Paris:&nbsp;Wildfires in France's department of Ardeche have burnt 900 hectares of land and forced evacuation in different cities.According to the Le Figaro newspaper, a total of 550 firefighters and 100 intervention engines, as well as fire brigade aerial units, were mobilized to bring under control the wildfires, reports Xinhua news agency.The main fire is pursuing its progression along the Ardeche river and is going towards the city of Vogue where the firefighters of Ardeche are located, according to local authorities.There were no "habitations threatened" and the industrial zone of Lavilledieu has been "secured", the authorities said.Several roads were closed and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fires.—IANS

Wildfires in France's department of Ardeche have burnt 900 hectares of land and forced evacuation in different cities.

 New wildfires in France force evacuation

San Francisco : A serious chemical leak accident forced the evacuation of more than 100 homes California's Perris city and also closed the 215 Freeway in both directions.
Perris is located 122 km east of Los Angeles, reports Xinhua news agency. 
Local NBC 4 news channel reported that Cal Fire Riverside County received a call about the chemical leak around 7.40 p.m. on Thursday, when someone discovered a large plume of smoke coming from a rail car along the railway running parallel to the freeway in the town with over 77,000 residents.
Officials identified the leaking chemical as styrene, saying some kind of chemical reaction inside the tank occurred when the chemical used in latex, synthetic rubber and polystyrene resins was stored in an overheating situation.
Typically, styrene sits at around 29.4 degrees Celsius, but the roughly 188,000 pounds of styrene in the tank had reached temperatures up to 161.7 degrees Celsius, Cal Fire Riverside County Chief John Crater told reporters on Friday.
As pressure rose in the full tank and the styrene continued to heat up, there could be an explosion, Cal Fire Riverside County said, adding that firefighters could not approach the site and the styrene was still leaking from the top portion of the tank as of Friday.
Crater said he had spoke with experts across the country about potential impacts of the leak, adding "what they're telling me is this can resolve itself in two days".&nbsp;
—IANS

A serious chemical leak accident forced the evacuation of more than 100 homes California's Perris city and also closed the 215 Freeway in both directions.

 California chemical leak forces evacuation, freeway closure

A serious chemical leak accident forced the evacuation of more than 100 homes California's Perris city and also closed the 215 Freeway in both directions.


Guwahati (The Hawk): An evacuation tunnel together with the main tunnel were successfully drilled, officials announced on Monday, marking a significant accomplishment in the Sivok-Rangpo railway line project.
According to Northeast Frontier Railways' Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De, this new rail link project is around 45 km long and features 14 tunnels, 13 major bridges, 10 minor bridges, and 4 new stations.
A total of 38 km of the project's alignment are tunnels, and 63% of the tunnelling construction has already been finished.
In order to finish the project by the end of next year, he continued, "at the moment, all the activities relating to the building of tunnels, bridges, and station yards are operating on a war footing basis.
In the presence of the Project Director, Chief General Manager, and other officers of Ircon International Limited, Northeast Frontier Railway, the Amberg Engineering (Detail Design Consultancy) team, construction company ABCI Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., as well as local administration, "Tunnel No. 11" in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal was bored on Saturday.
Between Tarkhola and Tumlangkhola in Kalimpong, there is a main tunnel that is 3.2 km long and an evacuation tunnel that is 960 m long.
The lower Himalayas' complex and unstable geology is traversed by the tunnel. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method, the most advanced tunnelling technology, has been used in this and all other tunnels in the Sivok-Rangpo train project to combat the fragility of the groundmass.
Officials stated that the initiative "involves not just the best and most experienced experts from India, but also highly experienced foreign engineers."
This railway line would connect Pakyong in Sikkim with the West Bengal districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling.
(Inputs from Agencies)

An evacuation tunnel together with the main tunnel were successfully drilled, officials announced on Monday, marking a significant accomplishment in the Sivok-Rangpo railway line project.

