farm Source: The Hindu Date: 10 February 2013 Fire broke out in the District Livestock Farm in Mathigiri in Hosur on Saturday. According to farm authorities, the fire gutted bamboo and other vegetation cultivated in over one acre land. Two fire engines from the Fire and Rescue Services Department in Hosur doused the fire in an hour and prevented it from spreading to other areas. On the basis of a complaint lodged by the Raja, Deputy Director of the District Livestock Farm, Mathigiri police have registered a case and are investigating. The livestock farm was established in 1824 by the British government.
Rapid response teams to tackle vector-borne diseases Source: The Hindu Date: 10 February 2013 Mosquito-borne diseases in focus are dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and lymphatic filariasis Disease surveillance in Madurai district is set to improve as the Health Department plans to form rapid response teams to tackle vector-borne diseases. Through the National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, several capacity building initiatives are being taken up in the districts to prevent outbreak of diseases and handle epidemic situations in an effective way. The mosquito-borne diseases under focus are dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis and lymphatic filariasis. A special training programme was conducted in Chennai from February 4 to 8 for public health officials and entomologists from select districts. S. Senthilkumar, Deputy Director of Health Services, Madurai district, who attended the refresher course, told The Hindu on Saturday that the response of health officials during epidemics and clinical management in disease affected areas would be strengthened. “It was training for the trainers. Now, we have to equip our district health staff on prevention and treatment aspects in mosquito-borne diseases. A plan of action would be given by the Central government for implementation,” he said. Regional-level teams would be formed in the State to cover all districts by putting in place a strengthened surveillance mechanism for vector-borne diseases, he said. Latha Freeda Joan, District Malaria Officer, who is also part of the trainers’ team, said
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that the special attention on mosquito-related diseases assumed significance owing to the recent outbreak of dengue fever in various pockets of Madurai district. “From now on, we will have an integrated approach in disease control by having better coordination among various government departments. Districts which are more endemic to diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya have been identified in the first phase. Our district will have rapid response teams,” she added. A strategic approach would be in place where the disease prevalence rate was high in the recent months and prevention measures would be taken up there. Block-level medical officers, village health nurses and other public health staff would be trained. Ms. Joan said that the vector-borne disease control plan would cover Government Rajaji Hospital, taluk hospitals and primary health centres. “When Madurai district was reeling under dengue fever a couple of months ago, initially there was panic everywhere and we were also caught off guard. The formation of rapid response teams will increase our preparedness,” she said. Take up drought relief measures: CPI(M) Source: The Hindu Date: 11 February 2013 HYDERABAD: CPI(M) floor leader Julakanti Ranga Reddy has requested the government to take up relief measures as the impact of drought conditions is already being felt in villages much before the onset of summer. A large number of villages across the State are already facing severe scarcity of drinking water due to depletion of groundwater table and drying up of borewells. People are being forced to fetch drinking water from agriculture wells/borewells far away from their habitations, Mr. Ranga Reddy said on Sunday. Farmers and farm workers have started distress migration to urban areas in the absence of any livelihood activities in villages after the cultivation for the season was abandoned due to shortage of power and lack of water for irrigation. He demanded that the government take up relief measures, including provision of wage work under MGNREGS before the onset of summer.
One killed, 15 injured in road mishap Source: PTI Date: 11 February 2013 Bhadohi (UP): One person was today killed and 15 others were injured when a bus in which they were travelling collided with another bus in Kothra village of Aurai area, police said. The incident took place this morning when the ill fated bus carrying a marriage party collided head on with the state roadways. Rosy (15) was killed on the spot, while 15 others injured included six children and seven women, they said.
Cold conditions continue in Punjab & Haryana Source: PTI Date: 11 February 2013 Chandigarh: Cold conditions today continued at many places in Punjab and Haryana with Amritsar being the coldest place at 4.8 degrees Celsius. While Amritsar's minimum settled two notches below normal, Ludhiana and Patiala also braved the chill recording below normal lows of 6.2 deg C and 6.6 deg C respectively, the MeT said here. In Haryana, Hisar was the coldest place in the state recording a low of 5.3 deg C, down four notches than normal.
