30 kids die at hospital due to oxygen shortage in Yogi’s constituency

Agencies
August 11, 2017

Lucknow, Aug 11: Thirty children, mostly new born, died allegedly owing to shortage of oxygen at BRD Medical College Hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur town, the Lok Sabha constituency of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, about 275 kilometres from here.

According to the sources, the victims included ten children, who were admitted to the neonatal ward, and a similar number of children admitted to the Encephalitis ward in the hospital. The deaths had taken place in the past 36-hours, sources said adding that the figure could increase.

Sources said that the hospital had been facing shortage of oxygen after the company that supplied the cylinders stopped supplying them following alleged non-payment of its bills amounting to around rs. 70 lakh. 

The company had threatened to stop supply the oxygen cylinders if the bills were not paid immediately. A panicky hospital administration reportedly paid the bills on Friday morning and the supply resumed thereafter but by then the damage had been done. 

Chief medical superintendent of the hospital R.S.Shukla admitted that some children had died owing to the shortage of oxygen but he refused to specify the number of deaths.

''Some children...mostly new born have died in the hospital owing to various reasons, including lack of oxygen,'' Shukla told reporters on Friday.

''It is indeed a very serious issue and a through probe will be conducted into it to ascertain if there was laxity on the part of the hospital administration...we will take stern action,'' he added.

Eye witnesses said that chaos prevailed at the encephalitis and neonatal ward since Thursday night after the hospital ran out of oxygen cylinders. The hospital administration made some alternative arrangements but the supply came to a complete halt around midnight.

They said that around ten children had died on Thursday while ten others breathed their last on Friday.

Cries of wails of the grieving parents pierced the corridors of the BRD Medical College, which was the only centre for treatment of encephalitis in the entire Gorakhpur division. It catered to patients from the districts of Basti, Kushinagar, Deoria, Siddharth Nagar, Maharajganj, the bordering districts of Bihar and even from Nepal.

Sources said that as many as 100 children had died from encephalitis in the hospital since the beginning of this year. Around 200 children were still undergoing treatment there.

Ironically Adityanath had visited the hospital on Wednesday to have a first hand assessment of the arrangements there.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Tejas.jpg

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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