Iranian airliner skids off runway, 17 dead
Teheran: An Iranian passenger plane skidded off the runway on Friday during its landing in northeast Iran and crashed, shredding the cockpit into a tangled mass of wreckage and killing 17 people, the state news agency said.
Television footage showed the plane, which was carrying 153 passengers, sitting at an angle, its tail awkwardly on the ground and the mangled front end pointing upward. The rest of the craft appeared largely intact.
It was the latest Iranian air disaster and came just over a week after another passenger plane nose-dived into the ground on July 15 shortly after take off, killing all 168 people aboard. Iran's aging fleet is plagued by maintenance problems, blamed on financial straits and US sanctions that make it harder for the country to get many types of spare parts.
The IRNA news agency reported on Friday that the tires failed on landing and it skidded into a wall, though no wall was visible in the footage. The Russian-made Ilyushin-62 plane from the privately owned Aria Airlines flew from the capital Tehran to the northeastern city of Mashhad, 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away.
Local official Ghahrman Rashid told the state news agency that another 20 people were injured in the crash and that all survivors had been evacuated from the scene.
Mumbai sees highest waves in 100 years
Mumbai: Sea water gushed onto roads near the Gateway of India, Marine Drive, Juhu and Worli among other places on Friday as India's financial capital was lashed by tidal waves 5.5 metres high, billed as the highest in 100 years.
There were no reports of casualties during the high tide brought about by a combination of the monsoon and the strong gravitational pull of the moon two days after new moon and the solar eclipse on Wednesday.
City authorities had issued advance warnings to people and evacuated thousands of residents from low-lying areas.
While the evacuation of people from coastal areas began on Wednesday, over 4,000 people were shifted to safer locations in view of the high tide on Friday itself, an official announcement said in the evening.
The residents returned home only after the sea water started receding by 1800 hrs.
Huge waves crashed onto the retaining walls at Nariman Point, Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Marine Drive, Haji Ali, Worli Seaface, Bandra Bandstand, Juhu, Versova, Marve, Gorai, Bhandup and Vikhroli.
Water surged over roads near Prabhadevi, Worli, Juhu, Bandra and Santacruz apart from the one near the Gateway of India just outside the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel.
Coastal areas near Mumbai, such as Thane, Bhayander, Uttan, Palghar, Boisar and Dahanu also experienced unusually high tides.
Water entered the slums in Worli, Cuffe Parade and a residential building in Santacruz, and finally receded by evening.
The high tide started at 1405 hrs and the waters were to ebb at 2009 hrs when it was to reach the lowest level of 0.77 metre, the weather bureau had said.
Thousands of office-goers took time off to view the majestic natural phenomenon at various points across the city, though from a safe distance and under the watchful eyes of the authorities.
People living in high-rise buildings facing the Arabian Sea crowded the balconies in neighbourhoods like Borivali, Kandivli, Malad, Goregaon, Andheri, Bandra, Mahim and south Mumbai.
Saturday will be another day of high tide when waves measuring 4.94 metres are expected to hit the city at 2.43 p.m., the weatherman added.
This has been a week of high tides. In the past two days, waves measuring 4.85 and 5.1 metres lashed Mumbai and the Konkan region.
Four US airline officials booked for frisking Kalam
New Delhi: The Government has filed an FIR against four employees of a US airline for frisking former Indian president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam at the Delhi airport on April 21.
Continental Airlines has apologized to Kalam for the incident. Kalam was made to take off his shoes, hand over his belongings for scrutiny, and asked to wait before being frisked.
The airlines called the incident a misunderstanding/inconvenience after the government filed an FIR against it for allegedly breaching Indian aviation rules. "Our intention was never to offend Dr Kalam or the sentiments of the people of India. Continental Airlines takes great pride and is honoured to have flown a respectable leader such as Dr Kalam," said the airlines on Wednesday.
FIR has been lodged against Laurent Recoura, country director, Allen Field, station manager of Continental, Cynthia Carlier, area security manager, and Jaideep, security in-charge.
Rajya Sabha MPs on Tuesday condemned the security check and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel called the incident “unpardonable”.
India has a list of VIPs exempted from routine security checks and frisking. This is applicable even when they are travelling by commercial flights.
The list includes 18 VIPs including the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, former Presidents, Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Ministers, Chief Justices of High Courts and the Cabinet Secretary.