I pulled out 18 bodies’: Shocked and hurt survivors recall the minutes after Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar

Rizwan and his fellow photographers, who run their photo studio in Jagat colony where the coaches of Utkal express derailed on Saturday, were preparing for a meeting on World Photography Day when they heard a deafening sound. Even as wondered about the origin of the sound, Rizwan’s friend Sandeep got a call from his colleague about the train derailment.

They all rushed to the spot and were aghast at the scene. The coaches were rammed into each other and trapped passengers were screaming for help. Two coaches of the train hit the walls of one Pintu Choudhary’s house while a nearby tea stall was destroyed with the owner and four customers getting crushed to death. “They are still trapped under the bogie,” claimed Sandeep who described the scene as a “horrible nightmare”. He further said, “We watch trains pass everyday but what happened today…I still have no words to explain. I am still in a shock”, he said.

Rizwan, meanwhile, claimed to have pulled out at least 18 mutilated bodies from the debris, many of them disfigured beyond recognition.

A survivor of Saturday’s tragedy, Prerna boarded the train at Tatanagar in Jharkhand. Thanking her stars for saving her, the shocked B Tech student recalled how the train stopped after a loud bang, while four of her fellow passengers got trapped under their seats. “I prayed to the Almighty and was helpless. I watched them die,” she said. Prerna somehow came out of the wreckage and a social worker Pankaj Choudhary took her to a nearby house where she telephoned her relatives in Delhi. “I thank God that I am still alive,” she said again.

Sisters Asma and Uzma were also among the lucky ones; they had to de-board at Saharanpur. However, their aunt Karishma, who boarded the train along with them in Agra, could not be found.

Meanwhile, Parmendra, who was returning to his factory in Yamunangar along with wife and young daughter, sustained injuries. “I have informed my employer and they are coming to take me to Yamunanagar,” said Parmendra who boarded the train for Odisha.

Locals came out in large numbers to help rescue efforts. Rizwan and his friends arranged for three generators at the mishap site to provide adequate light for rescue work. Proprietor of Durga Tent House gave the generator for free and Rizwan along with his friends collected money for diesel.

London Fire: Muslims Beginning Ramadan Fast May Have Saved Lives In Grenfell Tower

Muslims who were awake because they were beginning their Ramadan fast “saved people’s lives” when a deadly blaze broke out at a west London tower block, HuffPost UK has been told.

At least 50 people have been taken to five hospitals for treatment as hundreds of residents in the 27-storey, 120 flat, Grenfell Tower in north Kensington have been evacuated from their flats in the building that caught fire just after 1.15am.

A local woman told HuffPost UK: “Muslim boys saved people’s lives. They ran around knocking on people’s doors. Thank God for Ramadan”

Khalid Suleman Ahmed, 20, recently moved to Grenfell Tower with his auntie and lives on the eighth floor.

He said he would not normally have been up in the middle of the night but had stayed up during Ramadan for Suhur, the meal before Muslims begin fasting again during daylight hours.
Smoke billows from a fire that has engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London

However, upon realising there was a fire he immediately began banging on his neighbours’ doors to wake them.

He told HuffPost UK: “No fire alarms went off and there were no warning. I was playing PlayStation waiting to eat suhuur (beginning of fast meal) then smelt smoke. I got up and looked out of my window and saw the seventh floor smoking.

“I woke my auntie up, then got clothes on and started knocking on neighbours’ doors. Every house opened except two - I saw the other guy later on so only 1 family unaccounted for. My next door neighbour was fast asleep.

“The whole corridor went black with thick smoke. I didn’t think it was serious at all me and my auntie thought it was an isolated incident but we’d just evacuate just to be safe. When we went out and were taken by the firemen to a safer place then we saw that it still hadn’t reached our house - 20 minutes or so later our house was gone. The firefighters were very quick. They immediately started work.

Sandwiches are handed out to local residents close to the scene

“People were calm walking out but when they realised loved ones were missing or unaccounted then they started to panic. Once we were outside it started to spread more.

He added: “I would be up this late on a Friday night possibly but never a random midweek night unless it was Ramadan. There are a lot of Muslims living there and people choose up to stay up and wait so it was certainly a factor for me and others. It probably did save lives.”

A witness also told Sky News that Muslims who were awake had been a “lifeline”.

A number of Islamic cultural centres and mosques also opened their doors to help those affected.

This is what Earth’s jaw-dropping ‘Door to Hell’ looks like

The Darvaza gas crater, also known as 'The Door to Hell' and 'The Crater of Fire', is a jaw-dropping man-made natural phenomenon in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan.

"Man-made natural phenomenon" might sound like a contradiction, but hear us out.

As explained in a new video from YouTube channel SciShow, in 1971 Soviet scientists began explored the Karakum desert search of oil and gas.

No one really knows what followed, there have been no official public reports on the matter, but it is currently thought that the enthusiastic scientists, having found oil and gas, began to drill immediately.

They had stumbled on a cavern and created a sinkhole more than 60 metres in diameter and 20 metres deep.

 

This released a lot of methane, which the scientists presumably decided to burn off, thinking it would only take a few weeks.

It is still alight to this day, and has a terrible eggy smell because of the hydrogen sulphide in the ground.

It's a popular tourist spot these days, because, well, it's a big burning crater of fire.

