Seven students injured as school bus turns turtle
Kohima: Seven students were injured when the school bus in which they were travelling met with an accident near Ungma village while it was on its way to Mokokchung. The bus carrying school children including four parents turned turtle when the driver was negotiating a sharp turn while on its way to Mokokchung from Clark Theological College, Aolichen. All the injured were rushed to Imkongmeren Memorial District Hospital (IMDH). IMDH sources said seven of the injured were admitted to the hospital. One Lipokchuba, a 12 year old is said to be serious as he received serious injury on his left shoulder, the sources added. (PTI)
4.1 tremor hits West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh
New Delhi: An earthquake, measuring 4.1 on Richter scale, hit West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday. The quake was epicentred at 27.6 degree North and 92.3 degrees East with a focal depth of 10 km, according to India Meteorological department. The tremor occurred at 1335 hrs. There were no reports of any casualties. (UNI)
Student injured in grenade blast in Manipur
Imphal: A 17-year old student was injured when unidentified militants exploded a powerful grenade at a place in Imphal East district of Manipur, the police said on Wednesday. The militants hurled the grenade at a temple at Mantripukhri area on the outskirts of Imphal on Tuesday and in the explosion the student, identified as Kunal Sahu, was injured, the police said. Parts of the temple was also damaged in the blast, the police said, Sahu was taken to a nearby hospital. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Local inhabitants organised sit-in protests and urged the militants not to explode bombs in crowded and residential areas, the police said. (PTI)
Tripura to set up elephant reserve
Agartala: The Tripura government would set up an elephant reserve in the mountainous northeastern state to conserve wild elephants, a minister said here Wednesday. “The wild elephants are disappearing due to poaching and other hazards, including dwindling of the natural habitats,” Forest and Wildlife Affairs Minister Naresh Jamatia told IANS. “The cabinet Tuesday decided to set up an elephant reserve at Gandhari and Attharamura hill ranges in Dhalai and Gomti districts — covering an area of 123.84 sq km — which have been the natural habitat of the wild elephants,” Jamatia said. The minister said the state government has chosen the mountainous areas to set up the elephant reserve so that tribal families would not be displaced to set up the reserve. A high-level committee comprising officials, wild life experts, elected representatives and local people would be constituted to develop the elephant habitat with adequate natural forests and fodders. “Due to the ever-dwindling forests and loss of habitats, the wild elephants have been invading areas of human habitation, often killing people, damaging crops and razing houses,” Jamatia added. According to the latest census, conducted a few years back by the State Board for Wild Life, the wild elephant-population in the state is around 60. The animal has been witnessing rapid decline over the last few years. Forest officials last week recovered two elephant tusks and two severed heads of deer from the residence of one Rathindra Debbarma at Champahower areas in western Tripura. Police said Debbarma, a former extremists, along with several others killed a wild elephant and removed the tusks for smuggling. He is now absconding.(IANS)