Breakthrough evacuation tunnel for Sivok-Rangpo railway line

Dehradun (The Hawk): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday ordered immediate evacuation of around 600 families living in houses which have developed huge cracks and are at risk in Joshimath town which is sinking.
"Saving lives is our first priority. Officials have been asked to shift around 600 families living in endangered houses in Joshimath to safe locations," Dhami told reporters here after reviewing the situation in the sinking town with officials via video conference.
"We are also working on short and long term plans to address the situation in Joshimath," he said.
The chief minister will visit Joshimath on Saturday, meet the affected people and hold a meeting with officials.
Garhwal Commissioner Sushil Kumar and secretary disaster management Ranjit Kumar Sinha along with a team of experts are camping on the ground to constantly monitor the situation, Dhami said.
Relocation of people in affected areas should be done expeditiously, he told the officials.
Medical treatment facilities should be available on ground and arrangements for airlifting people should also be made, he said.
An immediate action plan as well as a long term action plan should be prepared and work on both should be started in right earnest, Dhami said.
Procedures should be simplified to expedite work on treatment of danger zones, sewer and drainage.
"Lives of our citizens are most important for us " he said.
"Joshimath should be divided into sectors and zones and action should be taken accordingly. A disaster control room should also be set up in the town," the chief minister said.
For permanent rehabilitation of affected people, alternative locations should be identified in Pipalkoti, Gauchar and other places, he said.
The district magistrate should stay in touch with people and the potential danger zones should also be identified.
"Moving people to safe locations is necessary. Satellite images can also be useful in this. All departments should act with a team spirit to achieve success in the exercise," he said.
Adequate deployment of State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force personnel should be made to help the affected people, he said, adding helicopter services should also be made available, if required.
"Joshimath is a town of religious and cultural importance. Care should be taken to ensure that the livelihoods of people are not affected," he said.
A temple collapsed on Friday evening in Singdhar ward of Joshimath further alarming residents living under constant fear of a major disaster in the offing.
Luckily there was no one inside the temple when it collapsed as it had been abandoned after it developed huge cracks over the past 15 days, locals said.
Huge cracks have appeared in scores of houses while many have suffered subsidence.
Nearly 50 families have been moved to safer locations, officials said. Apart from them 60 families living in a colony meant for Vishnu Prayag Jal Vidyut Pariyojana employees have been shifted elsewhere, its Director Pankaj Chauhan said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Marwari area where an aquifer burst three days ago is the worst hit as water is constantly coming down from it.&nbsp;
All construction activities related to mega projects like the chardham all weather road and the NTPC's hydel project have been stopped till further orders on the demand of residents. The Auli ropeway, which is Asia's biggest, has been stopped after a huge crack developed beneath it, former president of the local municipality Rishi Prasad Sati said.
Land subsidence has been going on for more than a year but the problem has aggravated over the past fortnight, he said.
Meanwhile, protests continued on Friday as people staged a dharna at the tehsil office Joshimath demanding rehabilitation.
As Joshimath's susbsidence seemed to aggravate, even the BJP sent a team to the town to assess the situation. —PTI

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday ordered immediate evacuation of around 600 families living in houses which have developed huge cracks and are at risk in Joshimath town which is sinking.