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Allahabad stampede toll mounts to 36 Source: DD News Date: 11 February 2013
The death toll in the stampede at Allahabad railway station reached 36 on Monday, with 14 more people succumbing to their injuries. CMO Allahabad Dr Prabhakar confirmed the toll, saying 14 more people died during treatment. Many injured are being treated at the railway hospitals and the SRN Hospital in Allahabad, he said. The victims include 26 women, 9 men and a child, official sources said, adding bodies of 20 of the deceased have been identified. The stampede occurred at 7 PM on Sunday at Platforms No 5 and 6 where thousands of passengers, mostly Maha Kumbh devotees returning after taking the holy dip at the Sangam, had gathered to board a train. Several eyewitnesses said there was a lathicharge by the police that compounded the panic but Divisional Railway Manager Harinder Rao claimed passengers were not baton charged and that police only attempted to regulate the movement of the crowd at the platforms by asking passengers to stand in line. Preliminary reports said the stampede broke out when the railing leading to a footbridge collapsed but Railways Minister P K Bansal discounted such a possibility saying this had not happened. Bansal said overcrowding at the platforms may have led to the stampede.
UP Govt orders probe, announces ex-gratia The UP government ordered an inquiry into the stampede and asked the Railways to make proper arrangements to clear rush of devotees and sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the kin of each of the dead persons. "The state government has ordered an inquiry into the entire incident. The 'snan' at Kumbh was completed without any problem...the unfortunate incident took place at the railway station..Chief Minister AKhilesh Yadav has ordered an inquiry into the incident", SP spokesman and cabinet minister Rajendra Chowdhury said. Chairman Revenue Board has been asked by the Chief Minister to inquire into the incident and submit his report to him. Over three crore people had converged for a holy dip on the occasion of 'Mauni Amavasya' on Sunday, a day considered the most auspicious day during the 12-yearly congregation. A total of 112 trains routinely passes through Allahabad and an additional 49 special trains were being operated on Sunday. A majority of the dead was thought to be women and elderly men. Some of them rolled down the stairs amid the jostle by passengers to reach the departing train. It is feared that the toll may go up since the condition of some of the injured were in a critical condition.
Maldives Seven year old boy dies in Naifaru house fire Source: Haveeru News Date: 10 February 2013 A seven year old boy died after a house in Lhaviyani Atoll Naifaru caught fire on yesterday night. Police said the boy named Shuaib had sustained fatal burn injuries and was dead before he was taken to the hospital. A person speaking from the island said as the people from Uduvilaage were being evacuated by the time anyone realized that Shuaib was inside it was too late. The person quoted the victim's family by saying that Shuaib a second
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grader was sleeping at the time of the incident. "The boy was dead even when he was brought outside. He had sustained severe burns," the person said. Shuaib is believed to be the child of Mariyam Sheereen who was found murdered in Male back in January 2010. The child was living with his father's family in Naifaru.The flames that engulfed Uduvilaage around 11.00pm on yesterday night had been controlled, according to Police. The store room of Palm Beach resort situated in the same Atoll had burned down earlier on Friday. FRS extinguishes the second fire outbreak at Palm Beach Resort Source: Miadhu News Date: 11 February 2013 MNDF Fire and Rescue Service firefighters at MNDF Northern Area have attended to the second fire outbreak at Palm Beach Resort and have extinguished the fire. It is stated that the fire took place at the rubble left from the main fire incident which occurred two days ago.Upon receiving the call at around 2000hrs, firefighters immediately attended the scene and extinguished the fire before it spread any further.
