Five Indians among 11 expats killed in Doha explosion

March 3, 2014

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Doha, Mar 3: Five Indians were among 11 expatriates killed in a deadly blast at a Turkish restaurant in Doha, Qatar's capital.

The blast tore through the restaurant, which is attached to a mall and is next to a petrol station. The incident happened on Thursday, killing 11 people; five of them were Indians. The Qatar government has announced a probe into the explosion that also injured 35 people.

The Indian victims have been identified as Riyas Kizhakemanolil, Abdul Saleem Palangad, Zakaria Padinjare Anakandi, Venkatesh and Shaikh Babu.

Four Nepali nationals and two people from the Philippines were also killed in the explosions.

The Indian Embassy is in contact with all concerned to repatriate the bodies to their native places, Ambassador Sanjiv Arora said.

Of the 10 injured and still undergoing treatment, eight are adults. They comprise three Nepalese, three Pakistanis, two Filipinos, one Egyptian and one Indian.

The Qatari Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani visited the site. The Interior Ministry announced the formation of a special committee to investigate the incident and a report is expected to be submitted by the end of this week.

"The investigation is going in full swing and the initial report is expected to be issued by the end of this week," a local Arabic-language Al Sharq newspaper reported on Sunday.

With serious concern being raised about the safety of gas tanks and cylinders used in eateries, especially those based in petrol station complexes, Qatari authorities are gearing up to launch inspection campaign at eateries across the country to ensure that they comply with the safety standards and requirements, the paper said.

The campaign will be launched soon, with participation of the Civil Defense Department, Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning and other departments, it said.

Earlier, preliminary investigations suggested a gas tank on the roof of the restaurant and gas cylinders on neighbouring roofs exploded, the Qatar News Agency had reported.

The blast was the second major incident in Qatar after a fire in Villaggio Mall killed 19 people, including 13 children in May 2012.

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December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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