Dhami Orders Immediate Evacuation Of 600 Families In Joshimath

Chamoli: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday arrived in the Joshimath town of the state's Chamoli district to conduct a survey of the land subsidence-affected areas and meet the affected families.
The chief minister had before arriving in the town conducted an aerial survey of Joshimath.
In Joshimath town, huge cracks have been seen in houses, roads and fields and many houses have suffered subsidence. Cracks have been found at several places on the Joshimath-Malari border road, which connects the India-China border, due to landslides in Joshimath. A large part of Badrinath National Highway is also in the grip of landslides.
Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Pawar said huge cracks appeared in the houses due to water leakage from inside the ground in the Marwadi ward.
The central government on Friday set up a panel to conduct a study of the occurrence of land subsidence and its impact on the Joshimath town.
District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said that all construction work has been halted in view of the situation in Joshimath until further orders.
According to the Chamoli district administration statement on Friday, out of 561 establishments, 153 in Ravigram ward, 127 in the Gandhinagar ward, 28 in the Marwadi ward, 24 in the Lower Bazaar ward, 52 in the Singhdhar ward, 71 in the Manohar Bagh ward, 29 in the Upper Bazaar ward 27 in the Sunil ward and 50 in Parsari have reported cracks, due to which the operations of Hotel View and Malari Inn were restricted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, till further orders.
On Thursday, nine families were displaced, including four families in Joshimath Municipal Corporation, one from Gurudwara Joshimath, one from Tourist Hostel, Manohar Bagh and others. Locals of Joshimath had blocked the Badrinath Highway on Thursday morning to protest and get the government and administration to take the matter of land subsidence seriously.
A total of 38 families have been displaced so far. Meanwhile, with the continuous land subsidence in the Joshimath, the state government has dispatched a team of experts to the area to assess the situation.
The teams from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been deployed in the area as a precautionary measure, Chamoli Chief Development Officer (CDO) Lalit Narayan Mishra said on Friday. —ANI

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday arrived in the Joshimath town of the state's Chamoli district to conduct a survey of the land subsidence-affected areas and meet the affected families.

CM Dhami Arrives In Joshimath To Inspect 'Sinking' Town, Meet Families

<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">New Delhi: As a ceasefire appeared to be holding in the war-torn African nation, India evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Sudan on Tuesday onboard the naval ship INS Sumedha and hurried relief supplies to the country's remaining stranded citizens.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">New Delhi's mission 'Operation Kaveri' has been initiated to evacuate roughly 3,000 Indians from Sudan, and on Tuesday, the Indian Navy ship INS Teg landed in Port Sudan to bring back more individuals under the mission.
<span style="color: rgb(53,53,53);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: medium;font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji;">India has set up a control room in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah to facilitate evacuation of Indians from Sudan.—Inputs from Agencies&nbsp;

As a ceasefire appeared to be holding in the war-torn African nation, India evacuated the first batch of 278 Indians from Sudan on Tuesday onboard the naval ship INS Sumedha and hurried relief supplies to the country's remaining stranded citizens

First batch of 278 stranded Indians evacuated from Sudan in naval ship

Florida [US]: Hurricane Idalia is forecast to be an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm when it makes landfall early on Wednesday (US time), according to the updated advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Idalia is expected to inundate parts of Florida's Big Bend region with a "catastrophic" storm surge between 12 to 16 feet — higher than an average city bus, the agency said.
"There is the potential for destructive, life-threatening winds where the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Big Bend region," the hurricane centre said.  In its advisory, the National Hurricane Centre said, "Catastrophic impacts from storm surge inundation of 12 to 16 feet above ground level and destructive waves are expected somewhere between the Wakulla/Jefferson County line and Yankeetown, Florida. Life-threatening storm surge inundation is likely elsewhere along portions of the Florida Gulf Coast where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect. Residents in these areas should follow any advice given by local officials." "There is the potential for destructive life-threatening winds where the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Big Bend region of Florida, with hurricane conditions expected elsewhere in portions of the Hurricane Warning area along the Florida Gulf Coast. Strong winds will also spread inland across portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia near the track of the center of Idalia where Hurricane Warnings are in effect. Residents in these areas should be prepared for long-duration power outages. Damaging hurricane-force winds are possible in portions of eastern Georgia and southeastern South Carolina where Hurricane Watches are in effect," it added.  The Center also stated that the areas of flash, urban, and moderate river flooding, with locally considerable impacts, are expected across the Florida Big Bend, central Georgia and South Carolina, through eastern North Carolina into Thursday. The officials across Florida's west coast repeatedly pleaded with residents on Tuesday to evacuate the place immediately as the high water waves from the storm could prove deadly and the first responders would not be able to help until the storm passes.  “If you haven’t evacuated, you’re north of Fort Myers, you’re up into the central Gulf Coast, northern Big Bend area, if you have not evacuated, you need to do that right now. You need to drop what you’re doing, you need to go to your room, pack up, pack your things, and get to safety,” Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie warned Tuesday evening, according to CNN.  “There is great potential for death and catastrophic devastation,” the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office warned on Tuesday, saying coastal residents were ordered to evacuate. “Storm surge on the coastal regions are projected as non-survivable.” On the island city of Cedar Key, on the southern side of the Big Bend, Mayor Heath Davis urged residents under a mandatory evacuation order to leave immediately and said that this was the worst storm he had ever seen, as reported by CNN.  “This storm is worse than we’ve ever seen. My family has been here for many generations, we haven’t seen a storm this bad, ever,” he said Tuesday. All emergency services will stop Tuesday evening as winds pick up, the mayor said, adding he does not want to put employees’ lives in danger. Cedar Key could be cut off by the high storm surge, National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said. Looking at the intensity of the storm, various school across Florida have cancelled their classes as have 18 state colleges and six universities, including major institutions like the University of Florida in Gainesville and Florida State University in Tallahassee, Al Jazeera reported.&nbsp;
—ANI

