The Indian Government on Thursday morning launched the &#39;Sankat Mochan&#39; operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. 
 
India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan&#39;s capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there, an exercise which is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. 
 
Singh had also supervised the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. 
 
An official advisory said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kilogram cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. 
 
Apart from Singh, Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), will also travel to Juba. 
 
India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. 
 
According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of which 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. 
 
(DNA)

India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there

The Indian Government on Thursday morning launched the 'Sankat Mochan' operation to evacuate Indian nationals from South Sudan. India sent two C-17 military transport aircraft to war torn South Sudan's capital city Juba to evacuate Indians stranded there, an exercise which is being led by Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. Singh had also supervised the evacuation of nearly 4,000 Indians from conflict-ridden Yemen last year. An official advisory said that only Indian nationals with valid Indian travel document will be allowed boarding with maximum five kilogram cabin baggage and no check-in pieces. It also said that women and children will be accommodated on priority. Apart from Singh, Amar Sinha, Secretary (Economic Relations), will also travel to Juba. India has been closely monitoring developments in South Sudan, which is witnessing heavy fighting between former rebels and government soldiers in several parts of the city. A task force has been set up for the purpose. According to the ministry, there are around 600 Indians in South Sudan, of which 450 are in Juba and nearly 150 are outside the capital. (DNA)

India launches operation to rescue nationals from South Sudan

Nineteen Myanmar human trafficking victims have been rescued in Thailand, state media and an activist group said today, a rare policing success against criminal networks that dominate the region. 
 
The group were discovered by Thai police locked up on an Indonesian-flagged fishing vessel off the coast of Thailand&#39;s southern Pattani district on Sunday, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported. 
 
The raid was launched after the families of some of those on board managed to alert the Myanmar Association in Thailand, a local support group, about their plight. 
 
Kyaw Thaung, director of the association, told AFP that the victims, some of whom were as young as 13, were lured with the promise of work in Bangkok but instead found themselves locked on the fishing vessel. 
 
&quot;A police force raided the fishing boat to Indonesia and found 19 Burmese workers there,&quot; he said. &quot;They had been there about 10 days already.&quot; 
 
A Burmese broker was arrested at the scene, he added.&nbsp; 
 
Thai police did not respond to requests for comment but a source at Myanmar&#39;s human trafficking police division in Naypyidaw confirmed to AFP that the raid rescued 19 citizens.&nbsp; 
 
Drawn by the lure of comparatively higher wages, millions of Myanmar&#39;s poor work inside Thailand, often in unregulated industries where they routinely face exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous employers. 
 
The kingdom had long been a human trafficking hub, aided by officials who either turned a blind eye or were complicit in the grim but lucrative trade. 
 
Since seizing power in 2014, Thailand&#39;s junta government has tried to clean up the country&#39;s image, launching a crackdown last year against human traffickers with some success. 
 
It has also tried to reform the country&#39;s multi-billion-dollar fishing sector, which has long been accused of using widespread slave labour. 
 
But Sunday&#39;s raid suggests criminal networks are still finding ways to traffic or press-gang vulnerable migrant workers. 
 
(AFP)

This is a rare police success in this trafficking hub, where officials can turn a blind eye or are complicit in the grim, lucrative trade

Nineteen Myanmar human trafficking victims have been rescued in Thailand, state media and an activist group said today, a rare policing success against criminal networks that dominate the region. The group were discovered by Thai police locked up on an Indonesian-flagged fishing vessel off the coast of Thailand's southern Pattani district on Sunday, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported. The raid was launched after the families of some of those on board managed to alert the Myanmar Association in Thailand, a local support group, about their plight. Kyaw Thaung, director of the association, told AFP that the victims, some of whom were as young as 13, were lured with the promise of work in Bangkok but instead found themselves locked on the fishing vessel. "A police force raided the fishing boat to Indonesia and found 19 Burmese workers there," he said. "They had been there about 10 days already." A Burmese broker was arrested at the scene, he added. Thai police did not respond to requests for comment but a source at Myanmar's human trafficking police division in Naypyidaw confirmed to AFP that the raid rescued 19 citizens. Drawn by the lure of comparatively higher wages, millions of Myanmar's poor work inside Thailand, often in unregulated industries where they routinely face exploitation and abuse by unscrupulous employers. The kingdom had long been a human trafficking hub, aided by officials who either turned a blind eye or were complicit in the grim but lucrative trade. Since seizing power in 2014, Thailand's junta government has tried to clean up the country's image, launching a crackdown last year against human traffickers with some success. It has also tried to reform the country's multi-billion-dollar fishing sector, which has long been accused of using widespread slave labour. But Sunday's raid suggests criminal networks are still finding ways to traffic or press-gang vulnerable migrant workers. (AFP)