Nepal Fire engulfs two houses Source: Kantipur News, Gaushala Date: 7 Feb. 2013 GAUSHALA, FEB 07 - A massive fire engulfed a grocery of Bijaya Yadav and a gas dealer shop of Krishna Yadav at Ghamaura-4 in Mahottari district at around 2.00 PM on Wednesday night, said the Mahottari District Police Office. The fire gutted two houses including some gas cylinders, a laptop and other valuable goods. Total loss incurred by the fire is estimated to be around one million rupees, said DSP Kushal Purus Dhakal. According to a victim, the fire broke out due to short circuit at a time when the shops were closed. Locals and Nepal Police took the fire under control. Biratnagar fire claims property over Rs. 1.2 M Source: The Himalayan Times, Biratnagar Date: 7 Feb. 2013 BIRATNAGAR: Property worth Rs. 1.2 million was gutted after a house caught fire instigated due to gas leakage in Biratnagar Sub-metropolitan City Ward No. 5, on Wednesday night.House of Bhaiyaram Sunar was caught in the fire at around 10:00 pm. The inferno gutted property worth Rs. 1.2 million including gold, silver and cash, according to the District Police Office.Locals, police and firefighters immediately brought the fire under control. Continuous snowfall grips Humla Source: The Himalayan Times, Humla Date: 7 Feb. 2013 HUMLA: Normal life in Humla has been crippled with incessant snowfall since Monday.Due to snowfall, all government office staffs have been seen enjoying fire and general public has not come outside from their homes.Meanwhile, a meeting held under the premiership of Chairperson of Nepal Food Corporation District Management Committee and Chief District Officer Bijaya Narayan Manandhar has decided to demand 900 quintals of foods for the district.The meeting was attended by representatives of all political parties in the district. 3 missing in Humla snow
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Source: Kantipur News, Humla Date: 8 Feb. 2013 HUMLA, FEB 08 - Heavy snowfall since the past few weeks has wrecked havoc in different prats of Humla district. Three cattle herders from Limi VDC went missing after they were buried under snow. Villagers said Chhimi Lama, Chhanjot Lama and Chhering Funjok Lama from Jang Gaon settlement have gone missing after they were caught in a snowstorm a few days ago. Inclement weather has affected a search for them, said Karsang Lama, a local villager. More than 100 cattle heads were reported missing in villages like Janggaon, Tilgaon and Halji. Villagers said the region had not received such heavy snowfall in the past six years. Daily activities and public mobility have been affected. Bird flu cases found again in Kathmandu; Officials cull fowls in Setidevi village Source: Nepal News, Kathmandu Date: 13 Feb. 2013 Officials from the Animal Health Directorate have culled around 1680 fowls at a poultry farm in Setidevi VDC, Kathmandu after chickens being raised at the farm tested positive for avian influenza (bird flu).The disease had been found in farms in Nayapati and Manamaiju in the last few days. Dr Narayan Ghimire, spokesperson for the directorate, said around 200 kg of poultry feed at Ram Raja KC's farm, which is located near the Pharping Powerhouse, was also destroyed.
Pakistan Three die of measles Source: Dawn News, Sukkur Date: 7 Feb. 2013 SUKKUR: Measles claimed three more lives of children on Tuesday in different villages of Sukkur and Kandhkot-Kashmore districts despite efforts by district administrations and health department to bring the disease under control.Eight-year-old Reshman Malik of Ali Baig Malik village of Kandhkot-Kashmore district, three-year-old Mohammad Bilawal of Kandhra near Rohri and eight-month-old Mohammad Zaheer of Rohri died from the disease at the Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College Hospital (civil hospital) in Sukkur.Senior Resident Medical Officer Dr Hazoor Bux Tunio said that 94 patients of measles were brought to the hospital in December last year and 170 children were admitted in January this year out of whom 29 children died. 2 killed in house collapse Source: Dawn News, Landi Kotal Date: 7 Feb. 2013 LANDI KOTAL: A woman and her four-year-old son were killed and another son was critically injured when the roof of their house caved in due to excessive rain in Loe Shalman area of Landi Kotal on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.Local officials said wife of Khalo Khan and his four years old son died on the spot while five years old Naveed was taken to hospital in critical condition after the roof of their house collapsed in Sheenolu Kalay locality. Local administration sent khasadar force to retrieve the bodies and take the injured to the hospital. Snowfall and heavy downpour also uprooted at least three electricity poles in Zakhakhel area suspending power supply to more than 300 houses in Sultan Khel Wali and Sheikhwal areas. Measles death toll reaches 12 Source: The Nation, Lahore Date: 7 Feb. 2013