Hurricane Idalia is forecast to be an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm when it makes landfall early on Wednesday (US time), according to the updated advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Idalia expected to make landfall as "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm

Bharuch: As heavy rainfall continued to batter Gujarat, the situation in Bharuch district has become challenging, leading to several road closures, including the Narmada bridge, and rescue operations that have helped save 105 people by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
The district administration declared the closure of the Narmada bridge over the river Narmada due to severe waterlogging on Monday. Commuters have been advised by the district collector's office to use National Highway 48 for travel between Bharuch and Ankleshwar.
In Ankleshwar, additional road closures have been announced, affecting local travel: Closure of the Amratpura approach road, Closure of the Juna Chhapra - Juna Kasiya NH road, Closure of the Ankleshwar Dudhiya mandir to Old NH road.
Furthermore, three other roads have been declared shut: Umalla - Asha - Panetha road, Bharuch - Shuklatirth - Zanor road and Tothidara - Tarsali road.
The NDRF has been actively involved in rescue efforts, saving 105 people stranded in low-lying areas of Bharuch district, specifically in Nikora Village. The collaborative operation between NDRF and civil administration relocated the stranded individuals to safety.
Meanwhile, the administration in the Narmada district has ordered the closure of schools and colleges on September 18 due to reports of flooding in many villages following the release of water from the Narmada Dam.
The situation remains grim as ten major dams, including Ukai, Damanganga, Kadana, and Bhadar, are nearing their overflowing marks.
Gujarat has already received nearly 90.8 per cent of its average annual rainfall with Kutch and Saurashtra recording 137 per cent and 111 per cent rainfall, respectively.
The regions of south, east-central, and north Gujarat have reported 85 per cent, 83 per cent, and 76 per cent of their average rainfall, as per data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC).
The release of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD), which reached its full reservoir level of 138.68 meters, has exacerbated flooding in low-lying areas of the Narmada district.
—IANS

As heavy rainfall continued to batter Gujarat, the situation in Bharuch district has become challenging, leading to several road closures

