Six holidaymakers from UAE including Kasaragod youth missing in Nepal

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April 27, 2015

Dubai, Apr 27: As many as six holidaymakers from the UAE are still missing following a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Nepal, the worst one in the country in 81 years.

Family members of the six boys, who landed in Kathmandu on Friday morning for a week-long vacation, have sent out an appeal on social media, asking people with information or whereabouts of the boys to come forth.

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The last picture sent by the six boys a day before the earthquake struck in Nepal.

Their last known whereabouts was their hotel, The Last Resort, in the Sindhupalchok district where the boys checked in on Friday afternoon.

According to family members, the group had booked a bungee jumping session for Saturday morning; the six of them left the resort on the morning of April 25 and haven’t been heard from since.

Thanzeem Rawther, sister to Thanweer Rawther [aka Thanwi Ibn Kassim] ,who is one of the six missing, spoke to Emirates 24|7 saying: “None of us have slept for the past 24 hours. We are just praying that they are safe and find a way to reach word out to us.”

Rawther stated that they were able to contact the resort after several attempts and were informed that all guests have been moved to a safe location, following the earthquake.

“But we don’t know if the boys are a part of this, because the last thing the hotel is aware of was that the boys decided to go trekking in the morning, ahead of their bungee jump adventure. They could not confirm if the boys did return or not,” Rawther added.

Aged between 23-26 years, along with Thanweer, the other missing UAE residents include Hadil Haneef, Mohammed Azhar Ali, Mazhar Mohideen, Sunil Gandhi and Nihad Ahmad. Among them, Mohammed Azhar Ali hails from Kasaragod district.

Rawther continued: “We can’t believe this is happening. They have three local contact numbers between them, but none of them are reachable. Some of them who grew up together. They were so looking forward to this holiday.

“All of us have created a family WhatsApp group where we keep abreast of any updates or emergency hotlines that we can possibly contact for information.”

She further stated that all names had been supplied to Google Person Finder and registered with the helplines and the army relief camps.

“We’ve heard from the relief camp that there’s a group of trekkers that is making its way south to Kathmandu; we hope it’s them,” she added.

Meanwhile, a couple, Tarun Gulati and Ritu Gargya, who were also supposed to go bungee jumping through The Last Resort and were reported as missing, have been located, with a family member posting an update that the couple was safe.

News wire AFP has confirmed the death toll from Saturday’s devastating earthquake has killed at least 2,152 people, citing a Nepal government official.

Saturday’s 7.9 magnitude temblor struck Nepal before noon and was most severely felt in the capital and the densely populated Kathmandu Valley. Aftershocks rippled through the region Sunday, spreading fear and panic, the biggest of the aftershocks was magnitude 6.7 and sent people running for open ground.

Meanwhile, families of the six missing UAE boys have received unconfirmed reports that a group from Dubai is currently secure with other guests staying at The Last Resort when the earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday.

Tabassum Kassim, sister to the missing Thanweer Rawther [aka Thanwi Ibn Kassim], provided an update saying: “A friend got in touch with the owner of The Last Resort who confirmed that five-six boys from Dubai were staying at the resort.

“They have now been moved to a nearby village and will move towards Kathmandu as the resort is 100km away. We really believe this is them, but are awaiting confirmation on their names…”

The six UAE residents missing in Nepal were last seen in the Sindhupalchok district where the boys were also booked for a bungee jumping session.

Kassim further added: “The bungee jumping instructor was able to identify the names of one of the boys, Sunil Gandhi. He confirmed Sunil’s physical features as well and said that they are in a village near the resort with the other guests.”

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News Network
April 13,2024

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Mangaluru: After as the state health ministry issued guidelines to the public in view of a heatwave, the health department in Dakshina Kannada has advised people to be cautious about the impact of heatstroke, including heat rash, heat edema, heat cramps, heat tetany, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion.

Dakshina Kannada district nodal officer for climate change, Dr Naveenchandra Kulal, said that the impact of heat-related illness can also be found in the district, when there is a variation of about 4.5⁰C from the normal temperature.

Dr Kulal told media persons here on Friday, that the impact of heat-related illness is not confined to Raichur, Kalaburagi, and other North Karnataka districts.

“Those who reside inside tin sheet houses and closed environments are likely to suffer from heatstroke. People should hydrate themselves by drinking more water and avoid working under the direct Sun. Heat exhaust fans can be used. Though no heatstroke cases have been reported in the district, any negligence may cause heatstroke,” he said. 

DHO Dr Thimmaiah HR said that hotels and restaurants should supply boiled water, and they should clean the overhead tanks once every three months. The filter of drinking water units should be cleaned frequently, he said.

He also directed paying guest accommodations to supply fresh food to inmates.

“We have received complaints of many paying guest accommodations serving sambar cooked the previous day to inmates. Stale food should be avoided, as there are chances of food contamination. Plastics should be avoided while packing food in hotels. As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines, the use of plastic to pack hot food is restricted,” the DHO said.

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News Network
April 20,2024

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New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is being pushed towards a “slow death” inside Tihar jail by denying him insulin and consultations with his doctor.

