Quake kills 51 in India; NDRF teams sent to Bihar, UP

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 25, 2015

New Delhi: Apr 25: At least 51 people were killed and more than 200 injured on Saturday after an earthquake epicentred in Nepal wreak havoc in northern and eastern parts of India.

Tens of thousands of people rushed out of their homes and offices in high-rises in panic as the quake rocked the region.

The impact was felt in almost all northern states and some in the east, particularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Sikkim and West Bengal.

Officials feared that the figures might increase once the debris is cleared. Reportedly, 38 people were killed in Bihar, 11 in UP and two in West Bengal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting with top officials while Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth constantly reviewed the rescue operations with Home Secretary L C Goyal and others. Modi also spoke to Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav (UP), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim) and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh).

Gearing up to face a possible increase in toll, the Centre also rushed five teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to help the administration in rescue and relief operations in affected states.

Four NDRF teams have been rushed to Bihar and one to UP, Goyal said. In Bihar, they will be deployed in Darbhanga, Supaul, Motihari and Gopalganj, while in Uttar Pradesh, the personnel will be stationed in Gorakhpur.

The NDRF team consists of 45 people and they are armed with equipment like cutters, life detectors, breathing equipment, airlifting bags and medicines.

NDRF chief O P Singh said the personnel have satellite phones and other communication equipment. “Teams are self-sufficient to deal with all aspects involved in search and rescue operations after an earthquake,” Singh said.

The Centre has activated helplines and set up a control room for coordinating relief and rescue operations. An inter-governmental coordination cell has also been set up in the Cabinet Secretariat which will coordinate all relief measures for Nepal as well as for Indian states.

Seth also held back-to-back meetings of the National Crisis Management Committee to review the situation.

quakeindia

Panic-stricken people stand outside their houses after feeling tremors in Patna on Saturday.

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News Network
May 2,2024

Bengaluru, May 2: Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, was issued fresh summons on Thursday by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is investigating the case of obscene videos involving the former JD(S) member, several news outlets reported.

The SIT also junked his appeal which sought seven days time to join the probe, as per these reports.

Prajwal and his father, H D Revanna, have sexual harassment and stalking cases filed against them over the matter. Gowda's son, H D Revanna, however, said that what took place '4-5 years ago' is now being turned into a legal case.

JD(S) in its core committee meeting suspended Prajwal from the party till the end of the probe. Prajwal, meanwhile, took to X to state he would join the probe in seven days time, asserting 'truth will prevail'.

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News Network
May 6,2024

Bengaluru, May 6: Arrested JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna, the son of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda, on Sunday said that there is no evidence against him in the sex video scandal kidnapping case and that it was a "conspiracy" against him.

Talking to the media, while being taken for a medical test before being produced in front of a court here, Revanna stated that a kidnapping case had been lodged against him though he does not have 'one black mark' against him in his entire career of 40 years.

"Without evidence, I have been targeted... All allegations against me are false. My arrest has been made out of ill intention," he claimed.

"The case was lodged on April 28, then, they did not have any evidence. Later, the fake evidence was created on May 2 and I was fixed," he alleged.

Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara stated on Sunday that a Blue Corner notice has already been issued against Revanna's son and MP Prajwal Revanna, the prime accused in the sex video scandal, as he is believed to be abroad.

"The Interpol will communicate to all nations and he will be located. Once he is located, the SIT will take a call on how he should be secured and brought back to India," he added.

Revanna was arrested on Saturday on charges of kidnapping one of the victims of the sex video scandal.

Parameshwara further maintained that the arrest of Revanna has saddened JD-S leaders and if action was not taken, the SIT would be blamed too.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge refused to comment on the alleged sex video scandal involving Prajwal Revanna.

About Revanna's arrest, he said that the SIT would initiate action as per the law. "Those indulging in such acts must be taught a lesson and justice should be given to the families of victims. No one can escape the law. No one should use this case politically," he stated.

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News Network
May 6,2024

Mangaluru, May 6: A five-year-old girl from Arendur village of Siddapura taluk of Uttara Kannada district died of Kyasanur Forest Disease (monkey fever) recently.

As her health deteriorated, she was admitted to the KMC Hospital in Mangaluru, where she failed to respond to the treatment and died on Friday night.

It is learned that the KFD is slowly spreading to the newer areas of coastal and malnad areas of Karnataka

According to officials, KFD spreads due to bites of ticks that generally survive on monkeys. This tick bites humans which causes the infection. Humans also contract the disease by coming in contact with cattle bitten by ticks.

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