9 dead in Japan chopper crash
Tokyo, Aug 11 : A Japanese government helicopter has crashed in the mountains of Gunma. All nine crew members on board have been confirmed dead, police said on Saturday.
Two of the crew members were declared dead on Friday just after the crash, while seven more were confirmed dead on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the authorities, the helicopter -- part of the regional disaster prevention team -- was out to observe a hiking trail, which spans Gunma, Nagano and Niigata prefectures, when contact with the air traffic control was lost around 10 a.m. on Friday.
It was being flown by an experienced pilot who had logged many flying hours. The transport ministry said the Bell 412EP helicopter had begun operations in May 1997, clocking up around 7,000 flight hours.
The same model of helicopter crashed in March 2017 killing all nine occupants and again in November that year killing four people aboard.
A Transport Safety Board investigation is on.
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Kerala govt to declare as ''dead'' people missing in Wayanad landslide
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 15 (PTI): The Kerala government has decided to declare as ‘deceased’ the people who went missing in the devastating landslide in Wayanad last year which will help provide compensation to their families.
The decision comes as a huge relief to the kin of people who were reported missing in the disaster.
As per a government order issued on Tuesday, local, district and state level committees will be formed including revenue department officials to examine the list of missing people.
The local level committee includes the panchayat secretary, village officer and station house officer of respective police stations. The committee will prepare a list of missing people and submit it to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for scrutiny.
The DDMA will examine the list and forward it to the state-level committee with its suggestions. The state level committee, comprising additional chief secretary (home) and principal secretaries of revenue and local self-government, will examine the list and forward it to the government, the order said.
The government will subsequently issue an order declaring them as dead and providing ex-gratia to their close relatives.
According to official record, 263 people were dead and 35 people were reported missing in the landslides that occurred on July 30 last year. The order directs the local level committee to closely examine the FIRs filed in connection with the missing people in the respective police stations.
The tahsildar or sub-divisional magistrate should conduct a detailed enquiry about the missing person and the findings will be published on the official website and government gazette.
A 30-day period will be given for filing any objections, after which the list of missing people will be published and death certificates issued to their immediate relatives, the order said.