Kejriwal, who has Type-2 diabetes, has been asking for insulin and a video conferencing with his family doctor but his requests are being denied by the jail administration, party spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said in a press conference.

"I want to say with full responsibility that a conspiracy is underway for the slow death of Kejriwal," Bharadwaj claimed citing blood sugar readings of the Chief Minister in jail.

He also slammed the Tihar administration, BJP, Centre and Delhi LG for allegedly denying insulin to Kejriwal and said the Delhi Chief Minister had been suffering from diabetes for the last 20-22 years.

On Friday, the chief minister council Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi said Kejriwal has not been administered insulin to control his sugar levels since his arrest, terming it “shocking” and “alarming”.

The ED had on Thursday claimed before the court that Kejriwal was eating food high in sugar like mangoes and sweets every day, despite having Type-2 diabetes, to create grounds for medical bail.

Kejriwal, however, refuted the ED’s claims by asserting before a court that the food he consumed was in conformity with the diet chart prepared by his doctor.

“Out of 48 meals sent from home, only three times mangoes were there…,” Singhvi told the court.

Bharadwaj said Kejriwal was allowed by the court to use a machine in the jail to monitor his daily blood sugar levels.

"Overall, it was a conspiracy to finish Kejriwal so his multiple organ damage and when he comes out of jail after 2-4 months he goes for treatment of kidney, heart and other organs," said Bharadwaj, who holds the portfolio of health in Delhi government.

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News Network
April 11,2024

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Bengaluru: With six children of Karnataka Ministers in the Lok Sabha poll arena, the campaign scene is getting spiced up in the high-stakes elections for the ruling Congress in the state. Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun, is also in the poll fray.

The grand old party tried its best to make several ministers enter the Lok Sabha election fray but none of them agreed and, instead, they proposed the candidature of their family members.

'Now, deliver' is the stern message of the Congress leadership to the ministers, putting the onus on them to ensure the victory of their kin, according to party sources.

The Congress secured only one seat in Karnataka in the 2019 general elections, and has now set an ambitious target of winning in 15 to 20 constituencies in the coming polls.

Elections in 28 constituencies in the State will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

Sons of Laxmi Hebbalkar, Eshwar Khandre and H C Mahadevappa— Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, Sagar Khandre and Sunil Bose— have been fielded from Belagavi (Belgaum), Bidar and Chamarajanagar, respectively.

Daughters of Satish Jarkiholi, Shivanand Patil and Ramalinga Reddy— Priyanka Jarkiholi, Samyukta Patil and Sowmya Reddy— are in contention in Chikkodi, Bagalkot and Bangalore South respectively.

Prabha Mallikarjun, wife of Minister S S Mallikarjun and daughter-in-law of veteran party leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, is the party's nominee from Davangere.

"In this 'do or die' situation, the ministers have found the Lok Sabha election a launch pad for their children and relatives. We have to see how these ministers succeed in their mission," a Congress insider said.

Barring Sowmya Reddy, who is a former MLA, none of them have any legislative experience in elections. Stakes are high for some other ministers as well.

The party has fielded Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge in the family's home turf of Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), a seat held by the BJP.

Kharge's son and Minister Priyank Kharge has taken charge of spearheading the campaign in this segment, where his father had lost in the 2019 general elections.

"Priyank has taken this election as a prestige issue given the fact that the Congress president hails from here and had represented this constituency in the past in the Lok Sabha," a Congress leader said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last month launched the BJP's formal campaign in Kalaburagi in what was seen as an aggressive message to the Congress.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief D K Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh is seeking reelection in Bangalore Rural, where the BJP and JD(S) have fielded noted cardiologist and son-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

The Congress which came to power in the state in May last year is seeking to ride on its five guarantee schemes of the government.

Sowmya Reddy, who is contesting from Bangalore South asked the women voters during a recent roadshow - "Do you travel in the buses? Which places have you visited in the recent past? Do you pay or travel for free?".

She was referring to 'Shakti' guarantee that offers free rides to Karnataka women in non-luxury government buses within the state. Reddy explained to the people about the four other guarantees— 'Gruha Lakshmi', 'Gruha Jyoti', 'Yuva Nidhi' and 'Anna Bhagya'.

"Who brought 'Achchhe Din'? Is it Congress or the BJP? Which 'Achchhe Din' you will vote for?" Reddy asked the women voters.

In Belagavi, Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar, is taking on BJP candidate and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.

In campaign meetings, Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar reminded the crowd how Shettar had joined Congress when the BJP denied him a ticket in the 2023 Assembly election, only to return to the saffron party a few months later.

"Shettar is from Hubballi and we are from Belagavi. We know the problems prevailing here better than any 'outsider'. Today, BJP people are saying that they vote for Shettar keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mind, but I want to know why he joined Congress and abused the BJP, Modi and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa," the minister asked.

The BJP swept the 2019 general elections in Karnataka winning 25 out of the 28 seats, while an independent backed by the party also won. The Congress and JD(S) which fought the elections together, secured one seat each.

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