After More Than 100 Years, California's Iconic Tunnel Tree Is No More

The Pioneer Cabin Tree, a giant sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park that was tunneled through in the 1880s, has fallen due to severe winter weather. It was believed to be hundreds of years old.

Since it was first hollowed out in imitation of Yosemite’s Wawona Tunnel Tree, thousands of tourists and vehicles have passed through the sequoia. The Wawona tree was killed by the process and later fell during a storm in the 1960s, but the Pioneer Cabin Tree clung on, showing signs of life well into the 21st century.

“The pioneer cabin tree was chosen because of its extremely wide base and large fire scar,” wrote park interpretive specialist Wendy Harrison in 1990. “A few branches bearing green foliage tell us that this tree is still managing to survive.”

On Facebook, where the tree’s death was first announced, park visitors shared generations of memories involving the giant sequoia. The Calaveras Big Trees Association, however, offered a simple message about the tree’s return to the earth it sprouted from so many years ago.

“This iconic and still living tree—the tunnel tree—enchanted many visitors,” wrote the association. “The storm was just too much for it.”

Was it a meteorite? Tests will determine what killed Indian man

Indian scientists will examine remains from an object that fell from the sky Saturday, causing a large explosion which killed a man, to determine if it is a meteorite, police say.

If the object is confirmed to be a meteorite -- a fragment of a comet or asteroid that has fallen to Earth -- the death would be the first fatality from a meteorite on record, it is believed.

P. K. Senthil Kumari, the police chief in Vellore district in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, told CNN that the object struck the grounds of an engineering school at about midday Saturday, making a loud noise and leaving an impact crater about 60 cm (2 feet) deep.

The resulting blast killed a 40-year-old named Kamaraj, who worked as a bus driver on the campus of the Bharathidasan Engineering College, the police chief said. Like many in the state, the victim only used one name.

Two gardeners and a student at the college were also injured in the incident, and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Vellore, the chief added.

The impact shattered the windows of a number of buses on campus, she said.

Meteorite or space junk?

Senthil Kumari said it was yet to be confirmed whether the object that caused the blast was a meteorite, as opposed to falling space junk or some other form of debris.

Police recovered a piece of debris from the collision, which will be analyzed by a scientist from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

"We wait until the investigation is over to confirm if the object was a meteorite," she said.

Tamil Nadu's state government released a statement on the incident Sunday, describing it as a meteorite strike and offering 100,000 rupees ($1471) in compensation to the victim's family.

In 2013, a large meteor exploded over the Russian region of Chelyabinsk, producing a huge flash and shock wave, and showering the territory below with many small meteorites.

The incident left more than 1,000 people injured, but caused no fatalities.

Cognizant to provide $40 million in funds for Chennai flood relief

The southern Indian city has seen the worst rains in more than a century and parts of it have been submerged for more than five days. 

Cognizant said it would provide $10 million in grants to help the people of Chennai recover from the floods and has set aside an additional $30 million in grants and loans to help employees and business partners. 

The southern Indian city has seen the worst rains in more than a century and parts of it have been submerged for more than five days. 

The Teaneck, New Jersey headquartered company also plans to sponsor and fund additional donations through the Cognizant Foundation. 

Cognizant is the first IT company to announce such large scale funding for relief efforts. 

"Chennai is home to tens of thousands of our employees and their families. We are committed to helping with the large challenge of rebuilding the city and addressing the health, safety and housing needs of the residents of Chennai," Gordon Coburn, President at Cognizant, said in a statement. 

Heavy rains predicted in coastal TN as Chennai limps back to normal

An aerial view shows a flooded residential colony in Chennai. (REUTERS)

Chennai woke up to a bright and sunny morning on Monday though the met department has predicted heavy rains across coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Cuddalore, however, continues to be badly affected, with rescue teams being rushed there fearing further damage.

Meanwhile in Chennai, fears remain over what a fresh bout of rains could mean for the ongoing relief operations, as the city continued to limp back to normalcy.

Status of international flights, scheduled to begin operations on Monday, remained unclear following the weather forecast though domestic flights took off from the city’s airport on Sunday.

As inundated waters receded in different parts of Chennai, it gave way to a flood of complaints over the tardy relief measures by the government. Over 60% of the city’s residents have been affected, both those in hutments and in swanky multi-story residences facing shortage of food, and requiring basic amenities.

For most of these people, the rains have washed out their valuables including vehicles and gadgets.

Flood affected people stand in a long queue to get relief materials at Kotturpuram, one of the worst flood-hit localities in Chennai on Sunday. (PTI)

As many as 14,32,924 people have been rescued and housed in relief camps in Chennai and neighbouring districts of Cuddalore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, the government said in a statement.

Rough estimates of cumulative losses seem likely to cross Rs 1 lakh crore.

The Chennai central station and Egmore station, the two railway stations in the city, have become operational again after a week. Long distance trains also resumed, albeit with delayed schedules.

Passengers wait in a queue to board a train at the Egmore Railway Station in Chennai after Southern Railway decided to resume operations on Sunday. (PTI Photo)

As part of the overall efforts to improve supplies of essential commodities, 11 state-run mobile fresh farm outlets began sale of vegetables.

The Chennai Corporation said 24,500 sanitation personnel, including 2,000 personnel from other districts were on the field to clear garbage and tidy up the city.