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LAHORE – Another measles-hit child died at hospital on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 12. Muhammad Ishaq, 2, breathed his last at the Children’s Hospital. Fiftythree more patients were admitted to different hospitals in the City, taking the overall tally to 606. Out of 53 new patients, 18 were admitted to Children’s Hospital, 10 to Mayo Hospital, 06 to Lahore General Hospital and 03 to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital while 16 new patients were admitted to private healthcare centres in the City.On Tuesday briefing the media about prevailing situation and the government measures to overcome the menace at committee room of Health Department, Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Health Kh Salman Rafiq said that 2,971 cases of measles had so far been reported from across the province. He said steering committee of pediatricians was meeting on regular basis. He said that necessary arrangements have been made at government hospitals to provide treatment to measles patients. Director General Health Dr Nisar Ahmed Cheema MMR injection has not been approved by the WHO for Pakistan. After recommendation of WHO, he said, the injection would be included in the EPI programme. Moot: Pakistan Society of Anesthesiologists Lahore and Society for Treatment and Study of Pain will jointly organise a three day conference on anesthesia, critical care and pain management from February 15-17 at a local hotel.Eminent anesthesiologists from all over Pakistan and abroad will participate in the conference. President of the society Prof Khalid Bashir said that the conference would provide a unique platform of learning and sharing experiences to the participants. He said that three pre conference workshops would also be arranged. Disaster mismanagement: More human, property losses surface in rain aftermath Source: The Express Tribune, Peshawar/Haripur Date: 7 Feb. 2013 PESHAWAR / HARIPUR: More fatalities were reported in the aftermath of heavy rainfalls across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the tribal areas which left hundreds of houses destroyed.Locals reported nine more people dead, bringing the independent death toll for the province to nearly 45 with over 70 houses destroyed. However, according to statistics of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, 29 people died in the past two days.The disaster management authority of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) had not released its statistics till this report was filed.
Early on Wednesday, the water level of Jindi River started rising on the outskirts of Charsadda and flooded around 35 houses in Khar Bela area. District administration officials said residents started moving to higher lands after the water rose to two feet above ground level.When the water rescinded, the 35 houses were fully or partially destroyed. No loss of life was reported, but residents are demanding the government for financial assistance.The deaths on Wednesday were reported in Batkhela, Khyber Agency and Mardan.Water table rises in Khanpur reservoir The three-day rain spell across the Hazara division increased the water table at Khanpur dam by 19 feet, official said.Data gathered from sources suggest that the water level at the dam has increased from 1,935 ft to 1,954 ft as a result of rainfall.Even though the
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downpour turned out to be deadly for some residents in Hazara, experts believe the accumulation of a sizeable amount of water in the reservoir will help the Water and Power Development Authority to overcome shortages.“Now we are quite safe as the recent rain has improved the water storage situation in the dam besides raising the water table to a great extent,” said Khanpur Dam Executive Engineer Mr Asif RaufSpeaking about the prospects of filling the reservoir to the maximum conservation level of 1,982 ft, he said there is a forecast for two more rain spells during the month. If they occur, the water level could touch the required level.Shortages have often resulted in a drastic cut in water supplied to irrigation beneficiaries during the summer time.Built in the early eighties, the Khanpur Dam was one of the few reservoirs of the country that has been fulfilling municipal as well as agriculture water needs of K-P and Punjab. 131 measles deaths last month set alarm bells ringing Source: The News, Islamabad Date: 8 Feb. 2013 Measles, a deadly childhood disease but preventable by immunisation, claimed over 130 lives in Pakistan, mostly in Sindh, last month — a situation alarming according to the World Health Organisation.As shown in the WHO figures seen by this scribe, measles deaths reported in Pakistan from January 1 to January 26, 2013 totalled 131, including 79 in Sindh, 38 in Balochistan, six in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab each, and one in Islamabad and tribal areas bordering Afghanistan each.No one from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir tested positive for the highly contagious viral disease, which produces small red spots all over the body and causes death.In previous years, too, many children lost life to measles.Over 300 children died of measles