Jerusalem (PTI): Ron Malka, former envoy of Israel to India, has said that he has assumed charge as the Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company (HPC) owned by a consortium led by the ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group.

A consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Israel's Gadot Group won the tender in July last year to privatise the strategic Port of Haifa in Israel for USD 1.18 billion.

"I'm honoured and privileged to take office today as Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity," Malka tweeted on Sunday.

Malka served as the ambassador of Israel to India from 2018 to 2021.

The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships.

The Adani Group officially took over the Israeli port in January this year at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

Israel expects that the Adani Group's major entry into the country will lead to more Indian investments, especially in the fields of renewable energy and defence.

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Nagpur (PTI): A coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Grant Trunk Express caught fire in Maharashtra's Wardha district on Tuesday morning, railway officials said.

There were no casualties, they said.

Train 12616 New Delhi-Chennai (Tambaram) Grant Trunk Express left from Nagpur in the morning. While it was heading towards Sindi railway station in Wardha, smoke was detected in the last guard coach of the train at 11.09 am, Central Railway spokesperson Sanjay Muley told PTI.

The train was stopped on the Sindi-Tuljapur section, the affected coach was detached immediately, and the fire brigade was called, he said.

All passengers in the train and the coach concerned were safe, the official said.

The cause of the fire will be known after a detailed investigation.

The train will resume its journey in some time without the affected coach, the official added.