Indian Ocean In high Sea!

While it's easy to search something from Google Earth or Tom-nod in real-time and tag to look-up, which definitely will get you millions of likes and comment on your this achievement, but how hard is it to track those tags physically. The Deep Sea Search operations is whole new mouse and Keyboard trick, one could crack insensitive jokes, and speculate conspiracy theories sitting in front of a computer, the real heroes are the ones who have braved of nature to carry out the search operation browsing and overcoming the waves in Indian Ocean. 

We’ve all been tracking news of the Malaysian aircraft that went missing after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8. While no confirmed sightings have been made since, the Malaysian Prime Minister confirmed on March 24th that the jet crashed into the Indian Ocean and lost all lives On Board. 

My prayers and condolence to all on board lives that were lost on MH370 and to their families.

Earthquake in Sikkim 42 dead across India.

Gangtok:  At least 42 people have died in India, most of them in Sikkim, others in neighbouring Bihar and West Bengal. The earthquake, which measured 6.8 on the Richter Scale and was centred on the Sikkim-Nepal border 64 kilometres north-west of Gangtok, is the region's worst in 60 years. Among the toughest parts of the recovery is the operation to re-open National Highway 31A which connects Sikkim to the rest of the country, and is needed to bring in food and other supplies.

At a hospital in Siliguri, a man being moved on a stretcher says he wants to share his story. "I was driving in my car," he said, "and suddenly there was this jolt. The windshield shattered, pieces of glass were flung at us, and our car started swerving." 12 people have also died in Nepal and Tibet, pushing the death toll to 54. Indian Home Secretary RK Singh said that number may rise as rescue and relief operations progress. Heavy rain in the area caused landslides through the night and much of today, making it tough for doctors and others to reach the Western and Southern districts in Sikkim. Nine helicopters are being used to airdrop food and other supplies to areas like Siliguri. A breakthrough came late this afternoon when the Army was able to clear a crucial road from Siliguri in West Bengal to Gangtok. More than 5000 Army jawans are being used to provide assistance to those affected. 2000 people have taken shelter at Army camps.

In Sikkim's capital, Gangtok, the devastation seems absolute. More than 100,000 buildings have been severely damaged. Government offices and hospitals have been left unusable. The Chief Minister cannot use his office. Water and power supply remain erratic; phone towers have been hit, making communication tough. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is headed to Darjeeling, said that her priority is to ensure that National Highways 31A and 55, damaged by landslides, are repaired urgently so that food and other supplies can be transported. Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua reported that at least seven persons have been killed and 22 others injured in Tibet.Meanwhile, a seismic observatory in Shillong said that an earthquake of 4.3 magnitude on the Richter scale shook parts of Meghalaya today.

Many injured in north Bengal, power supply disrupted.

North Bengal Affairs Minister Gautam Deb said the quake triggered landslides in Kalimpong and Kurseong sub-divisions while several patients in a nursing home in Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district were injured. Many people were injured, power supply was disrupted in parts of northern West Bengal and houses developed cracks as a powerul quake, epicentred in adjoining Sikkim, rocked the region Sunday evening. 'One sub-station has been affected in Siliguri, disrupting power supply. Most of the areas of north Bengal, including Darjeeling district, have been lashed by overnight rains. After the quake, situation has deteriorated with landslides in Kalimpong and Kurseong,' Deb said. 'The impact was more in Cooch Behar district. Jalpaiguri district has also been hit,' he said shortly after an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale with its epicentre near the Sikkim-Nepal border hit the state Sunday evening,The Darjeeling district magistrate has been asked to go to the spot to see the situation first hand, the chief minister said. 'The DM of Darjeeling is already on the field assessing the situation but he may not be able to assess the whole situation right now as it is very dark out there. As Darjeeling and Kalimpong are close to the epicentre, that's why it is a bit affected as per initial reports,' Banerjee said.'But there is nothing to panic. The administration is on high alert,' she said. She said she could not contact officials of Jalpaiguri district.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that as per initial reports, power supply has been disrupted in areas near Sikkim like Kalimpong of Darjeeling district, and adjoining Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts. 
'Some houses may have developed cracks in the hills, but we are still awaiting confirmation. We are constantly monitoring the situation. If anybody is trapped, then we should all work together to rescue such people. We will help each other,' she said.
The chief minister said an emergency helpline (03322145486) has been started at the director general of police control room at the state secretariat, Writers' Buildings, in Kolkata.
Weather officials warned of more landslides in the Darjeeling hills following heavy rains.
Panic gripped Kolkata, where Durga Puja shopping was at its peak.'It was very frightful. I never had such an experience. There was an announcement on the public address system to evacuate the floor. I and my sons managed to come out fast. But there was lot of commotion at the exit gate,' said a man in his late 30s who had come to a shopping mall with his two sons.
'Due to heavy rainfall in Darjeeling hills, there are chances of landslides following the earthquake. There may also be aftershocks,' said G.C. Debnath, director of Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.
Shopping malls were evacuated, people rushed to the streets, and the superstitious people blew conches to ward off evil spirit.

Severe earthquake rocks Sikkim, 20 killed.

 An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the richter scale hit North India on Sunday and the epicentre was 64 km from Gangtok in Sikkim at 6:10 pm, causing damages in the area. Mild tremors were felt in Delhi and other parts of North India. Tremors were felt in Patna, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal also.

Reports said that tremors were felt for almost 30 seconds. People in most parts of North and East India rushed out of their homes in panic.

Aftershocks measuring 6.1 and 5.3 on the richter scale were also felt around Sikkim 20 minutes after the earthquake.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, the DGP of Sikkim said that many buildings were damaged. He also said that roads were blocked and people were stranded on roads. He said that the Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has called for an emergency meeting.