in 2012 and 64 in 2011. Most of these cases were reported in Sindh ravaged by floods.WHO has set the target for measles elimination for 2015 that requires that more than 95 per cent of the world children are covered by two measles vaccine doses.According to it, a total of 3,196 measles cases were reported in the country between January 1 and January 26, 2013 with around half of them (1,536) from Sindh.Overall, 612 countrywide measles alerts were reported in the country during the said period and 110 of them were confirmed as localised outbreaks.A WHO official, who wishes not to be named, declares the high measles death toll much alarming blaming it on post-measles complications such as pneumonia, post-measles encephalitis and diarrhoea.He pushed the government and the relevant departments for prioritising immunisation of children six months to five years old during outbreaks regardless of vaccination status or history of disease. According to him, measles, a highly contagious viral disease affecting mostly children, is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.“Initial symptoms, which usually appear 10-12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards,” he told this scribe on Thursday.The expert said that there was no specific treatment for measles and most people recover within two to three weeks, but particularly in malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, it could cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia.“Measles is a killer childhood disease, but preventable through immunisation. One in 15 people have complications with measles, and one in 1,000 will die of it, but two doses of measles vaccine will protect people against the disease,” he said.In the opinion of the official, routine measles vaccination for children combined with mass immunisation campaigns in countries with high case and death rates is key public health strategy to reduce measles mortality rates.According to him, the measles vaccine has been in use for over 40 years. It is safe, effective and inexpensive. It costs less than one US dollar to immunise a child against measles.Measles vaccine is provided by the Pakistan Expanded Programme on Immunisation to children at nine months and 15 months. Children who are vaccinated against measles before nine months of age must receive a second measles vaccination at nine months age ensuring a gap of one month between both vaccinations. Moreover, any child, who received measles vaccine, should also receive oral polio vaccine.The WHO official recommended that priority be placed to immunise children six months to five years old during outbreaks, regardless of vaccination status or history of disease. Punjab: Fourteen dead, 30 injured in road accidents Source: The News, Punjab Date: 13 Feb. 2013 SAHIWAL/CHICHAWATNI/FAISALABAD: Three roadside mischances resulted in the deaths of at least 14 passengers and hospitalization of near 30 here on Tuesday night, Geo News reported.
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Rescue sources said a passenger bus en route to Raiwaind ran into a trailer near Multan Road Chowki Bypass killing ten of the travelers on board and injuring 16 more. Reportedly the fateful bus had started its journey from Multan somewhere around midnight but met with an accident near Sahiwal. In another tragedy at least three of a family succumbed to a head-on-collision between a jeep and a car on Burewala Road near Chichawatni. At least four people were also injured critically in the mishap. Later in the wee hours of Wednesday a bus barreling along on Jhang Road rammed into a van as it entered Faisalabad. According to rescue sources the accident claimed bus driver's life, while it left at least ten passengers in dire need to medical care. The dead and injured were shifted to hospitals. Four children of a family die in fire Source: Dawn News, Lahore Date: 13 Feb. 2013 LAHORE: Four children of a family died of burns after a shanty caught fire in Q-Block of Sabzazar on Tuesday night. Rescue 1122 fire-tenders and ambulances as well as Sabzazar police arrived at the scene after a ‘considerable’ time. Sadar SP (Operations) Adeel Husain Chandio told Dawn that the blaze erupted in the shanty of Yaseen when his daughter was cooking food at around 8:30pm. He said the girl ran away in fear, but her four brothers and sisters who were asleep got trapped in flames. Their screams alerted neighbours and they alerted the police and Rescue 1122. The children and valuables in the shanty were completely burnt due to delayed arrival of firefighters. The SP said Yaseen and his wife were at their workplace at the time of the incident.He said initial investigation showed that Yaseen had set up a shanty in a plot surrounded by houses. His daughter became nervous when the fire spread out of the mud stove and she ran outside instead of waking up her brothers and sisters. The victims were identified as one-and-a-half years old Qasim, Nagina (3), Farzana (8) and Asif (14).Sources said the rescuers reached the scene from remote fire stations after 10 minutes, as large and congested localities of Sabzazar and Hanjarwal have no fire stations. They said the area from Maragzar Colony to Scheme Mor along Multan Road toward Motorway II was not covered by rescue authorities.A Rescue 1122 spokesman said their fire vehicle and ambulance reached the scene from the Moon Market station in eight minutes. He went on to say that by the time rescuers reached the scene the fire had been extinguished and charred bodies had been retrieved from the ashes. 