However, with medical camps and relief centres operating at full capacity, the prediction of heavy rainfall would mean further strain to an already strained system.

Opposition DMK, meanwhile, stepped up its attack on the government with its leader MK Stalin, who visited flood-affected areas, criticizing the AIADMK-run government for not talking to people and listening to their troubles.

Chennai struggling to return to normalcy after raging floods

Chennai floods: People rescue from their waterlogged houses during heavy rains in the city. (Source: PTI)

With receding waters, Chennai city and suburbs on Saturday battled hard to pick up pieces of life but occasional heavy rains threatened to revive the ghost of flooding as lakhs of people in the worst-hit areas faced acute short supply of essentials including water, power, milk and food items.

Intermittent rains, occasionally heavy, in the city in areas like Kodambakkam, T. Nagar, Adyar and Kotturpuram and suburban Tambaram today threatened to revive the ghost of flooding again but the weatherman has forecast only light rains for Chennai in the next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy rains have been forecast for south coastal and interior districts and Puducherry.

Arterial Mount Road and several other important roads were opened for traffic on Friday after three days of disruption bringing a slight sense of normalcy as water levels in Adyar and Cooum rivers and other channels came down following reduced discharge of water from Chembarambakkam, Puzhal and Poondi, and Red Hills rivers dotting the city’s outskirts.

Travel free on MTC buses for four days

Metropolitan Transport Corporation has offered free rides for four days from December 5, 2015. File photo: R.V. Moorthy

MTC buses would be operated free for the travelling public from December 5 to 8.

Considering the number of displaced people in the city, the government has announced that passengers can travel in MTC buses free of cost for four days, beginning Saturday (December 5).

According to an official release, normality was returning gradually to the flood-affected districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur and people different places. Therefore, the MTC buses would be operated free of cost for the travelling public from December 5 to 8.

The Corporation’s fleet has suffered an extensive damage due to the buses getting submerged. Many buses that reached remote corners in the far-flung and extended suburbs did not return to their respective depots, officials said.

Chennai's story needs to be heard

No one imagined that this could happen to Chennai. We were just a happy little town content with our Kollywood and Coffee, but humanity has won over once again, says Pavithra Selvam.

The rains have finally stopped. Relief work is ongoing and Chennai is collectively pooling in its resources to keep its head above the water. Today Chennai-ites are wading through sewage water and broken roads to reach out to strangers in the hope that someone else would do the same to their loved ones. In a matter of few weeks we've literally seen our city crumble and drown in front of our eyes. Tamil Sangam literature is rife with references of floods washing away the mythical lands of 'Kumari Kaandam' -- it somehow feels like history is repeating itself. 

I write this not as a victim, but as a witness to a catastrophe of unprecedented magnitude. I write this to tell our story. I write this so that our voices can be heard. I write this from a position of privilege that I feel guilty for possessing -- but I write anyway because I can and I must. We need all the help that we can get and to get that we need our story to be heard. 

I live near the Mylapore Kapaleeshwarar temple, the oldest part of Chennai. It is among the very few areas in Chennai to not have water-logging. I have electricity, internet and patchy phone connectivity. My dad hasn't come home from office in two days. My husband, his parents and his mentally ill grandmother have been stranded in their second floor flat for the last four days. They have neither electricity nor telephone connectivity. They are strictly rationing their food supplies to last at least a few more days.

They are not alone. They are trapped with along with hundreds of other people inside their buildings and streets. 

Both my husband's family and my father aren't seeking to be rescued. The water levels are four feet deep. Ground and first floor residents have moved to their neighbours' homes in the second floor. They share their food and space and offer support to each other. They don't seek to be rescued because the situation isn't as bad as it is in other places. This is the story of millions of others who are stranded but aren't seeking to be rescued. 

The rescue operations that you hear of in the news are only emergencies. These rescue squads rescue people from places where water is neck-deep and belongings and homes have already been fully submerged. Rescuing people like my dad or husband would be a drain on Chennai's resources right now. They are safe in their second floor spaces. 

On Tuesday night, civilian rescuers started independent rescue operations by crowd-sourcing catamarans, life rafts, motorboats and SUVs. We knew people would die if we waited for the government or army to respond -- even if they really wanted to respond, there was not much they could actually do -- the city was very quickly sinking. Chennai had to take things into its own hands. The hashtags #chennairainshelp backed by Twitter India's support started to trend. Since most people didn't have electricity or internet, it was all word-of-mouth -- there was no time to verify information.

Actor Siddharth and RJ Balaji went out on the streets with a group of volunteers rescuing people as they heard about it. Rescue operations continued all night. People started opening up their homes and offering shelter. Random strangers on Twitter recharged mobile phones of strangers just by hearsay. A crowdsourced resource sheet was born -- www.chennairains.org. It is still being updated by volunteers who've hardly slept in 48 hours. Digital volunteers who had electricity and internet tweeted and posted information for people who were on their way home or stranded. Yesterday Sam Paul, Chennai's Toni & Guy guy, and Shihan Hussain, Chennai's favourite karate master, along with hundreds of other volunteers were out on the submerged streets until late in the night conducting search-and-rescue missions, putting their own lives at risk.

Many people were rescued, but so many more weren't.

Was Tamil Nadu ready for this? Absolutely not.