Narmada bridge closed, NDRF rescues 105 people in Gujarat's Bharuch

Nagpur: A woman was killed and hundreds of people were evacuated to safer places after a thunderous downpour since midnight of Friday-Saturday virtually submerged the state’s second capital Nagpur into a lake city, and the Indian Army was called for the rescue operations, officials said.
The torrential rains accompanied by thunder and lightning, poured over the city and surroundings, and many areas woke up to between one and four feet of waterlogging.
Thousands of citizens were left stranded in their homes or buildings, unable to step out as waters flooded the ground floors of housing complexes and in some areas power was switched off as a precaution, hitting even water supply.
A 70-year-old woman identified as Mirabai Pillay died in the flood waters and over 350 people in different parts were evacuated to safer locations.
Besides the Army, the SDRF, NDRF, Nagpur Police, fire brigade and other agencies were deployed in boats to help out the marooned people and take them to safer locations as intermittent rains continued to batter the city even on Saturday.
Some areas of the city which reported severe waterlogging included Shankar Nagar, Panchsheel Chowk, Sitabuldi, Ambazari, Kanchipura, Itwari, Lakadganj, Dharampeth, Mekosabaug, Sadar, Cotton Market and surroundings.
At least 50 girls stuck in a private hostel were rescued with ropes and shifted to a higher location, and some distressed families in buildings where two-three feet water seeped into their homes, were also moved out.
Hundreds of public and private vehicles all over the city were partly or fully submerged under water as drains, gutters, the Ambazari Lake and other water bodies flooded beyond the danger levels, with the waters gushing into the city.
As the rains assumed alarming proportions by 5 a.m., the city and district authorities ordered closure of all schools for the day to avoid inconveniencing the students.
The IMD has issued an alert for more heavy rains over the next 48 hours and urged people to exercise all precautions including moving out to safer spots with the help of the rescue agencies.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said in Mumbai that the government is constantly monitoring the flood situation in Nagpur while Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is likely to reach here this evening for a spot assessment of the scenario.
The IMD said that more than 100 mm rainfall was recorded in just four hours after midnight, which led to flooding the Nag River, and a local road bridge is reportedly washed away, stranding vehicular traffic in both directions.
—IANS

A woman was killed and hundreds of people were evacuated to safer places after a thunderous downpour since midnight of Friday-Saturday virtually submerged

1 killed, 350 evacuated as Nagpur turns into 'lake city' after heavy rains

Mumbai (Maharashtra): As many as 27 people including five children were rescued after a fire broke out at a housing society in Maharashtra's Mumbai on Saturday afternoon, officials said.  According to the information, the incident was reported at Ganesh Krupa Cooperative Housing Society, situated in the Girgaon area.  
The fire which originated on the third floor of the 14-storeyed building, spread to electric wiring and installations within an electric duct, said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials.&nbsp;
Thick smoke could be seen emanating from the building which prompted some of the residents to evacuate the building before the fire tenders arrived at the spot.  Upon the arrival of fire tenders, the fire was extinguished, and the power supply to the building was also cut off to contain the fire.  A total of 27 persons, including 17 Females, 5 Males, and 5 Children on various floors were safely rescued through the staircase at the terrace, said BMC officials.  The officials further informed that no injuries were reported in the incident.
—ANI

As many as 27 people including five children were rescued after a fire broke out at a housing society in Maharashtra's Mumbai

Maharashtra: Fire breaks out at housing society in Mumbai, 27 people rescued

Bhuntar (Himachal Pradesh): The Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuated a critical patient of the Indian Army in complete darkness in Himachal Pradesh's Bhuntar. The medical evacuation was carried out from a Mi-17 chopper of the force.
<div style="text-align:left;"><img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/iaf%201.webp" alt="The Indian Air Force" style="height: auto;width: auto"/></div>
"iAF helicopters #savinglives. Undterred by lack of lights in the area, a #Mi17 of @hqwaciaf, using #NVGs (Night Vision Goggles), evacuated a critical patient of @adgpi from Bhuntar in #Himachal yesterday night", the official tweeted. Earlier this year, the Indian Coast Guard carried out a mid-sea medical evacuation of a critically ill crew member aboard a foreign vessel off the Kerala coast amidst extreme weather conditions, a defense statement said.
—ANI

The Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuated a critical patient of the Indian Army in complete darkness in Himachal Pradesh's Bhuntar.

