One dead, 18 injured after helium cylinder explosion at river festival in Tamil Nadu
Kallakurichi: One person was killed and at least 18 others were injured after a helium gas cylinder exploded during the Thenpennai River Festival in Manalurpettai in Kallakurichi district on Monday, officials said.
Tiruvannamalai District Collector K Tharpagaraj confirmed the incident and said the explosion occurred while the cylinder was being used to fill balloons at the festival venue, NDTV reported.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed his condolences to the victim’s family.
In a post on X, Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “I am deeply distressed to learn the tragic news that one person lost their life and several others were seriously injured after a helium gas cylinder used to fill balloons exploded at the river festival held in Manalurpettai, Kallakurichi district. I extend my deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family, and I pray to God that all those injured make a full recovery and return to their respective homes soon.”
He also urged the state government to provide appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased and to those injured in the incident.
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.
US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