Did help arrive quick enough? No it didn't.

While the politics of this incident is an important issue that needs addressing, this is the wrong time to do it. The lack of coverage and appalling apathy from the so-called national news channels is disgraceful. Yesterday Rajdeep Sardesai made a video (external link) about the lack of coverage of the Chennai floods by the national news channels. ‘It takes a 180 people dead in Tamil Nadu for us to wake up,’ he said. I made a casual post on Facebook expressing my displeasure at an NDTV headline that alluded to the Chennai floods as a man-made disaster.The post (external link) went viral and received almost 500 likes and 225 shares in a matter of hours. Chennaiites and south-Indians in general are angry with the poor quality of coverage attributed to our region, especially during a national disaster. 

There is a lot of talk about poor town planning, marshland encroachment and land reclamation. Let's not make this politics -- this is not the time to play this game. We need solutions right now and quick. We have a situation of dire crises unfolding in Chennai. We have hundreds of thousands of climate refugees taking shelter in schools, malls, theatres, marriage halls and religious establishments. There are tens of thousands more who need to be rescued. These people need food, clothes, sanitation facilities and medicines. There is flooding all over the city -- the water isn't just rain water, it is rain water mixed with sewage. We are at the brink of a disease breakout. 

No one imagined that this could happen to Chennai. We were just a happy little town content with our Kollywood and Coffee.

But humanity has won over once again. Caste, creed, religion and social background have become immaterial. Who said we are an intolerant society? Look at Chennai, the collective good is the only thing that matters here on our streets.

Aid is pouring in from our neighbouring states. Strangers from Bangalore are making dangerous road trips with much needed supplies to be on the ground. This is who we are -- we stand united in all our diversity -- we are Indians. Our governments may fail us but we lift each other up and help each other as our brethren. Yes, we are a disaster zone. But we are going to get back on our feet and wade through the deluge. 

Chennai will emerge stronger and wiser, no doubt. But the more important thing for the people reading this is to take charge and tell your governments to clean up their game -- because it could be your city next.

Image: People wait for relief material and food packets at the roof of a building in flood-hit Chennai on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo.

Pavithra Selvam is a communications specialist born and raised in Chennai. Though she often lives in foreign lands, Chennai is her true love.

Latest updates: MTC rides free till Dec. 8; 600 airlifted from Arakkonam

Fire Service personnel rescue a family at a flood-hit area in Vyasarpadi, Chennai, on Friday. Photo: V. Ganesan

Life for people in Chennai continues to be difficult though rains have stopped in the city. Many areas in Chennai still remain under water and supply of essentials is difficult, say residents.

“Waterlogging continues to be there. The only mercy was that there were no rains,” said Viswanath, a resident.

The water flow in the Adyar river has come down and the amount of surplus water was released into the river from the Chembarambakkam lake.

The Southern Railways have announced special trains to Tirunelveli, Rameswaram and Howrah from Chennai Beach station. The power supply was restored in the areas where water has receded, but it was still cut in many other places.

Mobile phone services, which had taken a severe beating following the heavy downpour on Tuesday, were partially restored even as other services such as ATMs continued to remain shut.

Latest Updates:

SCR running special trains

The South Central Railway (SCR) is running special trains from Hyderabad and Kakinada Port to Chennai for the benefit of passengers stranded in the rain-ravaged Tamil Nadu capital.

Train No 07644 left Kakinada Port at 9 p.m. on Friday and will arrive in Chennai Beach at 9:50 a.m. on Saturday.

Another train (No. 02760) departed from Hyderabad at 9 p.m. on Friday and will arrive at Chennai Beach at 12.15 p.m. on Saturday, a SCR release said.

Meanwhile, the SCR on Friday cancelled half a dozen trains (Up and Down directions) due to submergence of Railway bridges on the Chennai-Gudur section.

These trains are: Tirupati-Chennai Central Saptagiri Express, Tirupati-Chennai Central Express and Vijayawada-Chennai Central Janshatabdi Express (all three in both directions), the release said.

Private carriers join rescue effort

Private airlines have joined the rescue operations in rain-battered Chennai, with some of the carriers flying out hundreds of people from the Arakkonam Naval Base to Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

“Some of the private airlines have started running a few relief flights from here to Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. One such flight flew about 130 rescued civilians to Delhi this afternoon,” a defence official said in Arakkonam.

“While two flights flew in the morning to Hyderabad and Bangalore routes, one came in the afternoon and another at night,” he added.

The Delhi-bound IndiGo flight (No 8002) landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at its domestic terminal early Friday night.

Arakkonam Naval Base or INS Rajali is about 70 km west of Chennai, and is currently being used as a makeshift airport due to closure of the Chennai Airport. — PTI

600 airlifted from Arakkonam

Over 600 people including more than 130 university students and an old French couple were taken to safety from Arakonam Naval Base, about 70 km from Chennai, by a coordinated team of defence and NDRF personnel.

Clear weather provided opportunity to the Air Force team to carry our ample number of sorties for relief and rescue operations.

The rescued included both stranded civilians and defence personnel many of whom themselves were unable to move around in the wake of the torrential rains that has pounded the city lately.

