Connect with us

World

8 killed and dozens injured after Mumbai billboard collapse

Published

on

A least eight people have been killed and about 60 injured after a giant billboard collapsed during a sudden storm in the Indian city of Mumbai, authorities said.

The billboard, measuring 70m by 50m according to the police, fell onto houses and a petrol station in the city’s financial district on Monday.

About 20 to 30 people are still feared to be trapped with a rescue operation under way, emergency services said.

The billboard fell after a rain and dust storm hit the city of Mumbai, ripping up trees and causing travel chaos and power outages.

Footage on local news channels shows the huge billboard swaying in the wind before giving way and crashing into the buildings near a busy road in the city’s eastern suburb of Ghatkopar.

Video posted on social media appears to show the immediate aftermath at the petrol station, with vehicles crushed under the fallen advertisement hoarding.

In photos from the scene, emergency teams can be seen working through the wreckage. dramatic video footage also shows rescue workers pulling out a victim from under the fallen billboard and using power tools to cut the metal.

In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said “speedy winds” caused the collapse and that several agencies including police, fire and national disaster response teams were involved in the rescue operation.

Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state, said a “high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.”

She adde that the state government would provide financial assistance of 500,000 rupees (£4,767) to the families of those killed and wounded in the incident.

Flights were temporarily suspended at the city’s international airport during the storm with at least 15 planes diverted, local media report.

Mumbai is one of several cities in India prone to severe flooding and rain-related incidents during the monsoon season – which is usually between June and September.

(BBC News)

World

Missing chopper in India found crashed

Published

on

By

A helicopter belonging to Aryan Aviation, flying from Kedarnath Dham to Guptkashi, has crashed in the jungles of Gaurikund, leading to the deaths of 7 people, including the pilot.

Following the crash, helicopter services operating in the Char Dham region have been suspended until further notice. The decision was jointly taken by UCADA (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation).

The aircraft had previously gone missing in the Gaurikund area of the state, Indian media had reported.

(Agencies)

Continue Reading

World

Iraq, Jordan close airspace amid Israel – Iran clashes

Published

on

By

Iran has launched ballistic missiles at Israel as its supreme leader vows to “inflict heavy blows” in retaliation for Israel’s overnight strikes.
The BBC’s Ione Wells reports hearing an explosion in Jerusalem as black smoke has been seen rising over Tel Aviv’s skyline.

Forty people are being treated in Israeli hospitals following the retaliatory strike, including two in critical condition.

Speaking to US media, Israel’s ambassador has said a woman in Tel Aviv was killed in Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Friday.

Earlier, the IDF said three Iranian military commanders were killed in last night’s strikes while Tehran says six scientists have also been killed.

Meanwhile, Jordan and Iraq on Friday had announced the closure of their airspace and grounded all flights after Israel’s attack on Iran.

“The kingdom’s airspace is temporarily closed, and air traffic suspended for all aircraft — incoming, outgoing and in transit, as a precaution against any risks resulting from the regional escalation,” the Jordanian civil aviation authority said in a statement.

“Jordan has not and will not allow any violation of its airspace, reaffirming that the Kingdom will not be a battleground for any conflict,” government spokesperson Mohammad Momani told AFP.
Jordan, which borders Israel, intercepted multiple drones and missiles fired by Iran at Israel in October 2024.

Iraq, which borders Iran, also closed its airspace on Friday.

“The ministry of transport closes Iraqi airspace and suspends air traffic at all Iraqi airports,” the Iraq News Agency reported.

(Agencies)

Continue Reading

News

Global oil prices soar after Israel attacks Iran

Published

on

By

Global oil prices jumped after Israel said it had struck Iran, in a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Benchmark oil contracts Brent Crude and Nymex light sweet were up by more than 10% after the news emerged.

Traders are concerned that a conflict between Iran and Israel could disrupt supplies coming from the energy-rich region.

The cost of crude oil affects everything from the price of food at the supermarket to how much it costs to fill up your car.

Analysts have told the BBC that energy traders will now be watching to see whether Iran retaliates in the coming days.

“It’s an explosive situation, albeit one that could be defused quickly as we saw in April and October last year, when Israel and Iran struck each other directly,” Vandana Hari of Vandana Insights told the BBC.

“It could also spiral out into a bigger war that disrupts Mideast oil supply,” she added.

In an extreme scenario, Iran could disrupt supplies of millions of barrels of oil a day if it targets infrastructure or shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, with about a fifth of the world’s oil passing through it.

At any one time, there are several dozen tankers on their way to the Strait of Hormuz, or leaving it, as major oil and gas producers in the Middle East and their customers transport energy from the region.

Bounded to the north by Iran and to the south by Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Strait of Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Arabian Sea.

“What we see now is very initial risk-on reaction. But over the next day or two, the market will need to factor in where this could escalate to,” Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Financial said.

(BBC News)

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved