ASSAM FLOODS: The July downpour resulted in swelling of most rivers that flow in the northeastern region, including Brahmaputra. Eighteen people were killed and over 1.6 million were displaced. The wildlife too bore the brunt of nature’s fury with over 300 animals in Kaziranga wild reserve drowned. In this picture, a rhino and her baby wade through flood waters in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon.
KANPUR TRAIN ACCIDENT: The worst railway accident so far, more than 100 people were killed and nearly 200 injured as 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express ran off the tracks at Pukhrayan, near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh on November 20. Photo Rajeev Bhatt
KOLKATA FLYOVER COLLAPSE: Two parts of an under-construction 2.2-km-long Vivekananda Flyover collapsed in a congested market area in BurraBazar, north Kolkata, on March 31, killing at least 21 people.
TIRUCHI EXPLOSION: An explosion at a private explosive substances manufacturing unit at T. Murungapatti near Thuraiyur killed 18 labourers on December 1. The impact of the huge explosion was such that the deafening sound could be heard 5 km from the blast site. Police personnel cordon off the blast site at Murugampatti near Thuraiyur.
CYCLONE VARDHA: If it was rains last year, it is cyclone that wrecked havoc in Chennai. The very severe cyclone Vardah that crossed Chennai on December 12, killed as many as 16 people and uprooted over one lakh trees in the districts of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram. The coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh too bore the brunt of Vardah’s fury. Seen here is an uprooted tree on the Theosophical Society campus, one of the best maintained green spaces in Chennai.
VIDARBHA DROUGHT: During the months of March-April, the Marathwada region faced the worst drought. Places like Latur were getting piped water only once in 20 days. For the first time, Government arranged ‘Water Express’ train that ferried water from Ujani Dam to drought-hit villages.
DECCAN HEAT WAVE: Over 120 people succumbed to sun stroke in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana in April. Mercury touched to as high as 47°C in several areas.
HOOCH TRAGEDY: Months after Bihar enforced prohibition and a strict anti-liquor law, as may as 15 persons died of consuming spurious liquor in Gopalgunj.
DELHI FIRE: On April 26, a fire that broke out in the wee hours gutted the three-storeyed National Museum of Natural History and along with it an extensive collection of artefacts that showcased the origins of life on earth, its continuation and the need to protect endangered species.
KOLLAM TEMPLE FIRE: When the fireworks stored for an annual temple celebration at Paravur Puttingal Devi temple exploded on April 10, it took the lives of over 100 devotees. Following the disaster, Supreme Court banned pyrotechnics at any religious festivities.
SIACHEN AVALANCHE: Nature has been claiming the lives of many soldiers at the highest military base. This year, on February 3, 10 soldiers were buried under snow after their camp in the northern part of the Siachen glacier was hit by a major avalanche. The lone survivor Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad who was rescued alive from under 35 feet snow too died few days later.
DELHI SMOG: Delhi was covered with a blanket of think smog during the months of October and November. The air quality slipped to ‘hazardous’ levels, with particulate matter touching as high as 900-1700 microgram per cubic metre. Crackers bursting during Diwali celebrations only made things worse.
MISSING An-32: An Indian Air Force AN-32 transport aircraft, with 29 persons on-board went missing on July 22 when flying over the Bay of Bengal from Chennai to Port Blair. Months of search proved in vain and the Air Force declared all of them were “presumed dead”.