“Around 150 people, 130 among them being civilians and rest from the defence forces were rescued and sent in a private airliner which operated two rescue flights from our base. While the first took off in the afternoon for Delhi, the other one carrying 180 people left at night.- PTI

MTC rides free

Considering the number of displaced people in Chennai, the government has announced that passengers can travel in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses free of cost for four days beginning Saturday (December 5, 2015).

Chennai airport to start partial operations from tomorrow, says AAI

Fresh rains pose threat to rescue and relief operations in flood-hit Chennai while the Met Department has warned that the state will witness less rain for next 2-3 days.

The rain respite was momentary in flood-hit Chennai. After a lull of 12 hours, Chennai has been hit by rains again.Fresh spell of rain has disrupted normal life in Puducherry and Kanchipuram.

Withdrawing its earlier statement, the Met Department on Friday said the flood-hit state will witness less rain for next 2-3 days.

Meanwhile, 5,000 cusecs of water has been released from Chembarambakkam Lake.

At least 18 people died in one of the hospitals in the flood-hit Chennai on Friday, reports said. MIOT Hospital in the city was treating some 575 patients. After the tragic incident, 57 patients have been shifted to different hospitals. Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said the reason behind death is not known yet and an investigation has been ordered into the incident.

Though water level is slowly receding in many parts of Chennai and there is no rainfall in the city and adjoining areas since morning, the flood situation continues to remain grim in the city and several parts of Tamil Nadu. The city still remains virtually cut off from the rest of the country with air, rail and road transport services.

Army chief General Dalbir Singh has reached Chennai to personally oversee relief and rescue operations. 

According to reports, Chennai faces acute shortage of necessary items while the price of food grains sky rocket due to shortage. Residents have complained about lack of medicines, milk, potable water and vegetables.

1. To clear the stranded aircraft at Chennai Airport, Airports Authority of India is going to start limited exercise from Chennai Airport during the day.
2. Limited flights resume from naval air base in Chennai. Indian Railways to run special trains to evacuate people stranded in Chennai
3. Weather department says no rainfall in Chennai for next 2-3 days
4. After a 12-hour lull, rains hit Chennai again.
5. 18 patients died in a private hospital due to flooding of generator room and resultant snap of oxygen supply in Chennai. Yesterday the toll was at 269.
6. Indian naval ship INS Airavat reaches Chennai with relief materials
7. Some 1.64 lakh people have been housed in 460 camps in Chennai, Cuddalore, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts while thousands have also been shifted to others' houses after water entered theirs
8. 40 army teams, 6 navy teams with 12 boats and several relief teams have been deployed in Chennai to intensify rescue and relief operations
9. The government has deployed 1200 NDRF personnel, 100 boats and 200 divers to rescue stranded people in flood-hit areas
10. NDRF DG O P Singh said 5 teams from Patna and Guwahati will soon leave for Chennai while 5 teams from Punjab have already reached Chennai. Another 5 teams from Pune are all set to leave for Chennai
11. Low pressure moving towards Tamil Nadu: Met Department
12. Air India to operate more flights today, private airlines to follow suit
13. Floods in Chennai are an impact of climate change: Centre for Science and Environment
14. Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore to send around 50000 food packets for Chennai floods victims.
15. Floods: A Human error

    A green body on Friday said that the floods in Chennai are an impact of climate change and the "unprecedented deluge" that the city has witnessed is a reminder of increasing frequency of such freak weather events across the Indian subcontinent. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said that Chennai could have fared better if it had protected and preserved its natural water bodies and drainage channels.

    Chennai floods: Operation Madad picks up momentum

    "We have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that our urban sprawls such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Srinagar and others have not paid adequate attention to the natural water bodies that exist in them," said?CSE director general Sunita Narain.

    US offers assistance for Chennai flood victims

    The US has expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the people affected by the worst floods in Chennai and has offered assistance to address the humanitarian challenge "especially in the case of strong partners like India".
16. "The US stands ready to assist the people of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as well as the Government of India as they face the worst flooding in decades," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. 
    Train/ Air update
    Due to heavy rains and water over flowing above danger level at Railway Bridges in Chennai - Gudur Section the following trains are cancelled/diverted as detailed below:-
    I) Trains Cancelled:
    1. Train No. 12688 Dehradun-Chennai Central Express scheduled to depart Dehradun on 04.12.2015 is cancelled.
    2. Train No. 22801 Vishakapatnam- Chennai Central scheduled to depart Visakhapatnam on 04.12.2015 is cancelled.
    3. Train No. 13351 Dhanbad-Allepy Express scheduled to depart Dhanbad on 04.12.2015 and 05.12.2015 is cancelled.
    4. Train No. 22644 Patna-Ernakukam Express scheduled to depart Patna on 03.12.2015 and 04.12.2015 is cancelled.
    5. Train No. 12508 Guwahati-Trivendrum Express scheduled to depart Guwahati on 04.12.2015 is cancelled.
    6. Train No. 15906 Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Express scheduled to depart Dibrugarh on 04.12.2015 and 05.12.2015 is cancelled.
    II) Trains Diverted:
    1. Train No.12516 Guwahati-Trivendrum Express which left Guwahati on 02.12.15 which is now diverted to run via., Renigunta, Melpakam, Katpadi.
    2. Train No. 12552 Kamahkya (Guwahati) - Yesvantapur Express which left Kamakhya on 02.12.2015 is now diverted to run via., Renigunta, Melpakam, Katpadi.
    3. Train No. 12296 Patna-Banglore Express which left Patna on 02.12.2015 is now diverted to run via., Renigunta, Melpakam, Katpadi.
    4. Train No. 12652 H.Nizamuddin-Madurai Express which left H.Nizamuddin on 03.12.2015 is now diverted to run via., Renigunta, Melpakam, Katpadi.
    5. Train No. 12511 Gorakhpur-Trivendrum Express which left Gorakhpur on 03.12.2015 is now diverted to run via., Renigunta, Melpakam, Katpadi.
    Train services from Chennai Beach station to Arakkonam will be at intervals of 45 minutes. The state government is making arrangements to move people from the station to  Rajali Naval Base
17. The arrival/ departure  timings of seven flights as approved by Navy for 4th and 5th December, 2015 to operate  to/from Arakkonam are as follows. However, Air India is expected to operate more flights on Friday. Private airlines will also to resume services :
    1. Truejet (Hyderabad- Arakkonam-Hyderabad) 0830/0855 (only on 04 Dec),
    2. Spicejet (Cochin-Arakkonam-Bangalore) 0945/1115
    3. Spicejet  (Cochin-Arakkonam-Bangalore) 1500/1630,
    4. Indigo (Hyderabad-Arakkonam-Bangalore) 1130/1300
    5. Indigo (Bangalore-Arakkonam-Delhi) 1645/1815,
    6. Air India (Hyderabad- Arakkonam-Hyderabad) 1315/1445
    7. Air India (Hyderabad-Arakkonam-Bangalore) 1830/1945.

