Magician, lowered into Ganga for live stunt, goes missing
Kolkata: Chanchal Lahiri, a magician who tried to perform tricks like legendary magician of escape games Harry Houdini, was reportedly drowned in the Ganga on Sunday while trying to perform an underwater live stunt.
According to eye witnesses, Lahiri went inside the river from Millenium Park here, with the intention to mesmerize people with his magic but disappeared near pillar number 28 of the Howrah Bridge.
The police along with Disaster Management Group began a search for him. "We tried to spot him. But it seems the stream has swept him away. Our divers dived deep, but could not locate him.
"Because of darkness, we had to temporarily stop our search operation on Sunday evening. We will resume it tomorrow," a senior police officer said.
Lahiri, police sources, said had taken permission to show the stunts. "But there were no proper security measures with him," they said.
Lahiri took a ferry from Fairly Place Ghat at around noon and jumped near the pillar number 28 to perform the magic, an onlooker said. "The magic that Lahiri was to perform was very risky and complicated," he said.
He was not only to be blindfolded, but his hands and legs were also to be tied up. He was to be picked up in that position from the boat by a crane, stationed on the Howrah Bridge, that would in turn lower him into the river. The magic was that he would come up from water, by untying himself on his own.
Accordingly, he went to the middle of the river just underneath the bridge from where he was picked up by the crane and thrown into the river near pillar number 28 of the bridge.
The spectators waiting there and cheering him for his act started to panic as it was more than ten minutes and Lahiri was not coming out of water.
Some of the spectators called up the local North Port police station for help. Policemen rushed to the spot along with Disaster Management Group and started a search for Lahiri.
Four divers were constantly looking for his body, though it could not be fished out till late evening.
"We have started an investigation as to how a crane reached the Howrah Bridge and who gave him permission for the magic show.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
