Transport Ministry Estimated The Damage Done Due To Train Collision Yesterday As Rs.75 Million

The Transport Ministry has estimated that Rs.75 million worth damage done due to the Train Collision occurred in Alwwa yesterday(17).

According to the Ministry the Special Committee appointed to investigate on cause of the Collision still not reached definite conclusion in regard the Accident.However special attention has been forward towards the way which the Railway Control Room and the Signalling System operated at that time Ministry sources added.

Five Passengers were killed and more than Thirty got injured when Three Trains collided each other at Alwwa last evening.A Thai Buddhist Monk,Train Driver,Assistant Driver and a Railway Worker were among the deceased.

Foreign Passenger Died And More Than 30 got Injured Due To A Train Collision At Alawwa

One Person was killed and more than 30 injured  due to a collision of Three Trains  at Alawwa  this evening.The injured were rushed  to the Alawwa Hospital and around 15 seriously injured persons were transferred to the Kurunagala Teaching Hospital according to the sources.

The dead person identified as a Foreigner who was in the Kandy Bound Train which is one of the collided Trains.Few other Foreigners in side the Trains were too got injured due to the accident.The accident was occurred when the Rambukkana bound train from Colombo had stopped  near Alawwa for a repair  and it was being pushed towards Polgahawela by the Colombo-Kandy Intercity Express which arrived from the same rail way track. Afterweards A Polgahawela bound power set from Colombo had arrived on the same track and crashed on to the rear of the Intercity Express, causing severe damage to the Observation Saloon .

Meanwhile The Railway Authorities have appointed a special committee  to investigate  the incident.

FOREIGN -Out Of Use 6 Tonne NASA Sattellite To Hit On Earth By Next Week -NASA

NASA has announced that an out of use 6 tonne NASA Science Satellite will break in to pieces by next week  on it's way to  earth and the debris will land any continent except Antarctica.The Full details on this are as follows.

An out-of-use NASA science satellite will plunge back to the Earth in about a week, but there is absolutely no idea as to where it is going to fall.The 6.5-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, known by its acronym UARS, will burn up in Earth's atmosphere when it finally falls from the orbit later this month or early October.

NASA says the 20-year-old UARS ran out of fuel in 2005. Pieces of the satellite could land anywhere in the six inhabited continents in a worldwide swath from south of Juneau, Alaska, to just north of the tip of South America.

NASA has estimated a 1-in-3,200 chance that a satellite part could hit someone. Most of it will burn up after entering the atmosphere. Only about 1,200 pounds should survive, scattered over perhaps a 500-mile-wide area, NASA said.

 

UARS was deployed from the shuttle Discovery in 1991 to study Earth's atmosphere and its interactions with the sun. The $750 million mission measured the concentrations and distribution of gases important to ozone depletion, climate change and other atmospheric phenomena. NASA says readings from UARS provided conclusive evidence that chlorine in the atmosphere, originating from human-produced chlorofluorocarbons, is at the root of the polar ozone hole.

The risk to public safety or property is extremely small. Since the beginning of the Space Age in the late-1950s, there have been no confirmed reports of an injury resulting from re-entering space objects.

The satellite's current orbit is 155 by 174 miles (250 by 280 kilometers), with an inclination of 57 degrees, said NASA. That means the satellite would have to descend into the atmosphere somewhere between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south.

NASA estimated that the debris footprint would stretch about 500 miles.

That means pieces could fall over most of the world's six inhabited continents as well as its three largest oceans.(INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES)

Importing Of Sub Standard Petrol To The Country-CPC Sent Dep.Finance Manger On Compulsory Leave

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) authorities have sent one of the Deputy Finance Managers of the Corporation on Compulsory Leave with effect from yesterday (16) regarding the importing of Sub Standard Petrol to Sri Lanka recently.He was sent Compulsory Leave on Disciplinary Grounds accrding to the CPC Sources.

Petroleum Minister Susil Prema Jayantha has instructed the CPC Chairmen to take Disciplinary Action against those who involved in import ing sub standard petrol to the country.

The using of the Sub Standard Petrol imported by CPC damaged several vehicals in the Country and authorities have taken steps to pay compansation for the owners of those damaged  vehicals.

280,000 To 2.8 Million Lost Days In Sri Lanka Due To Mumps Disease To Be Saved Through MMR Vaccine ?- Dr.Sudath Pieris

Through the MMR (Measles,Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine which is due to be introduced to the National Immunization Programme from 01st of October this year it will expect  to save 280,000 to 2.8 million working days which are lost due to the people affected from Mumps in Sri Lanka according to the Senior Epidemiologist Dr.Sudath Pieris.

Dr.Pieris said that 0.1 to 1 percent of the Sri Lankan Population are affected with the disease Mumps every year and that is around 20,000 to 200,000 patients annually.Due to the symptoms of Mumps people have to keep away from their offices,schools and universities for long time and this  will affect the Economy badly he stressed.

As the MMR Vaccine is introduced to the Immunization Programme the Rubella Vaccine currently administered through the programme will be stopped as the protection against Rubella Disease too provided by the new vaccine.

Addressing a Media Seminar on MMR Vaccine held in Health Education Bureau today Dr.Sudath Pieris has said that the MMR Vaccine will be given to the Children aged One Year and Three Years and the Females 16-44 years with the effect from 01st of October this year.The Government will spend Rs.200 million for importing of one million doses of MMR Vaccines required annually he further added.

US Asst.Secretary Robert O Blake Proposed To Deploying Tamil Police In Northern Sri Lanka

Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert O Blake today said in Colombo that the deploying of Tamil Police in the Northern Sri Lanka is important so there is no need for Sri Lankan Police to carry out these functions there.

Addressing the Journalists in Colombo today (14th) Mr,Blake has said that he was always concerned on the Human Rights situation in North especially regarding Rehabilitation and Re settlement process.Also US is very much concerned on attacks against Journalists he stressed.

US Assistant Secretary has also said that the Government needs to put an end to the Grease Devil Situation as the People in North are going through an Insecurity Situation due to this.

Chewing Of Betel Leaves Caused The Increase Of Oral Cancer Amongst Sri Lankans

The Oral Cancer among Sri Lankans are in increase due to the habit of  chewing betel leaves according to the Consultant in Community Dentistry attached to the National Cancer Control Programme Dr.Hemantha Amarasinha .Tobacco Leaves,Arecanut and Lime  which are using as sub ingredients  when chewing   Betel Leaves are also acting as Cancer Agents he stressed.

Due to this situation Dr.Amarasinha has appealed to the Sri Lankan Public to avoid of chewing Betel Leaves and the related ingredients  to prevent of getting Oral Cancer.Oral Cancer has identified as the number one Cancer amongst Male Population in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile International Researchers have found that the Cancer Agent  "Safrole " substance is contain in Betel Leaves.

According to the latest statistics 14.1 per 100,000 Male Population  and 3.8 per 100,000 Female Population  in Sri Lanka are having  Oral Cancer.1617 Oral Cancer Patients are identified in the year 2005 according to the Dr.Amarasinha.Except the habit of Betel Chewing the other factors identified as causing  spreading of Oral Cancer amongst the Sri Lankan Population are Smoking,Liquor Addiction ,Viral Infections in side mouth and the Sun Light he stressed.