Weather Forecast for December 1: Heavy rain in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh once again

Another spell of heavy rain seems to be approaching Chennai, coastal parts of Tamil Nadu and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Pondicherry, Nellore, Ongole and adjoining areas could receive heavy showers. Cities like Karaikal and Pamban will receive good rainfall.

All thanks to the cyclonic circulation over southwest Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. There is a trough extending northwards, along the East Coast.

There is another cyclonic circulation closely following, which is likely to merge with this one. Accordingly, a low pressure area could develop over the region after 24 to 48 hours. In fact, Northeast Monsoon will bring some rainfall in most parts of Peninsular India during next few days.

In Central India, we can see a cyclonic circulation lying over Madhya Pradesh. This system will bring the first spell of winter rainfall over Madhya Pradesh. It will gradually move eastwards, affecting Chhattisgarh and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh.

North India is once again experiencing drier weather conditions with northwesterly winds blowing over the region. Moist winds had reduced visibility conditions during the last few days. We can now see clear skies over Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi-NCR. Maximum temperatures will rise marginally, while the minimums will come down to normal levels.

Ola Deploys Boats In Water-Logged Chennai For Ferrying Citizens To Safer Areas

In a bid to help transport citizens stranded due to water logging in the city of Chennai, Ola, India’s most popular mobile app for personal transportation, today deployed boats in water logged and partially submerged areas, basis information provided by the Fire and Rescue Department of Tamil Nadu. The boats manned by professional rowers and fishermen, will also be used to provide food and drinking water in specific areas which are reportedly short of basic supplies. Both ferrying services and supplies will be offered free of cost to citizens.

Each boat will be manned by two rowers and can ferry anywhere between five to nine people in a single attempt. Ola is also providing rain gear to all rowers, which will help them ferry people without any hassles. In order to guard customers from rain, Ola has also stocked umbrellas in every boat. Details of the rowers and fishermen were provided to Ola by local firemen and the Chennai Sport Fishing Company.  These services are expected to be available over the next three days and might get extended if water-logging continues in the city. Many employees and drivers of Ola are also coordinating with the fishermen on ground to enable smooth operations.

Ravi Teja, Business Head of Tamil Nadu at Ola said, “Thousands of citizens have been stranded and are suffering due to heavy rains and water logging in Chennai. While we are addressing the increased demand for transportation in the city through the Ola app, we are working closely with local stakeholders to help ferry those stranded in water logged areas. Boats deployed by Ola will help ferry people to safer areas and in distribution of essential supplies like food and drinking water in affected areas.”

Rain pounds Tamil Nadu as depression looms large

 

 

Tamil Nadu continued to experience monsoon fury, with heavy rains pounding various parts of the State under the influence of a well-marked low pressure area over Bay of Bengal, as the death toll from rain-related incidents climbed to 59. 

There seemed to be no respite from the downpour with many parts of Chennai coming under water even as the weatherman forecast more rains for the next 24 hours, beginning 0830 hrs.

The India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin on Sunday that the well-marked low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal adjoining Sri Lanka persisted and “it is likely to move west-northwestwards towards Tamil Nadu coast and would concentrate into a depression during next 24 hours.” 

Under its influence, more rains were expected in the next 24 hours, the Regional Meteorological Department said. 

Weather warning (valid upto 0830 hrs IST of Monday): 

Day 1 (15th Nov.): Heavy to very heavy rain would occur at a few places over north Tamil Nadu. Heavy rain would occur at isolated places over south Tamil Nadu. Moderate fog would occur at isolated places over Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi and north Rajasthan. 