Himachal: Air Force evacuates critical patient in complete darkness

New Delhi (India): Many people, especially office-goers, were spotted rushing out of their workplaces after strong tremors from earthquakes epicentered in Nepal shook the national capital and adjoining areas. Two strong earthquakes of magnitudes 6.2 and 4.6 struck Nepal on Tuesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported, adding that the tremors were felt across large parts of India.
Video clips accessed by ANI from Lucknow and Dehradun showed harried employees milling outside their workplaces after the tremors struck. Similar clips circulating on social media showed people anxiously speaking over their phones, enquiring about the safety of their loved ones, relatives and friends. As soon as the tremors were felt in the national capital, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, along with other officials rushed out of Nirman Bhawan as seen in a video accessed by ANI.
<div style="text-align:left;"><img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/pan.webp" alt="Mansukh Mandaviya, along with other officials rushed" style="height: auto;width: auto"/></div>
Arvind Kejriwal posted on X, "Strong earthquake tremors have also been felt in Delhi. I hope you all are safe". "Hey, Delhi people! We hope you all are safe. Please come out of your buildings to a safe spot, but do not panic. DO NOT USE ELEVATORS! For any emergency help, dial 112," Delhi Police posted on X. At the ANI office in Delhi, the employees headed for the exit and gathered downstairs as the tremors struck. The two tremors were felt less than half an hour of each other. The first quake occured at 14:25:52 IST, followed by another at 14:51:04 IST. "Earthquake of Magnitude:4.6, Occurred on 03-10-2023, 14:25:52 IST, Lat: 29.37 &amp; Long: 81.22, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Nepal," the NCS posted on X. The depth of first quake (4.6 magnitude) was found to be 10 km whereas of the second (6.2 magnitude) was 5 km. While a few houses in Nepal were reported to be damaged in the tremors, there were no casualties at the time of filing this report.
—ANI

Many people, especially office-goers, were spotted rushing out of their workplaces after strong tremors from earthquakes epicentered in Nepal shook

People, office-goers rush out in panic as tremors from Nepal quakes strike large parts of India

Gangtok (Sikkim) [India]: As many as 23 army jawans have been reported missing after a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River of Lachen Valley due to a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, said officials. The Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) Guwahati informed about the incident on X and posted, "23 army personnel have been reported missing due to a flash flood that occurred in Teesta River in Lachen Valley after a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim."


<img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/s1.webp" alt="Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
Giving information about the outburst, the Gangtok District Administration said, "The flash flood made its way through River Teesta sweeping Indreni Bridge in Singtam town, some 30 kilometres from Gangtok. A connecting bridge of the Balutar hamlet was also swept away around 4 am."


<img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/s2.webp" alt="bridge of the Balutar hamlet" style="height: auto;width: auto"/>
South Lhonark lake, situated in North West Sikkim, had seen a cloud burst causing incessant monsoon rainfall during the early hours of Wednesday morning. The flowing flash flood made its way through River Teesta sweeping Indreni Bridge in Singtam town, some 30 kilometres from Gangtok informed Gangtok District Administration. Another connecting bridge of Balutar hamlet was also swept away around 4 am. As per information from Mangan District Administration, Chungthang town, some 90 kilometres north of Gangtok, houses the Teesta Stage 3 Dam. Upon high alert, the local residents have been evacuated in the area. "Similarly, the Teesta Stage 5 dam at Dikchu in Mangan district was opened up for water disbursement after a high alert. It is reported that the control room of the dam has been severely damaged," they informed. Many homes near the River Teesta, situated in Gangtok's Singtam have been evacuated. Additionally, temporary relief facilities have been established in the town's Singtam Senior Secondary School, added officials.
—ANI

As many as 23 army jawans have been reported missing after a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River of Lachen Valley due to a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak

Sikkim: 23 Army jawans missing due to flash flood in Teesta River of Lachen Valley