Arvind Kumar, Principal Resident Commissioner of Sikkim said that there was excessive damage in the northern parts of Sikkim. He also said that the rescue operations had started in the area.

The Chief Secretary of Sikkim Karma Gyatso said that there were reports suggesting that one child succumbed to injuries after the earthquake.

There were intermittent power outages.

There were also reports of landslides following the earthquake in areas around Sikkim and also Darjeeling.

The Prime Minister also spoke to the Sikkim Chief Minister and offered all help. The Prime Minister also directed the Cabinet Secretary to call for an emergency meeting.

There were reports of damages from Bihar. Two buildings collapsed in Katihar in Bihar. The NTPC power plant in Kahalgaon in Bihar has also been shut down because of the earthquake following which North Bihar was under power crisis. One person reportedly died in Bihar in a stampede following the Earthquake.

Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi who was staying in a hotel in Bhutan said that there were minor cracks in the hotel.

RS Dattatreya, Director, Seismology in the Met Department said that there were possibility of aftershocks only in the area around the epicentre.

Earthquake News: At least 18 people have been killed - seven in India and five in Nepal - after an earthquake measuring 6.8.

New Delhi:  At least 18 people have been killed, 13 in India and five in Nepal, and over 100 are injured after an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale shook Sikkim this evening. Strong tremors were also felt in parts of North and East India and parts of Bangladesh and Nepal, causing widespread panic. The epicentre of the quake is said to be just 64 kilometres North-West of Gangtok. (First Pictures)

Seven people, including two Armymen, were killed in Sikkim and 33 others received injuries there. In Bihar, a seven-year-old girl was among two dead. Four more died in West Bengal. Of the five people killed in Nepal, three casualties were reported from Kathmandu, where the British embassy collapsed and smashed a car. Tremors were felt in Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata, New Delhi and the National Capital Region, which sent thousands of people running out of their homes. (Forum: Did you feel the tremors?)

Three aftershocks, of magnitude 5.7, 5.1 and 4.6 were also felt in Sikkim, says the India Meteorological Department. (Buzz on Twitter)

Many buildings in Sikkim developed cracks, including the Sikkim Manipal University building.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has launched search and rescue operations in the Pegong area of north Sikkim which has been "badly affected." The ITBP rescued 15 foreign tourists and 150 villagers in their operations. They have been moved to battalion headquarters. Rescue operations are, however, being hampered by heavy rainfall and landslides. (Read: ITBP rescue 15 tourists, 150 villagers)

Apart from five civilians, two Army personnel have also died in Sikkim. There has also been extensive damage to Army structures in North Sikkim. One Army bus and several Army vehicles are also missing in the region. Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been rushed to Sikkim and five more teams were being sent from Kolkata, Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth told reporters after a meeting of top officials in Delhi convened on the direction of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The PM has also spoken to Sikkim's Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and offered help. (Read: PM orders meeting of disaster authority)    

10 engineer columns are moving from Siliguri to clear the four blockages in the Siliguri-Gangtok route. Large amount of civilians have been accommodated in Kalimpong in West Bengal and other places in Sikkim. There is no electricity in Gangtok and Darjeeling. Telephone lines have also snapped in some parts of Sikkim; phone lines are congested in West Bengal. (Read: Many hurt in Bengal, power supply disrupted)

Five Indian Air Force planes have also been pressed into action for relief operations. Small Army columns in Sikkim have also been mobilised post the earthquake. The quake comes just days after an earthquake of 4.2 magnitude hit Haryana's Sonepat district, sending tremors in New Delhi. (Read: Sikkim quake is India's fourth this September)

Petrol price hike was decision of oil marketing firms: Pranab.

Amid resentment over the sharp hike in petrol prices, the Government today distanced itself from the decision saying the call was taken by oil marketing firms. "So far as petrol price is concerned, petrol has been deregulated. It is the oil marketing companies' review," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said when asked about the Rs 3.14 per litre hike.


He was talking to reporters after launching Land of Two Rivers, a book written by Nitish Sengupta in New Delhi.  Yesterday the state-owned oil companies hiked petrol prices stating that depreciation of Rupee increased the cost of crude oil imports. This is the second major hike in four months. In May, petrol price was increased by Rs 5 per litre. While the UPA ally Trinamool Congress has already demanded a rollback in the hike, CPI(M) termed it as "callous" and demanded restoration of the administrative regulation of petrol pricing.   The CPI(M) said that the petrol price hike comes at a time when inflation is touching double digits and this would only have a cascading effect on price rise. The RBI in its monetary policy today said that the petrol price hike would push WPI inflation up by 7 basis points. Petrol prices were freed from government control in June last year.

BJP slams govt over fuel price hike, threatens protest.

New Delhi:  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today joined the growing chorus of political outrage over the latest hike in fuel prices. Slamming the government over move, the BJP - the main opposition party - threatened to take to the streets to protest against the hike, saying it would force the government for a rollback in prices. It also rejected the government's argument of the fuel price hike being related to the fall in rupee, saying that it was faulty financial policies of the Centre that was responsible for this move.

"Congress is angry with the common man...that is why the hike", BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said. The party also exhorted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to use her clout in getting the government to reverse its decision.

Ms Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress, incidentally has expressed its unhappiness after petrol prices were increases by Rs. 3.14 a litre yesterday. Senior party leader and cabinet minister Dinesh Trivedi said his party was "very upset" but that "the alliance with the UPA is not in trouble, this is a democratic way of expressing dissent." Other allies of the Congress, including the DMK and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too have criticised the move.With the fuel issue still raging, an impending ministerial meeting to consider making cooking gas more expensive for households had to be called off today.