NEW DELHI: Sekurang-kurangnya 10 maut dan 40 lagi cedera selepas dandang dalam loji jana kuasa meletup di Chhattisgarh, tengah India, menurut beberapa laporan media tempatan.

Letupan berlaku di loji tenaga milik Vedanta di Kampung Singhitarai dalam Daerah Sakti, kira-kira 228 kilometer timur laut Raipur, ibu negeri Chhattisgarh.

"Sepuluh orang maut, lebih 40 lagi cedera dalam satu letupan di loji jana kuasa di Daerah Sakti, Chhattisgarh pada Selasa," lapor saluran berita televisyen tempatan NDTV yang memetik pihak polis.

Menurut saluran itu, beberapa pekerja dikhuatiri masih terperangkap di lokasi kejadian. Mangsa yang cedera dibawa ke hospital berhampiran untuk rawatan.

Menurut pegawai kerajaan tempatan, sebahagian mangsa yang cedera berada dalam keadaan kritikal.

Sejurus selepas letupan, pihak berkuasa mengerahkan anggota polis, bomba dan penyelamat, kesihatan serta jabatan pengurusan bencana ke lokasi bagi menjalankan operasi menyelamat.

Maklumat awal menunjukkan letupan berlaku pada tiub dandang di loji kira-kira jam 2.30 petang (waktu tempatan) ketika pekerja sedang berehat makan tengah hari.

Rakaman televisyen menunjukkan kepulan asap tebal keluar dari loji berkenaan.

Letupan sering berlaku di kilang di India kerana pemilik kerap mengabaikan piawaian keselamatan.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 struck the Bali Sea at 10:10 am today, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has reported.

The epicentre of the quake was located 111 kilometres north of Mataram, Indonesia, at a depth of 474 kilometres.

MetMalaysia confirmed that the earthquake poses no tsunami threat to Malaysia.

MIRI, 15 Apr: Cuaca panas dan kering berterusan meningkatkan risiko kebakaran belukar dan hutan di sekitar Kampung Luak, sekali gus mendorong pemantauan rapi oleh Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (APM) Daerah Miri.

Pegawai Pertahanan Awam Daerah Miri, Mejar (PA) Bonnie Madisun berkata pasukan APM telah digerakkan ke lokasi bagi menjalankan pemantauan di kawasan berisiko.

“Pasukan bergerak ke lokasi pada jam 7.40 malam bagi melakukan pemantauan susulan keadaan cuaca panas dan kering yang berterusan.

“Hasil pemantauan mendapati kawasan tersebut masih berapi dan diselubungi asap tebal,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan, pada Selasa.

Beliau memaklumkan kerja pemadaman sedang dilaksanakan oleh pihak Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) Miri dengan bantuan anggota APM yang membentangkan hos di lokasi kejadian.

Menurutnya, keadaan cuaca semasa ketika Monsun Barat Daya menjadi antara faktor utama peningkatan risiko kebakaran di kawasan belukar dan hutan.

Sehubungan itu, APM menasihatkan orang awam agar tidak melakukan pembakaran terbuka bagi mengelakkan kejadian sama berulang serta memastikan keselamatan persekitaran.

“Orang ramai dinasihatkan supaya tidak melakukan sebarang pembakaran terbuka terutama dalam keadaan cuaca panas dan kering,” jelasnya.

Terdahulu, kawasan Pulau Melayu turut dilaporkan mengalami kebakaran belukar pada hari yang sama. – TVS

CHUKAI, April 15 — The Teluk Kalong beach here has been polluted with oil slicks believed to be remnants of oil from ships anchored not far from the beach since Monday.

Fisherman Nazri Said, 52, said he became aware of the pollution after seeing an oil slick two kilometres off the coast when he wanted to go out fishing at 4 am that day.

He said he also found dozens of dead fish and squid floating in the sea near the beach.

“I was shocked when I stepped on the oil residue when approaching my boat to go out to sea to catch fish.

“The stain is believed to be semi-solid lubricating oil or grease that was dumped from ships anchored near this beach,” he said when met by reporters here today.

Another fisherman Mohamad Hasnam Khalid, 55, said that the stain, believed to be oil residue, had never occurred on the beach before.

“Coastal fishermen in this area complained when their catch was spoiled after the area was contaminated by the stain,” he said.

Meanwhile, Terengganu Department of Environment (DOE) director Hamzah Mohamad in a statement today said that his party received a report on the pollution in the three-kilometre coastal area last Monday.

“Seawater and sand samples were taken at the scene and sent to the Malaysian Department of Chemistry for analysis.

“The Department of Marine Affairs has also contacted the Kemaman Branch of the Malaysian Marine Department to obtain a list of ships anchored around Teluk Kalong beach for further investigation and investigations were also carried out at the Kemaman Port reclamation project site located nearby,” he said.

He said the oil spill cleanup work would be carried out soon involving various agencies and coordinated by the Kemaman Municipal Council. — Bernama