Gangtok (Sikkim): The South Lhonak Lake, situated in North West Sikkim experienced a glacial lake outburst and triggered flash floods due to incessant rainfall in the region on Wednesday morning. Areas near River Teesta have been put on high alert, said an official. According to the Legislator of Tumin–Lingee Assembly constituency, Sikkim, Ugyen Tshering Gyatso Bhutia, "The South Lhonak lake situated in North West Sikkim experienced an outburst in the early hours of Wednesday morning due to incessant monsoon rainfall. Areas near River Teesta have been put on high alert."
Giving information about the outburst, the Gangtok District Administration said, "The flash flood made its way through River Teesta sweeping Indreni Bridge in Singtam town, some 30 kilometres from Gangtok. A connecting bridge of the Balutar hamlet was also swept away around 4 am." So far, 23 army jawans have been reported missing. As per sources, army and paramilitary personnel, as well as labourers working in low-lying areas may have been swept by the flash flood taking the course of the river. As per information from Mangan District Administration, Chungthang town, some 90 kilometres north of Gangtok, houses the Teesta Stage 3 Dam. Upon high alert, the local residents have been evacuated in the area. "Similarly, the Teesta Stage 5 dam at Dikchu in Mangan district was opened up for water disbursement after a high alert. It is reported that the control room of the dam has been severely damaged," they informed. Many homes near the River Teesta, situated in Gangtok's Singtam have been evacuated. Additionally, temporary relief facilities have been established in the town's Singtam Senior Secondary School, added officials.
—ANI

The South Lhonak Lake, situated in North West Sikkim experienced a glacial lake outburst and triggered flash floods due to incessant rainfall in the region

South Lhonak Lake in North West Sikkim experiences lake outburst, triggers flash floods

Uttarkashi: The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association has offered assistance to the Indian rescue team engaged in the evacuation operation of 40 labourers trapped after a tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi. A portion of the tunnel that is being constructed between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway collapsed in the early hours of November 11 following a landslide, trapping 40 workers inside. Continuous operations have been going on in the area to rescue the labourers. Anshu Manish Khulko, the tunnel project director of National Highways &amp; Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), said that at present, teams from Norway and Thailand have been kept on standby for rescue operations. "The work of pipe pushing with the help of an auger machine is in progress to safely take out the workers trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel. So far, a distance of 24 metres of pipe has been laid inside the debris. To increase the retention capacity of the rescue operation, arrangements have also been made to airlift one more auger machine from Indore for backup so that the rescue operation continues uninterrupted," Khulko said while speaking to the media. Earlier, heavy auger drilling machines were airlifted from Delhi to ease rescue operations at war footing. Rescuers had prepared a platform for the auger drilling machine to insert large-diameter steel pipes into the debris-filled tunnel, which aimed to create a passage through which labourers could be brought out safely. "American augur machine is a highly advanced machine. Its work is going on in full swing. As per the latest update, four pipes have been inserted and the welding of a fifth one is underway. We can say that the auger machine is going well. If there are no hindrances by the debris, we will be able to make the tunnel and rescue them at the earliest," Uttarkashi SP Arpan Yaduvanshi said. "We can't give you a deadline as to when the operation will be complete but the technical workers are working hard round the clock and this will conclude at the earliest. All of them will be rescued," he added. There have been sporadic strikes outside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi as workers remain concerned over the delay in rescuing 40 workers who have been trapped inside after a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed. —ANI

The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association has offered assistance to the Indian rescue team engaged

International Tunnelling Association Offers Assistance To Rescue 40 Stranded Labourers

Tel Aviv: The World Health Organization (WHO) officials who have visited Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital said that the hospital has become a "death zone". WHO and other UN agencies that visited the hospital said that they are in the process of evacuating the patients there.  The Israeli army has said that Hamas operatives have to be evacuated from Al-Shifa hospital premises. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been maintaining that Al-Shifa hospital premises has been working as a command centre for Hamas and that an underground tunnel network is operated from this hospital premises even though the hospital authorities and Gaza's Ministry of Health vehemently denied it.  The Israeli army has also recovered the dead bodies of two women hostages near Al-Shifa hospital, indicating that the hospital premises was used as a place to keep the hostages kidnapped from Israel on October 7.  It may be noted that the IDF has said that it has recovered several arms and ammunition and military equipment from within the hospital as well as from nearby buildings.  The ground invasion that commenced on October 27 in retaliation to the massacre and mayhem of October 7 has led to more than 12,000 Palestinians losing their life. Several soldiers including senior officers were also killed on both sides.
—IANS

The World Health Organization (WHO) officials who have visited Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital said that the hospital has become a "death zone".