Day 2 (16th Nov.): Heavy to very heavy rain would occur at a few places over Tamil Nadu & Puducherry and at isolated places over Rayalaseema. Heavy rain would occur at isolated places over couth coastal Andhra Pradesh, south Tamil Nadu and south interior Karnataka. Moderate fog would occur at isolated places over Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram-Tripura. 

Day 3 (17th Nov.): Heavy to very heavy rain would occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalseema.

Heavy rain would occur at isolated places over north Tamil Nadu and south interior Karnataka. 

Day 4 (18th Nov.): Heavy to very heavy rain would occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh. 

Day 5 (19th Nov.): Nil. 

Weather Outlook for the subsequent 2 days (20th Nov. & 21st Nov. 2015): Rain/thundershowers would occur at many places over Tamil Nadu, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema and Kerala and would increase considerably over rest peninsular India. Minimum temperature would fall by 2-3 degrees C over northwest and adjoining central India. 

A water-logged Wall Tax road in Chennai. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Schools, colleges closed on Monday

Monday has been declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai and Kanchipuram districts.

* VIT University has declared holiday for Vellore campus on November 16, 2015.

* The practical examinations of all UG and PG courses of the TN Dr. MGR Medical University scheduled for November 16 and 17, 2015 stand postponed due to heavy rains. The revised dates shall be notified later.

* “Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University-affiliated law colleges exams scheduled for November 16, 17 and 18 have been cancelled due to rain and the new dates will be announced later,” said a release.

Near Panagal Park, T.Nagar in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: M. Moorthy

Storage in Chennai Reservoirs as of today

Source: Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board 

 

Anaikaracharthiram (Nagapattinam) received the maximum rainfall of 18 cm recorded till 8.30 am, Regional Meteorological Centre Director S.R. Ramanan said, adding, Sirkazhi registered 17 cm. Chennai received 3 cm rainfall between 8.30 am and 11.30 am on Sunday.

He said heavy to very heavy rains could be expected in the northern coastal districts of the State in the next 24 hours while there could be rain in the rest of the districts.

Rains were also expected in Puducherry on Monday. 

The seas would be rough, he said, warning fishermen against venturing for fishing.

MTC bus stuck on Ganesapuam subway, Vyasarpadi. Photo: R. Ragu

 

Deaths in Tamil Nadu

Meanwhile, four persons died due to various rain-related incidents on November 13 and 14, the government said.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa condoled the death of the four persons, three of whom died due to drowning in Kancheepuram district while one person in Vellore was killed in wall collapse. She announced a sum of Rs four lakh each to the families of the victims from the Disaster Relief Fund. 

Situation in Chennai

Bullocks wearing a plastic sheet as it rains at T.Nagar in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: M. Moorthy 

 

The incessant rains severely crippled normal life in Chennai, where most roads, residential areas and low-lying parts were inundated.

Subways at suburban Chennai connecting the residential areas were inundated, rendering them useless for commutation.

A scene from Thillai Ganga Nagar. Photo: G. Sribharath

Water-logged roads resulted in slow movement of vehicles even as pedestrians were seen wading through waist-deep to knee-deep water in many places.

Trains on the suburban Chennai Egmore-Tambaram were running slow.

Heavy rain in Tamil Nadu throws rail services off track

Due to the heavy rain, Southern Railways has announced full/partial cancellation of several trains while diverting or rescheduling several others. 

Trains fully cancelled

According to a Southern Railways press release the Chennai Central-Vijayawada Jan Shadabdi express (Train No. 12077), Vijayawada-Chennai Central Jan Shadabdi express (Train No.12078) and the Bangalore-Chennai Central Brindavan express (Train No.12640) have been fully cancelled. 

Trains partially cancelled

1. Train No. 12609 Chennai Central-Bangalore express will be partially cancelled between Chennai Central and Tiruvallur.

2. Train No. 12610 Bangalore-Chennai Central express will be partially cancelled between Tiruvallur and Chennai Central.

3. Train No. 16204 Tirupati-Chennai Central express partially cancelled between Tiruvallur and Chennai Central.

4. Train No. 16203 Chennai Central-Tirupati express partially cancelled between Chennai Central and Tiruvallur.

5. Train No. 12711 Vijayawada-Chennai Central Pinakini express partially cancelled between Sullurupetta and Chennai Central.

6. Train No. 12712 Chennai Central-Vijayawada Pinakini express partially cancelled between Chennai Central and Sullurupetta.

7. Train No. 16054 Tirupati - Chennai Central express partially cancelled between Tiruvallur and Chennai Central.

8. Train No. 16053 Chennai Central - Tirupati express partially cancelled between Chennai Central-Tiruvallur. 

Trains rescheduled

1. Train No. 02842 Chennai Central-Santragachi weekly express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 7.55 a.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 2 p.m.

2. Train No. 12685 Chennai Central-Mangalore express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 5 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 9 p.m.

3. Train No. 12623 Chennai Central-Thiruvananthapuram express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 7.45 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 8.45 p.m.

4. Train No. 12615 Chennai Central-New Delhi G.T. Express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 7.15 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 9.30 p.m.

5. Train No. 12621 Chennai Central-New Delhi Tamil Nadu Express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 10 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 11 p.m.

6. Train No. 22639 Chennai Central-Alleppey Express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 8.45 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 10.45 p.m.

7. Train No. 16021 Chennai Central-Bangalore express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 9 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 10.30 p.m.

