6 passengers killed by approaching train at railway station in UP's Mirzapur
Mirzapur (UP)(PTI): Six women were run over by an incoming train on Wednesday while they were alighting from the wrong side at Chunar Railway Station, a railway official said.
The incident took place at about 9.30 am when the passengers got off the Chopan Express on the track and were hit by the approaching Netaji Express train from Howrah to Kalkaji, Amit Singh, Public Relations Officer, NCR Prayagraj Division, told PTI.
The deceased had come here for Kartik Purnima Snan.
The Chopan Express had halted at platform four of the station, and the passengers chose to get down on the track, though there is a footover bridge, the railways said.
"These passengers had come to Mirzapur for Kartik Purnima Snan (bath). Despite the availability of a footover bridge, they were crossing the platform from the tracks due to which the incident happened," Railways said in a statement.
Government Railway Police Inspector Raghvendra Singh confirmed there were six deaths.
The deceased were identified as Savita, 28, Sadhna, 16, Shiv Kumari, 12, Anju Devi, 20, Sushila Devi, 60, and Kalawati, 50.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered his condolences to the kin of the victims and directed officials to reach the spot immediately and expedite relief and rescue operations.
National and state disaster response forces were ordered to rush to the accident site.
Union Minister and local MP Anupriya Patel expressed her grief in a message on X.
"Deeply pained by the heart-wrenching incident that occurred today at Chunar Railway Station in Mirzapur parliamentary constituency. District officials have been directed to immediately reach the spot, expedite relief operations, and ensure proper treatment for the injured," she said.
"In this hour of grief, my heartfelt condolences are with the bereaved families, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. May the Almighty grant peace to the departed souls," the lawmaker added.
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UAE condemns 'terrorist' attack on Indian-flagged vessel off Oman coast
Dubai (PTI): The UAE has condemned a strike on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman, calling it a "terrorist attack" and a "dangerous escalation" that threatens the stability of critical waterways.
The commercial vessel, which was sailing from Somalia, came under attack on Wednesday, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
All 14 crew members were rescued by Omani authorities, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike, it said.
"The UAE strongly condemns terrorist attack on Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman," the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement issued on Thursday. "This attack constitutes a grave threat to the security of international navigation and represents a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the stability of critical waterways."
The incident took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
The MoFA further said that the attack on the India-flagged vessel on Wednesday was a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which affirms the importance of freedom of navigation and rejects the targeting of commercial vessels or the obstruction of international maritime routes.
It emphasised that "targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represent acts of piracy and constitute a direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and global energy security".
The UAE expressed solidarity with India and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding the security and safety of its vessels and interests, the statement said.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
