Death toll from flash floods in Spain climb to 158, among Europe's worst storm-related disasters | Top News of Nov 1, 2024

[00:00:09] Hello, this is your Daily Dose of News from Onmanorama. I'm your host Vishnu and these are the major news stories of Friday, Nov 1, 2024.

[00:00:19] The death toll from the devastating flash floods in eastern Spain climbed to 158, with rescue teams still searching for those missing in what could become Europe's worst storm-related disaster in over five decades.

[00:00:33] Kolkata police arrested 601 people for bursting banned firecrackers in disorderly conduct in the last 24 hours till Friday morning, while the Delhi Fire Services received over 300 fire hazard calls on Diwali, which is the highest in the past 13 years.

[00:00:49] Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip and Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, a day after U.S. envoys made a renewed diplomatic push to end over a year of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

[00:01:02] Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Chairman Vivek Dabrooy, passed away on Friday.

[00:01:08] Kerala Governor Arif Mohamed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayvijan were among those who extended their wishes to the people of Kerala on the state's 68th Formation Day, known as Kerala Piravi.

[00:01:18] Let's get into the details.

[00:01:21] The death toll from the devastating flash floods in eastern Spain climbed to 158 on Thursday, with rescue teams still searching for those missing in what could become Europe's worst storm-related disaster.

[00:01:33] A year's worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region on Tuesday.

[00:01:38] Many streets are still blocked by piled-up vehicles and debris, in some cases trapping residents in their homes.

[00:01:44] Some places still don't have electricity, running water or stable telephone connections.

[00:01:48] Residents turn to media to appeal for help.

[00:01:51] The floods have battered Valencia's infrastructure, sweeping away bridges, roads and rail tracks, and submerged farmland in a region that produces about two-thirds of Spain's citrus crops like oranges, which the country exports globally.

[00:02:03] The tragedy is already Spain's worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and meteorologists say human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.

[00:02:14] In 2021, at least 185 people died in heavy flooding in Germany.

[00:02:19] Prior to that, 209 people died in Romania in 1970, and floods in Portugal in 1967 killed nearly 500 people.

[00:02:29] Kolkata police arrested 601 people for bursting banned firecrackers and disorderly conduct in the last 24 hours till Friday morning.

[00:02:36] The police also seized over 700 kg of banned firecrackers, 79.4 litres of liquor, and prosecuted over 800 people for violating traffic rules from different parts of the city during the period.

[00:02:47] Kali Puja and Diwali were celebrated in West Bengal on Thursday with colorful lights and decorated pandals creating a festive spirit across the state.

[00:02:56] The Kolkata traffic police prosecuted 296 bikers and 93 billion riders who were riding without helmet, 93 for rash driving, 90 for drunken driving, and 196 others.

[00:03:07] Meanwhile, the Delhi Fire Services experienced a surge in fire-related calls this Diwali with more than 300 such incidents reported across the city, which is the highest in the past 13 years, an official said on Friday.

[00:03:18] According to officials, the increase is attributed to the extensive use of firecrackers.

[00:03:23] The Delhi Fire Services, which had ramped up its readiness for the festival by deploying fire engines and personnel across the city, reported that most calls were received between 5 p.m. on October 31st and 5 a.m. on November 1st.

[00:03:35] The relentless bursting of firecrackers through the night blanketed Delhi in dense smoke, causing severe noise pollution and reducing visibility, as residents defied the ban on firecrackers and celebrated Diwali on Thursday.

[00:03:47] In an effort to compact the annual spike in pollution, the Delhi government had enforced a comprehensive ban on firecrackers for the fifth consecutive year, prohibiting their manufacture, storage, sale, and use.

[00:03:59] Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip and Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday, a day after U.S. envoys made a renewed but so-far fruitless diplomatic push to end more than a year of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

[00:04:12] Overnight, 47 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured in Israeli strikes on the city of Deir al-Bala, the Nusayrath camp, and the town of Al-Zawaiida in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported.

[00:04:25] The Israeli military said its troops had killed what it called armed terrorists in central Gaza and northern Gaza's Jabaliyah area.

[00:04:32] Israel also pummeled Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday morning with at least 10 strikes, Reuters journalists said.

[00:04:38] It was the first bombardment on the area, once a densely packed district and Hezbollah stronghold, in nearly a week.

[00:04:44] The strikes came after Israel issued evacuation orders for 10 separate neighborhoods.

[00:04:48] The attacks began before the final series of orders were published.

[00:04:52] Israel has pressed on with its military offensives and devastated Gaza and Lebanon despite efforts by Washington to secure ceasefires on both fronts ahead of the U.S. presidential election next Tuesday.

[00:05:02] The hostilities have whittled away any hope a truce could be reached before next week.

[00:05:07] Economic advisory council to the Prime Minister, Chairman Vivek De Bruy, passed away on Friday.

[00:05:12] He was admitted to Ames on Thursday night with subacute intestinal obstruction.

[00:05:17] He also suffered from hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

[00:05:20] Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled De Bruy's passing and called him a tabbing scholar.

[00:05:25] In recognition of his contributions, De Bruy received the Padmasri Award in 2015.

[00:05:29] He had worked in Presidency College, Kolkata, Ghoekale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi,

[00:05:36] and also as the director of a Ministry of Finance, UNDP project on legal reforms.

[00:05:41] He was also a member of Nitya Aayog up to June 5, 2019.

[00:05:45] He authored and edited several books, papers, and popular articles and had also been a consulting editor with several newspapers.

[00:05:53] Kerala Governor Arif Mohamad Khan, Chief Minister Pernar Iwajian, and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday

[00:05:59] extended wishes to the people of the state and Keralites worldwide on the state's 68th formation day known as Kerala Piravi.

[00:06:05] Governor Khan in a video message on Facebook said that since its formation, Kerala has embraced a unique developmental journey

[00:06:11] marked by enviable high human developmental indices and remarkable progress in literacy, healthcare, and quality of life.

[00:06:19] He also said that the state blends natural beauty with a commitment to social welfare and sustainability.

[00:06:24] Pernar Iwajian, in a Facebook post, said Kerala has always upheld the values of democracy, secularism, and social justice

[00:06:31] and has grown into a model for the entire country in terms of quality of life and people's welfare.

[00:06:36] He also said that the relevance of Kerala Piravi increases in the current circumstances

[00:06:40] where communal forces are trying to weaken the achievements of the state.

[00:06:45] That brings us to the end of this episode.

[00:06:47] Thanks for listening to Daily News Tours.

[00:06:49] Hosted and produced by me, Vishnu Murlidharin.

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