8. Train No. 12679 Chennai Central-Coimbatore Intercity express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 2.30 p.m. has been rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 3.45 p.m.

9. Train No. 12842 Chennai Central-Howrah Coromandal express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 8.45 a.m. is rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 12.30 p.m.

10. Train No. 12656 Chennai Central-Ahmedabad Navjivan express scheduled to leave Chennai Central at 9.35 a.m. is rescheduled to leave Chennai Central at 1 p.m.

11. Train No. 12676 Coimbatore-Chennai Central Kovai express scheduled to leave Coimbatore at 2.55 p.m. is rescheduled to leave Coimbatore at 4.15 p.m.

12. Train No. 12244 Coimbatore-Chennai Central Shatabdi express scheduled to leave Coimbatore at 3.20 p.m. is rescheduled to leave Coimbatore at 6.30 p.m. 

Trains diverted

1. Train No. 12552 Kamakya-Yesvantpur express will be diverted via. Korukkupet, Vyasarpadi and Perambur.

2. Train No. 12295 Bangalore City-Patna Sangamithra express will be diverted via. Perambur, Vyasarpadi and Korukkupet.

3. Train No.12296 Patna-Bangalore express will be diverted via. Gudur, Renigunta, Melpakkam.(will not touch Chennai Central).

4. Train No. 12516 Guwahati-Thiruvananthapuram Central express will be diverted via. Korukkupet, Vyasarpadi and Perambur (will not touch Chennai Central).

5. Train No.22641 Thiruvananthapuram-Shalimar express will be diverted via. Perambur, Vyasarpadi and Korukkupet (will not touch Chennai Central)

6. Train No. 12969 Coimbatore-Jaipur weekly express has been diverted via Perambur, Vyasarpadi & Korukkupet (without touching Chennai Central).

Is this a nuclear bomb? drone captures apocalyptic scenes in Tianjin, China, after industrial explosions

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Taking on the look of a war zone or apocalyptic film, the gutted remains of an industrial area in Tianjin, China. Photo: Beijing Youth Daily

In the aftermath of deadly explosions at a chemicals warehouse, parts of Tianjin city in China looked like scenes from an apocalyptic film or a war zone, with destroyed buildings and homes, torched cars and pillars of thick smoke.

Testament to the devastation, eyewitnesses compared the strength of the blasts to military bombs. “Our building is shaking. Is this an atomic bomb?” a frenzied voice is heard saying in amateur footage posted on YouTube from what appeared to be an apartment building some distance away from the Binhai New Area, the epicentre.

Testament to the devastation, eyewitnesses compared the strength of the blasts to military bombs. Photo: Beijing Youth Daily

The clip showed fire shooting into the night sky from the initial blast when the second, much bigger, explosion rocked the area, sending a huge fireball into the air. Seconds later, the apartment building is seen violently shaking.

In another amateur video which appears to be shot closer to the scene, people scream from inside a car as the shockwave hits from the second blast, rocking their vehicle.

WATCH: Amateur footage of the explosions in Tianjn (WARNING: May be upsetting to some viewers)

A photographer from the Beijing Youth Daily captured the chilling aftermath at ground zero, with a cluster of industrial buildings in Binhai reduced to ashes and piles of smoking debris. The blasts were powerful enough to crumple shipping containers and flatten nearby warehouses into twisted pieces of sheet metal.

Shell-shocked residents posted photos of their homes, with unhinged doors and collapsed ceilings.

The blasts had ripped through an industrial area in the port city’s northeast at around 11.30pm local time on Wednesday after a shipment of explosives ignited at the warehouse storing “dangerous chemical goods”, according to CCTV, and the second blast came roughly 30 seconds later. At least 17 people, among them firefighters, were killed and as much as 400 people injured.

State news agency Xinhua said the first blast was equivalent to three tonnes of TNT detonating and the second blast 21 tonnes of TNT detonating.

The force of the explosions – which blew walls and windows off apartments and office towers, sending shattered glass and concrete flying – unnerved residents across much of the city of 15 million people.

Shell-shocked residents posted photos of their homes, with unhinged doors and other damage. Photo: Beijing Youth Daily

“It was like what we were told a nuclear bomb would be like,” said truck driver Zhao Zhencheng, who spent the night in the cab of his truck a few kilometres from the accident site. “I’ve never even thought I’d see such a thing. It was terrifying but also beautiful.”

Canadian teacher Monica Andrews told the BBC that she awoke in panic after what she thought was an earthquake.

Fires were still burning after dawn. Photo: Beijing Youth Daily

“I ... looked out the window and the sky was red ... I just watched a second explosion go off and [it was] just pure chaos, everyone leaving their apartment buildings thinking it’s an earthquake, cars trying to leave the complex and ... it was crazy the amount of light that this explosion and fire lit up,” she said.

The owners of the warehouse, Tianjin Dongjiang Port Ruihai International Logistics, have yet to issue comment. President Xi Jinping has urged a speedy response to contain the disaster.

Fires were still burning after dawn as injured residents and workers, some bleeding profusely from being hurt by broken glass and debris, filled up local hospitals.

In another photo by a news agency, all that was left of a carpark near the blast site were 1,000 charred Renault cars, which had been brand-new. Several fire trucks were destroyed and nearby firefighters wept as they worked to extinguish flames, The Beijing News said.