Youth washed away in flash floods
Srinagar: A youth was washed away in a stream (nullah) and two others were injured in a flash flood triggered by heavy rains on Monday in the district. A load carrier (vehicle) carrying two bovine animals and some passengers was on its way to Kainth Gali from Batota when the water level of a stream (nullah) at Kultiar in Pancheri tehsil suddenly increased due to heavy rains during wee hours, police officials said. In the flash flood, Angrez Singh (25) was washed away and two others were injured, police said. The injured have been shifted to district hospital Udhampur. Singh’s body is yet to be recovered, they said, adding, an operation has been launched to trace the body. (PTI)
Fire destroys SBI cantonment branch
Lucknow: Properties worth crores of rupees along with several documents were razed to ashes when a fire broke out at the Cantonment branch of the State Bank of India(SBI) at Sadar here on Monday. Police sources here said that the fire broke out at around 0300 hrs and 20 fire-tenders were pressed in service to doused the flames. Fire-tenders from the army too were engaged to control the fire.It took them around four hours to bring the blaze control at the two-storied building.Short circuit is said to be the reason for the fire, police said.The loss is being assessed by the bank officials but the locker of the banks was not affected in the fire.The branch have accounts of most of the defence personnel of the Central Command besides the Cantonment Board has its account too in this branch. (UNI)
7 killed in firecracker factory blast
Visakhapatnam: Explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Visakhapatnam killed seven and injured five.The mishap took place at around 5.30p.m. The victims were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and later shift. So, now five people are under treatment at Seven Hills Hospital,” said District Medical and Health Officer, J. Sarojini.The reason behind blast is yet to be ascertained. The entire building went up in flames and people were trapped under the debris.District Revenue Officer, K. Nageswara Rao, said that investigation was underway and further details were awaited. He also ruled out that the factory was illegal.”He is having a license, a valid license, now we have verified at the office records, the source is having a valid license for one year validity also,” said Nageswara.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced rupees two lakh compensation for the families of the victims. (ANI)
Desecrated of church scared villagers
Tamil Nadu: Tension prevailed in North Vagaikulam village in this Southern district of Tamil Nadu, after miscreants desecrated a churchon Monday .Police said the miscreants threw cow dung on the church and when the locals noticed the desecration this morning, they resorted to an agitation demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.A police team from Maanur police station swung into action and arrested five persons belonging to Christian community for desecrating the church. The arrested persons, hailing from the same village were working as coolie labourers in Kerala.They came to their native recently and while celebrating the ‘Palm Sunday’ festival in the church yesterday, there was an altercation between them and another group of people. All the five persons in an inebriated condition hurled the cow dung on the church mid night last night.A large number of police personnel were deployed in the village as a precautionary measure.Further investigations are underway. (UNI)
Undertrial escapes from jail Korba
Chattisgarh: An undertrial prisoner fled from a jail after jumping off its boundary wall in the district, police said on Monday. . Raju Kawar, housed in Katghora Sub Jail on murder charges, escaped after scaling the boundary wall of the jail with a rope last evening, Assistant Jail Superintendent SK Sahu said. Kawar escaped while he was being taken to the jail’s kitchen along with other inmates for cooking meals for prisoners. He climbed the wall with the help of ropes and other material being used in the construction work on a part of the jail, Sahu added. During counting, a guard found the inmate missing following which he informed other officials and later a report was lodged at Katghora police station in this connection, he said. All the police stations in the region have been informed about the escape, he said, adding, a manhunt has been launched to nab the accused. (PTI)
A monkey that train drivers dread
Patna: This is one problem that has sent train drivers scurrying for cover — a monkey that has attacked three of them in Bihar’s West Champaran district after a train overran another monkey.The monkey has attacked the drivers near the Valmiki Nagar railway station “to take revenge for the death of one of its siblings”, said A.K. Jha, a railway official.Jha said the monkey was killed when it came under the wheels of a goods train last week, triggering a spate of attacks by the rogue monkey.A driver of a goods train was attacked on Saturday by the monkey. He had to be rescued by railway officials.The monkey attacked another goods train driver but he was thankfully able to lock himself in the engine cabin.”Another goods train driver attacked by the monkey flashed a distress message on his walkie talkie to the station staff to rescue him,” Jha said.Now, goods train drivers have been asked to be alert when they stop their trains at the station. (IANS)