142 new cases of measles reported Source: The Frontier Post News, Lahore Date: 13 Feb. 2013 LAHORE (INP): The Health Department of the Punjab government has said that 142 more cases of measles have been reported in the province, a private news channel reported on Tuesday. Out of the 142 cases, at least 50 patients were reported from Lahore. The overall toll has mounted to 3,678 in the province so far.Measles is caused by the measles virus, a single-stranded, negative-sense enveloped RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. Humans are the natural hosts of the virus; no animal reservoirs are known to exist. This highly contagious virus is spread by coughing and sneezing via close personal contact or direct contact with
Sri Lanka Gale damages houses in Matara Source: Daily News, Matara
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Date: 13 Feb. 2013 Over thirty (30) houses in Kotapola and Pasgoda divisional areas were severely damaged by a gale that swept across Matara district around 8.00 pm on Monday, Matara District Disaster Management Director Major Saman Balasuriya said. About 20 houses in Viharahena and Kandilpana Grama Niladhari divisions in the Kotapola Divisional Secretariat area were completely damaged. Five houses in Pasgoda and Ketawala areas were partly damaged by the gale that was experienced for over an hour, social services officer Pasgoda K L Mahinda said. Tree that fell blocked roadways and were cleaned by local bodies in the respective areas, Major Balasuriya said. Rain misery returns Source: The Island, Colombo Date: 13 Feb. 2013 Heavy rains lashed the Eastern part of the country again due to a mini disturbance in the atmosphere, according to the Meteorology Department.Duty meteorologist Meryl Mendis told The Island that showers and thundershowers would occur in the Eastern province, especially in the evening as a mini disturbance had developed in the South Eastern atmosphere.He said that showers would also be experienced in the Northern, Eastern, North-central and Uva provinces and in the Hambantota district."Showers or thundershowers will develop during the afternoon or night," Mendis said adding that there might be temporary localised fairly strong winds during the thundershowers.The meteorologist requested the general public to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning.Deputy Director of the Disaster Management Centre Pradeep Kodippili said that 59 houses were damaged by heavy rains related incidents on Monday night.He said that 31 houses in Kegalle District, 22 houses in Matara District, five houses in the Nuwara Eliya District and two houses in the Kandy District were damaged by strong winds that accompanied the rains. Sluice gates of the Parakrama Samudraya, Minneriya and Kaudulla reserviours were opened due to heavy rains, Kodippili said.The official said that the Somawathiya – Sungawila road was closed due to floods resulting from heavy rains experienced during last 24 hours ended last evening. Strong gale inconveniences Sripada pilgrims Source: Daily News, Sripada Date: 13 Feb. 2013 A strong gale swept across the central hills on Monday night inconveniencing Sripada pilgrims on their annual trek and causing damage to nearly 20 linerooms in Great Western Estate, Talawakelle. Nallathanny police said the heavy wind forced pilgrims on the summit to remain stationary for several hours without descending, while those ascending had to stay put at Nallathanny without proceeding. Roofing sheets of nearly 20 linerooms in Great Western Estate were also blown off but there were no casualties reported. Nuwara Eliya GA D G G Kumarasiri said steps have been taken to provide assistance to people affected by the gale. Situation in Talawakelle Houses damaged by yesterday’s gale Floods as rains lash Eastern Province Source: Daily News, Eastern Province Date: 13 Feb. 2013 Several low lying areas in the Eastern Province were flooded for the fourth time this year, following heavy rains experienced since Monday. Several houses in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts were partially damaged after a mini - tornado hit the areas on Monday evening. Thousands of acres of paddy have been inundated due to rains in Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts. Several villagrs, roads, lands, schools, playgrounds and houses have gone underwater. The water level of all tanks in the province has risen. Several large, medium and small scale tanks in the Eastern Province reached spill level on account of the heavy rains. Fishermen were unable to go deep sea fishing due to the adverse weather conditions.
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