Pakistan’s Punjab hit by deadly storms, 20 killed
LAHORE, May 25: Powerful windstorms and heavy rains caused at least 20 deaths and over 150 injuries in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The storm paralyzed road and air traffic, damaged infrastructure, and caused widespread power outages. The majority of deaths were due to the collapse of dilapidated houses or falling billboards. The Punjab government reported that most deaths were due to the collapse of dilapidated houses or getting trapped under fallen billboards. The storm also caused extensive damage to crops and power lines in the capital, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. (PTI)
Elderly Indian tourist dies at Nepal cable car station
KATHMANDU, May 25: A 62-year-old Indian national, Mannu Prasad Bhatt, died after collapsing near a washroom at a cable car station in Nepal’s Chitwan district. The incident occurred around 8:30 am at the Manakamana Cable Car Station in Kurintar, about 200 km south of Kathmandu. Bhatt, accompanied by his wife and son-in-law, was on his way for a ‘darshan’ at the Manakamana Devi temple when the incident occurred. Preliminary investigations suggest that Bhatt’s death may have been caused by cardiac arrest, possibly linked to his recent descent from the high-altitude Mustang region in northwest Nepal. (PTI)
Kingpin held in Nepal over money laundering
KATHMANDU, May 25: Nepal’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested fake Indian currency kingpin Yunus Ansari for money laundering investigation. Ansari was released from Nakkhu Prison after completing a six-year prison term in a counterfeit Indian currency case. He is also claimed to have a connection with Dawood Ibrahim. Ansari was first arrested in 2009 with INR 2.54 million in counterfeit notes and served nearly five years in prison. He was released in 2013 and served another five years in prison. In 2019, Ansari was caught with INR 76.79 million in fake currency at Tribhuvan International Airport. He was found guilty and sentenced to six years in prison, a fine of Rs 60,000, and ordered Rs 1,300 in compensation. He completed his sentence on Saturday. (ANI)
Hudson river sewage-boat explosion kills one
NEW YORK, May 25: A boat carrying raw sewage in New York City was exploded, killing a city employee. Another worker was injured and taken to the hospital. A third worker refused medical treatment. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but criminal intent is not suspected. The man was a longtime employee of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection. The blast spread raw sewage over the boat, requiring decontamination of firefighters and first responders. (AP)