WHO visits Al-Shifa hospital, calls it 'death zone'

Dehradun (Uttarakhand): Preparations to evacuate the 41 workers trapped in the Silkayara tunnel in Uttarkashi since November 12 are in the final stage, the Uttrakhand Chief Minister's Office said in a press release. According to the CMO, preparations to evacuate the workers are in the final stages and the Chief Minister himself is present in Uttarkashi.
Meanwhile, medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday. According to officials, the workers are expected to be pulled out from the collapsed tunnel today. The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a Uttarakhand tunnel for the past 12 days is in its critical phase. As of midnight, rescue teams had said that about 10 metres of debris separated them from the trapped workers.  According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction. A 41-bed hospital readied at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for medical examination and care of trapped workers after they are evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Rescue workers said the workers would go through a detailed medical examination once they reached the hospital. Earlier in the night, NDRF personnel also carried oxygen cylinders at Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to assist in the ongoing rescue operation. The area of entrapment, measuring 8.5 meters in height and 2 kilometres in length, is the built-up portion of the tunnel, offering safety to the labourers with available electricity and water supply.
—ANI

Preparations to evacuate the 41 workers trapped in the Silkayara tunnel in Uttarkashi since November 12 are in the final stage

Tunnel collapse: Preparations to evacuate trapped workers in final stage, says CM

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand): Medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday.

<div style="text-align:left;"><img src="https://thehawk.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/r1.webp" alt="Medical equipment reached in Sikyara" style="height: auto;width: auto"/></div>

According to officials, the workers are expected to be pulled out from the collapsed tunnel today. The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a Uttarakhand tunnel for the past 12 days is in its critical phase. As of midnight, rescue teams had said that about 10 metres of debris separated them from the trapped workers. According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction. A 41-bed hospital readied at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for medical examination and care of trapped workers after they are evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Rescue workers said the workers would go through a detailed medical examination once they reached the hospital. Earlier in the night, NDRF personnel also carried oxygen cylinders at Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to assist in the ongoing rescue operation. The area of entrapment, measuring 8.5 meters in height and 2 kilometres in length, is the built-up portion of the tunnel, offering safety to the labourers with available electricity and water supply.
—ANI

Medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday.

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue operation at critical stage, medical equipment reach Silkyara site

Uttarkashi: Former adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe, has said the rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel here will conclude by Friday evening and hopefully 41 trapped workers will be evacuated.  "The drilling work resumed at 11.30 a.m. The situation now is better. On Thursday, we had to work on two things -- repairing a cracked platform for American Augur drilling machine and ground penetration radar work by Parsons company. With this work, we got to know there is no metal obstacle till five metres. When we were removing the debris, two pipes were found."  Drilling work was halted on Thursday night due to a steel pipe, and resumed after cutting and removing it.  Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is present on the rescue site since Wednesday evening. Dhami has been interacting with the trapped workers from time to time and assuring them of their safe evacuation.  Union Minister General V. K. Singh is in Uttarkashi since Thursday.  Relief and rescue work, which entered the 13th day, is being carried out by scientists, international experts, NDRF, SDRF, BRO on a war footing.  On November 12, an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi leaving 41 workers trapped.
—IANS

Former adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe, has said the rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel here will conclude by Friday evening

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Hope to rescue trapped workers by evening, says Bhaskar Khulbe

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuously in touch with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone and taking stock of the operation being carried out to rescue the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.  In a post on X in Hindi, Dhami said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is deeply concerned about the workers trapped in the Silkyara, Uttarkashi tunnel. The Prime Minister is taking detailed information daily about the well-being of the workers and the ongoing relief and rescue operations in the tunnel."  Dhami added, "Central agencies, the state administration, and teams of international experts are working on all possible options. We will soon be successful in evacuating the labourers safely.”  Modi has been calling Dhami regularly since November 12, when a section of the under-construction tunnel collapsed, and taking updates about the 41 trapped workers and their families.  The Prime Minister has instructed the Chief Minister to make arrangements for the health check-ups and medical care of the workers after their evacuation.
—IANS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuously in touch with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone and taking stock of the operation

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