Madinah: At least 42 Umrah pilgrims feared dead in bus–tanker collision in Saudi Arabia
Madinah: At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims are feared dead after a passenger bus carrying devotees from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker early Monday. The crash occurred around 1.30 am IST at a location identified as Mufrihat, according to initial reports.
Sources said the pilgrims, including women and children, were from Hyderabad. Early information indicates that about 20 women and 11 children were in the bus. The group had completed their rituals in Mecca and was on its way to Madinah when the accident happened. Many passengers were reportedly asleep at the time.
Officials are still verifying the exact number of casualties and the condition of survivors. Emergency services are carrying out recovery operations, and further details are awaited.
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Man sets fire to gas cylinder on truck in Kerala's Kottayam, held
Kottayam(Kerala) (PTI): A 33-year-old man climbed onto a parked truck carrying cooking gas cylinders and set fire to one of them near Thalayolaparambu in the small hours of Saturday, police said.
The incident occurred around 12.30 am, they said.
The fire and rescue personnel soon arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire, averting a major disaster.
According to police, the man is suspected to be under mental distress as he claimed that he was walking from Ernakulam to his home in Marangattupilly here when he saw the truck on the roadside.
An FIR under sections 329(3)(criminal trespass),324(2)(mischief),326(f)(mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was lodged against him.
Police said that the man was formally arrested, but will be released on station bail as the offences he is accused of are bailable.
"His family is here at the station and he will be released to them," the officer said.
In the FIR, police have said that the man opened the seal of one of the gas cylinders and set fire to it with the knowledge that his act was dangerous to those living in the area.
According to the company transporting the cooking gas cylinders, it suffered a loss of Rs 2,300 in the incident.
