Nine dead, over 150 hospitalised after consuming contaminated water in Indore, sewer bacteria found
Indore: At least nine people have died and more than 150 others have been hospitalised after consuming contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area of Madhya Pradesh, with an official inquiry detecting the presence of bacteria commonly found in sewer water, officials said on Thursday.
Initial findings from water samples collected in the locality revealed “abnormal bacteria generally found in sewer water,” indicating possible contamination from human waste. Officials said further laboratory tests are underway to identify the exact pathogens responsible for the outbreak.
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The contamination is suspected to have occurred due to a leakage from a sewage line into a drinking water pipeline, as reported by Hindustan Times. “The initial report has confirmed the presence of bacteria usually found in sewer water. However, the culture report is awaited to identify the bacteria. Stool test reports of affected patients are also pending, which will provide further clarity,” said Dr Arvind Ghanghoria, Dean of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Indore.
Residents claimed that they had been complaining about foul-smelling water for several days before the outbreak intensified. According to the local administration, complaints about the water supply began around December 25, though residents said the problem had persisted for weeks.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government, seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The NHRC noted that residents had reportedly raised concerns about contaminated water supply before the deaths occurred.
The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has also sought a report from the state government. The court directed it to place full details of the incident on record.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited affected patients undergoing treatment and announced an ex-gratia assistance of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased. He assured free medical treatment for all those affected.
So far, around 2,456 people have reported symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. Of these, 162 have been admitted to hospitals.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
