Mangaluru: Young medical store owner killed as lorry hits his motorbike

Udupi, Nov 11: A pall of grief has descended on the Alangaru locality of Perdur village following the tragic discovery of a missing 15-year-old boy, Shreeshan Shetty. His body was recovered on Monday from the waters of the Alangaru Holebagilu river, bringing a sorrowful conclusion to a frantic overnight search by his family.

Shreeshan, a resident of Alangaru, had reportedly ventured to the river on Sunday afternoon with a friend to bathe. According to police reports, the excursion ended in tragedy when the teenager accidentally drowned while in the water.

Crucially, the friend who accompanied Shreeshan, paralyzed by fear and shock following the incident, failed to immediately report what had happened. This devastating silence meant that the victim's family, unaware of the accident, launched a desperate search throughout Sunday night, believing the boy was simply missing.

The breakthrough came only when local police, investigating the disappearance, questioned Shreeshan’s friend, who then disclosed the sequence of events at the river. Following this lead, the search was refocused on the waterway, culminating in the recovery of Shreeshan Shetty's body on Monday.

The local authorities have registered a case at the Hiriyadka police station and are continuing their investigation into the exact circumstances of the drowning and the delay in reporting the fatal accident.

Bengaluru: A viral video purportedly showing a group of Muslims offering 'namaz' at Terminal-2 of the Kempegowda International Airport in the city has ignited a political controversy, with the opposition BJP taking strong exception to the incident and demanding accountability from the state government.

BJP Karnataka unit spokesperson Vijay Prasad asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister Priyank Kharge whether those who performed prayers in a public place had obtained any prior permission as mandated in the recent rule framed by the state government.

"How is this even allowed inside the T2 Terminal of Bengaluru International Airport? Hon'ble Chief Minister @siddaramaiah and Minister @PriyankKharge do you approve of this?" Prasad asked in a post on 'X' on late Saturday night.

"Did these individuals obtain prior permission to offer Namaz in a high-security airport zone?" Referring to the rules, which the BJP alleged were framed to restrict RSS activities in the state, Prasad said, "Why is it that the government objects when the RSS conducts Patha Sanchalana (route march) after obtaining due permission from the concerned authorities, but turns a blind eye to such activities in a restricted public area?"

The BJP spokesperson sought to know whether this does not pose a serious security concern in such a sensitive zone.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department is set to take complete control of the 108 ambulance services by February 2026. The move aims to enhance efficiency and ensure uninterrupted emergency medical support across the state.

As part of the transition, the department plans to conduct recruitment tests for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who provide first aid and medical assistance during patient transit.

The government will also procure 175 new ambulances from the Road Safety Authority to replace older vehicles that have frequent breakdowns. The new fleet will be equipped with Mobile Data Terminals—tablet devices designed to help technicians and drivers locate patients and nearby hospitals more effectively.

These devices will also integrate ambulance operations with e-Sanjeevini, the national telemedicine platform, allowing hospital doctors to guide EMTs in real time and prepare facilities before a patient’s arrival.

A new command control centre, staffed with over 250 personnel, will operate using 112 NGERSS software developed by C-DAC. This system enables call dispatchers to track ambulances, patients, and hospitals, ensuring that the nearest available vehicle is promptly assigned. All government hospitals have already been geo-tagged, and private hospital data is being added for full integration.

A pilot project in Chamarajanagar district has already demonstrated successful, delay-free ambulance dispatch using the new system.

To streamline fleet management, the department also plans to engage district-level agencies to manage ambulance drivers, ensuring transparency and accountability in service operations.