Latest news with #StateDisasterResponseForce
Time of India
a day ago
- Climate
- Time of India
4 of family killed as house collapses in Uttarkashi village after heavy rain
Dehradun: Four members of a family died early Friday after a portion of their house collapsed in Uttarkashi district's Odata village following heavy rain overnight. The incident occurred around 2am, burying Ghulam Hussain, 26, his wife Rukma Khatun, 23, their three-year-old son Abid, and 10-month-old daughter Salma under debris while they were sleeping, said officials. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hussain's parents, who were in another room, also got injured. A search and rescue operation was launched by a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team led by sub inspector Deepak Kuniyal. The village, located nearly a kilometre uphill from the main road and accessible only on foot, posed challenges to the rescue effort. All four bodies were eventually recovered. Preliminary investigation suggests the collapse may have been triggered by either the rain or structural weakness. "The heavy rain in the region likely compromised the integrity of the house," said officer Jabbar Singh Aswal. The district disaster management office said an ex-gratia amount of Rs 16 lakh – Rs 4 lakh for each of the deceased – has been given to the victims' family. Since the monsoon began on June 1, at least 11 people have died and seven others have been injured in rain-related incidents across the state, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). (With inputs from Ashish Mishra in Uttarkashi)
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
States should focus on low cost high impact disaster mitigation plans: PK Mishra
New Delhi, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, PK Mishra, on Tuesday said that states should focus on low cost but high impact interventions to mitigate disaster risks. Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day Annual Conference of Relief Commissioners and State Disaster Response Force , Mishra said the potential of loss in certain disasters is found to be more than estimated which needs re-calibration of mitigation efforts to tackle them. Observing the nature of disasters is changing, he said that we must accept this reality that hazards are interconnected, impacts are multiplying and risks are evolving faster than we are adapting. "In view of the emerging challenges of extreme events and uncertainties, states need to recalibrate and re-activate their institutions, processes and systems for equipping themselves to be ready to handle such situation by preventing loss of life and property," he added. Mishra said that states should focus on low cost but high impact interventions to mitigate disaster risks. "Preparedness and awareness is crucial for tackling increasing uncertainty on disaster occurrence. The hazard and vulnerability landscape are changing and so should enhance the preparedness level of the states," said Mishra, according to an official statement. "For better transition from relief and response approach to preparedness and mitigation approach, states need to institutionalise the lessons learnt. This is essential, so that insights from the past disasters are not forgotten," he added. Mishra said India's Disaster Risk Reduction financing model has been acknowledged at the global platform on DRR held in Geneva on June 4-6, 2025, states should ensure for proper utilisation of recovery and mitigation funds. Highlighting India's vast geography, which mandates a robust national disaster response force, he said that states should assess and invest in capacity augmentation of agencies involved in the disaster relief operations. "Disaster preparedness is not a matter of hours but is a matter of minutes, as every minute taken in mobilisation and starting relief operation counts. Thus, the speed of response should be improved. There is still a lot to be done on the early warning from for certain disasters," added Mishra. Giving example of drought having the potential to severely affect lives and livelihood, the principal secretary said the potential of loss in certain disasters is found to be more than estimated. "These days lightning is coming forth as one of the largest-fatality disasters. Hence, our mitigation efforts should be re-calibrated to tackle these kind of disasters. States should focus on low cost but high impact interventions to mitigate disaster risks," he added. Mishra said that urban flooding solutions need to keep in mind the local geographical and climatic conditions. The principal secretary further said the Aapda Mitra scheme for volunteer mobilisation like community involvement is very important for enhancing the effectiveness of disaster response. "States should realise the role Jan-Bhagidari can play in saving lives in the aftermath of disasters. 'My Bharat' initiative of the prime minister can used for involving youths in disaster response," he said. Mishra said data plays an important role in disaster management and urged the use of 'Gati Shakti' in making disaster management plans. "The two-day conference was attended by over 1,000 delegates from State Governments/ UTs, Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations of Central Government and from SDRFs/Civil Defence/ Home Guards/Fire Services in the States/UTs," the statement said. Various sessions were organized during the conference and the experts dwelled upon the subjects like early warning, post disaster need assessment, urban floods management, new challenges and adoption of new technologies, role of disaster response forces, mock exercises, volunteerism etc., it said.
