UP: 3 killed, 18 injured as trolley carrying devotees plunges into canal in Kushinagar
Kushinagar (UP) (PTI): Three women were killed and around 18 others were injured after a tractor trolley carrying devotees overturned and plunged into the Gandak canal in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar district, police said on Thursday.
The incident occurred near the Siswa regulator under the Khadda police station limits at around 8 pm on Wednesday, when the trolley, which was transporting nearly 25 devotees, overturned.
According to police, the devotees were travelling from Mamkhor Barhara village in Maharajganj district's Ghughli area to attend the Chaitra Ram Navami Varni fair at Bhaisaha Ghat when the accident occurred.
Preliminary findings indicate that the accident happened when the hook connecting the trolley to the tractor broke, causing it to overturn and fall into the canal, officials said.
A total of 21 people sustained injuries and were rushed to the Kushinagar Medical College, where doctors declared Meera Devi (57) dead.
Later, two more women, Kismati Devi (51) and Nirmala (45), died during treatment, bringing the total death toll to three, officials added.
Khadda Station House Officer Sandeep Singh said that some passengers managed to jump off the trolley and save themselves.
The bodies of the deceased have been sent for a post-mortem examination, and further investigation into the incident is underway, police added.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
