Drowning unfortunate but tourists should be cautious: Goa Minister
Panaji, June 12: Goa Tourism authorities on Tuesday described the drowning of three tourists from Maharashtra on Monday as "unfortunate", but added that tourists should be cautious about swimming in the rough seas, especially during monsoon.
"The incident is unfortunate, can't do anything about it. But we cannot keep an eye on every one. Goa has a 105-km coastline. We already issued a warning against swimming in the rough seas," Goa Tourism Development Corporation Chairman and BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral told reporters here.
"Swimming in the sea at 5 a.m., especially in the monsoon, is not right. There were red warning flags on the beach, which means you cannot swim in the sea. Tourists should enjoy, but with precautions."
Three tourists from Maharashtra's Akola district drowned and two are missing after a group of 14 ventured into the sea early on Monday. Efforts to trace the missing tourists are on.
Private beach management agency Drishti Marine, which deploys lifeguards on popular Goa beaches, last week issued a warning against swimming in the sea on account of rough currents.
Cabral also said that the Tourism Department would consult with the private agency to work out a mechanism through which such tragedies could be averted, but added that unless tourists are responsible, such incidents cannot be avoided.
"We will check with Drishti, how we can avoid such incidents. If we block people (access to the beach), then it is an issue about rights of the people," he said.
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Next round of Iran-US negotiations expected soon: Pak's Defence Minister
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Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that the next round of Iran-US negotiations was expected soon.
Asif made these remarks on Monday, a day after the Islamabad talks failed to clinch a deal.
The 21-hour talks between the US and Iran on Saturday were the first of their kind since 1979 due to the involvement of top-level officials from both sides. The two sides, however, failed to secure a lasting peace deal to end hostilities following their talks in Pakistan over the weekend.
Speaking to the media outside Parliament House, Asif said there had been a sense of satisfaction after the talks that there were no negative developments so far.
“Only positive progress has been observed,” he said, indicating that the ongoing diplomatic efforts were moving in a constructive direction.
The next round of Iran-US negotiations was expected soon, he added.
The Express Tribune reported that responding to a question about whether Pakistan would play a decisive role in shaping the region’s future, Asif said that ultimate decisions rest with Allah.
Vice President JD Vance, who led the US delegation at the negotiations in Islamabad, said the Iranian side did not accept Washington's terms for ending the war even as the US presented its "final and best offer".
Hours after the talks collapsed, US President Donald Trump said on social media that the negotiations with Iran failed as "Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions."
Pakistan led the diplomatic push to bring the two sides to the table, which became possible after an appeal by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this week, leading to a pause in the fighting.
The conflict began after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, paralysing global energy markets and disrupting trade.
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