Powerful explosion kills five people in Ayodhya
_vb_85.jpeg)
Ayodhya (PTI): At least five people were killed and several others were injured after a house collapsed following a powerful explosion in Pagla Bhari village under the Pura Kalandar police station area of Ayodhya on Thursday, officials said.
Circle Officer (CO) Shailendra Singh told PTI that several people were still feared trapped under the debris, and rescue operations were underway. "Five people have died in the explosion, a few have been injured, and efforts are on to rescue those trapped. The cause of the blast is not yet clear," Singh said.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the police, the fire department and the local administration teams rushed to the spot.
Rescue workers have been using excavators to clear the rubble, while nearby houses have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Officials have appealed to residents to stay away from the accident site to facilitate rescue efforts. Senior police and administrative officers are supervising the operation and have begun an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover said that the owner of the house, which got demolished in the blast, was Pappu Gupta, a local resident. "We are collecting the evidences from the spot," said the officer.
He said that a search operation is being conducted in nearby villages.
District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde, however, did not comment on the reason behind the blast.
Funde said that the forensic team is on the spot and investigating the incident. However, the deceased have not been identified yet, he said, adding that there is no information about the injured till now.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives.
According to an official statement, the chief minister has directed senior officials to rush to the spot, ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, and personally oversee the ongoing rescue and relief operations.
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.
Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