19 Myanmar human trafficking victims rescued in Thailand

Rescue operations were underway in India&#39;s northern&nbsp;Uttarakhand&nbsp;state today as many people were feared trapped under debris after heavy rainfall caused havoc.
According to reports, Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts were inundated after the cloudburst, causing severe problems to the people.

Large tracts of agriculture fields have been destroyed in Suva village of the Dharchula area and three bridges linking the village have been washed away.

The Chief Minister of&nbsp;Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat, said that official teams had been dispatched to carry out search and rescue operations to find those missing.

Rawat also told reporters there were reports of further bad weather from other regions in India.

&quot;We have reports of disaster from Chamoli district too. There is heavy rainfall in Bageshwar, Uttarkashi and some other areas as well,&quot; said Rawat.

Rawat announced a compensation of 200,000 Indian rupees (about $2,968) would be given to the relatives of the deceased.

Over 54 millimetres of rain was recorded here in the last 24-hours. The Thal-Munsyari road has been cut-off and dozens of vehicles remained stranded on both sides.

The Yamunotri highway, near Kharadi, has also been damaged leading to traffic being halted.

Entry of heavy vehicles was halted on the Kedarnath highway after a landslide at Gangolgaon.

All major rivers in the hilly tracts have swollen. 
 
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rain at isolated places especially in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts of Uttarakhand.

The weather department has also issued a warning alert of heavy to very heavy rain at few places in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat, Almora, Pauri, Haridwar, Dehradun and Tehri districts during the next 72 hours starting from today.

Keeping in view of the alert, all District Administrations have been asked to take precautionary measures.

Director of the state Meteorological&nbsp;Department Vikram Singh has said that a low pressure line between the Bay of Bengal and Punjab is triggering the rains, and the western disturbance is also moving and it will approach Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir in the next two to three days. 
 
(With inputs from Agencies and Zee News)

Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts were inundated after the cloudburst as rains destroy bridges and agricultural fields

Rescue operations were underway in India's northern Uttarakhand state today as many people were feared trapped under debris after heavy rainfall caused havoc. According to reports, Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts were inundated after the cloudburst, causing severe problems to the people. Large tracts of agriculture fields have been destroyed in Suva village of the Dharchula area and three bridges linking the village have been washed away. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat, said that official teams had been dispatched to carry out search and rescue operations to find those missing. Rawat also told reporters there were reports of further bad weather from other regions in India. "We have reports of disaster from Chamoli district too. There is heavy rainfall in Bageshwar, Uttarkashi and some other areas as well," said Rawat. Rawat announced a compensation of 200,000 Indian rupees (about $2,968) would be given to the relatives of the deceased. Over 54 millimetres of rain was recorded here in the last 24-hours. The Thal-Munsyari road has been cut-off and dozens of vehicles remained stranded on both sides. The Yamunotri highway, near Kharadi, has also been damaged leading to traffic being halted. Entry of heavy vehicles was halted on the Kedarnath highway after a landslide at Gangolgaon. All major rivers in the hilly tracts have swollen. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rain at isolated places especially in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts of Uttarakhand. The weather department has also issued a warning alert of heavy to very heavy rain at few places in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat, Almora, Pauri, Haridwar, Dehradun and Tehri districts during the next 72 hours starting from today. Keeping in view of the alert, all District Administrations have been asked to take precautionary measures. Director of the state Meteorological Department Vikram Singh has said that a low pressure line between the Bay of Bengal and Punjab is triggering the rains, and the western disturbance is also moving and it will approach Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir in the next two to three days. (With inputs from Agencies and Zee News)

Rescue operations underway in northern India as more than 30 believed dead in flash floods

rescue

Rescue, News on Rescue, stories on Rescue, articles on Rescue, Rescue stories at Wion, Rescue news, Rescue latest news