New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday spoke with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and Chief Minister M K Stalin to take stock of the situation following a stampede in Karur and assured them of all possible central assistance to deal with the situation, sources said.
The Union home ministry also sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government on the incident, sources said.
At least 29 people have died in the stampede at actor-politician Vijay's rally at Karur.
In its communication to the Tamil Nadu government, the home ministry asked it to provide details about the situation leading to the stampede and what steps have been taken for the rescue and treatment of the victims, sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief, while Shah expressed "deep pain" over the loss of lives in the incident.
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Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