News18
5 days ago
- General
- News18
‘Salute You Forever': Wife Bids Farewell To Pilot Husband Killed In Kedarnath Chopper Crash
Last Updated: The tragic crash occurred early on June 15 when a helicopter belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd went down above the forests of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand amid dense fog. Heartfelt visuals from Shastri Nagar captured a moment of profound grief as Lt Colonel Deepika Chauhan stood in uniform to bid an emotional farewell to her husband, Lt Colonel Rajveer Singh Chauhan, during his final rites. Draped in the national flag and surrounded by fellow officers and mourners, the coffin of Capt Chauhan, who was piloting the ill-fated helicopter that crashed near Kedarnath, was received with full military honours. The tragic crash occurred early on June 15 when a helicopter belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd went down above the forests of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand amid dense fog and near-zero visibility. All seven on board were killed, including five pilgrims, an employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee, and the pilot, Capt Rajveer Singh Chauhan. District Tourism Development Officer and heli service nodal officer Rahul Chaubey confirmed that the helicopter was reported missing shortly after takeoff and a search operation was launched immediately. The poor weather is believed to have caused disorientation and led to the crash. The deceased included Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal (35) and a two-year-old child, Kashi, both from Maharashtra; Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41) from Gujarat; Vikram Singh Rawat from Uttarakhand; Vinood Devi (66) and Tushti Singh (19) from Uttar Pradesh; and the pilot, Capt Rajveer Singh Chauhan. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on X that the State Disaster Response Force and other agencies had been deployed for relief and recovery efforts. The incident came just days after the catastrophic Air India flight AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew members, and several people on the ground. Together, the two tragedies have cast a long shadow over India's aviation safety and prompted renewed calls for stricter oversight of private and commercial aviation operations.
AsiaOne
6 days ago
- AsiaOne
Helicopter crash in northern India kills 7 on Hindu pilgrimage route, Asia News
All seven people on a helicopter in northern India were killed early on Sunday (June 15) when it crashed while ferrying passengers on a popular Hindu pilgrimage route in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, officials said. The helicopter was headed to Guptkashi from the shrine of Kedarnath, said the state's director-general of information, Bansidhar Tripathi. The Uttarakhand government ordered helicopter services to Kedarnath Valley suspended until Monday due to bad weather, Tripathi said. There have been three emergency landings and two helicopter crashes on the same route in the past month and a half, he said. "Very sad news has been received about a helicopter crash in Rudraprayag district," the state's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, posted on X, adding that the State Disaster Response Force, local administration and other rescue teams were engaged in relief and rescue operations. Dhami said in a statement he has ordered an enquiry into the cause of the crash. The authorities will also examine helicopter pilots and operators, and "only those pilots who have long experience of flying helicopters in high Himalayan regions will be allowed," he said. Helicopter service for the pilgrimage will be resumed only after a meeting with all helicopter operators, Dhami said. The Bell 407 helicopter, operated by Aryan Aviation, took off at 5.19am (7.49am in Singapore time), India's Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Calls to Aryan Aviation seeking comment went unanswered. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Uttarakhand's Himalayan mountains every year, drawn by the belief that deities such as Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu reside here. Kedarnath is a part of the Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage route of four temple towns, which also include Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. India has reduced the frequency of helicopter operations to Char Dham and is enhancing surveillance and reviewing operations for any further action, the aviation ministry said. [[nid:719048]]
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Dharamshala: Missing Israeli trekker found after week-long search
After a week-long search operation, the Israeli tourist who went missing while trekking on the Triund trek in Dharamshala, has been found in a seriously injured condition, police officials said on Sunday. The tourist, identified as Samuel Vengrinovich, was reported missing on June 8. Following the report, a joint search operation was launched by the Kangra police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). According to police, Vengrinovich had set out for the Triund trek on June 6. Kangra additional superintendent of police Hitesh Lakhanpal said, 'After an intense week-long search, the missing Israeli national has been located. He is seriously injured and is being shifted to Tanda Medical College for treatment.' According to police, the missing trekker was part of a group of 4–5 individuals who had trekked to the snowline area above Triund. During the trek, Vengrinovich reportedly suffered a leg injury and chose to return to base alone while the others stayed back. When the rest of the group returned later and found he had not reached, they promptly alerted the police. Triund is situated in the laps of Dhauladhar mountains and has the perfect view of the Dhauladhar mountains on one side and the Kangra valley on the other. It is a very popular trekking spot and attracts a lot of tourists every year from India and all over the world. Earlier this year in February, a foreign tourist from the UK died and another was injured while trekking to the snowline in the Dhauladhar mountains. In another mishap, a British national got injured while trekking in Triund when he accidentally fell into a deep gorge in M
