12 Indians among 17 killed in Dubai bus accident
Dubai, Jun 7: At least 12 Indians were among the 17 people killed in a horrific bus accident in Dubai when the vehicle, coming from Oman, rammed into a low-clearance sign, police and the Indian mission here said on Friday.
Nine persons were seriously injured when the driver of the bus, belonging to the Omani bus transport company Mwasalat, wrongly entered a road not designated for buses towards Al Rashidiya metro station here on Thursday.
Dubai Police authorities said that there are still some unidentified bodies and the number of Indians who died in the accident could increase further.
"With great sadness we inform that Indian fatalities in Dubai bus accident have gone up to 12," Vipul, Indian Consular General in Dubai, tweeted.
He said that the embassy officials are at the Rashidiya police station and mortuary to extend all assistance to the families of the victims.
"Our effort now is to get formalities completed soon so that mortal remains can be repatriated soon," he said.
The bus, carrying 31 passengers, crashed into a height barrier that cut the left side of the bus and killed passengers sitting on that side, the Gulf News reported.
Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
"Deeply grieved by the unfortunate bus accident in Dubai that has claimed 12 Indian lives. My sincere condolences to the families," he tweeted.
Vipul also released a list of the Indians killed in the accident.
The names of those who passed away are Vikram Jawahar Thakur, Vimal Kumar Karthikeyan Kesavapilaikar, Kiran Johny Johny Vallithottathil Paily, Firoz Khan Aziz Pathan, Reshma Feroz Khan Pathan, Jamaludeen Arakkaveettil, Vasudev Vishandas, Rajan Puthiyapurayil Gopalan, Prabula Madhavan Deepa Kumar, Roshni Moolchandani, Ummer Chonokatavath Mammad Puthen, Nabil Ummer Chonokatavath.
The Indian Consulate had earlier tweeted that four Indians were discharged after first aid and three are receiving treatment in Rashid hospital.
"The Consulate along with other officials and community members met the concerned relatives as well as hospital and police authorities late in the night to assure of all help," it tweeted.
It also issued a helpline number- +971-565463903- for any queries related to those travelling on the fated bus.
The Dubai Police too expressed its condolences.
"The General Directorate of Dubai Police extends its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased who were involved in a bus crash at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, which killed 17 passengers," it
Transport company Mwasalat issued a statement on Twitter announcing the suspension of their daily services between Muscat and Dubai and vice versa, until further notice.
"Mwasalat family expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured," the company tweeted.
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AIMIM wins Malegaon Central seat by 162 votes
Malegaon (Maharashtra), Nov 23: In a closely contested election, Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has retained the Malegaon Central assembly seat, winning by a razor-thin margin of 162 votes.
This victory in the north Maharashtra constituency marks a significant turnaround for Khalique, who previously enjoyed a commanding lead in the 2019 elections, winning by over one lakh votes.
Khalique, an Islamic scholar, received a total of 1,09,653 votes this time, narrowly defeating his nearest rival, Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra party, who got 1,09,491 votes.
There were a total of 13 candidates contesting in this Muslim dominated constituency. Barring Khalique and Rasheed, two other candidates -- Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed of Samajwadi Party and Ejaz Baig Aziz Baig managed below 10,000 votes. Other remaining candidates were below 1,000 votes.
This election marks Khalique's third term as an MLA. He initially represented the Malegaon Central seat in 2009 as a member of the Jan Surajya Shakti party.
However, Khalique faced a setback in the 2014 elections when he contested under the banner of the Nationalist Congress Party and lost.
His return to the assembly in 2019 under the AIMIM banner solidified his political presence, and despite the significantly reduced margin this year, he has once again emerged victorious.
The results highlight the competitive nature of the Malegaon Central constituency and underscore Khalique's resilience in maintaining his position amidst changing political dynamics.
