UP: Kaushambi road accident death toll rises to 10
Kaushambi (UP), Mar 28 (PTI): The death toll in a road accident involving a pickup vehicle and a trailer truck in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district has risen to 10, police said on Saturday.
The accident occurred on Friday evening near a petrol pump in the Saini area when a pickup vehicle carrying devotees rammed into a stationary trailer truck on a national highway. The victims were returning to Fatehpur after attending a child's tonsure ceremony in Prayagraj and visiting the Maa Sheetla shrine at Kada Dham, officials said.
According to the police, five women and three children, died on the spot, while several others were seriously injured.
Two more women succumbed to their injuries late Friday night at the SRN Hospital in Prayagraj, taking the death toll to 10, Circle Officer Sirathu Santosh Kumar said on Saturday.
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The deceased women have been identified as Maiki (55) and Sindhi (58), he said.
Those who died on Friday were identified as Darshniya (68), Sukhrania (65), Maiki (56), Soni alias Sundari (50), Rajkumari (35), Gudia (27), Kallo (22), Dhruv (7), Anuj (8), and Mayank (10), all residents of Jafarganj in Fatehpur.
Around 28 people were travelling in the pickup vehicle, most of them members of the same family or relatives. Following the incident, over two dozen injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals, with several referred to Prayagraj for advanced treatment. Currently, 24 injured persons are undergoing treatment, police said.
All the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, which was conducted during the night, and the bodies have been dispatched to their native village in Fatehpur district, the officer said.
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Police are maintaining a close watch on the situation in the village as the arrival of the bodies is likely to intensify the atmosphere of grief.
Eyewitnesses had earlier reported scenes of panic, with injured passengers lying on the highway and calling for help, following which locals alerted authorities and assisted in rescue efforts.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident, expressed condolences to the bereaved families and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
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He also directed officials to ensure proper medical treatment for all those injured in the accident.
Police said they have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a manhunt to trace the absconding trailer-truck driver.
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India misses 2025 TB elimination target; cases stand at 185 per 100,000 population
New Delhi: India reported an estimated 2.7 million tuberculosis cases in 2025 which translates into an incidence of 185 cases per 100,000 population, according to the latest official update on the disease burden.
The figure is more than four times the elimination benchmark set under the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis. The plan had aimed to bring down incidence to 44 cases per 100,000 population and mortality to three per 100,000 by 2025. The target was announced in March 2017 and was set five years ahead of the global End TB goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Data indicate that TB notifications have increased by 13 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels, as IndiaSpend reported in July 2025. Public health experts have said higher notification does not necessarily reflect a rise in incidence, but indicate improved case detection. Authorities have stepped up efforts to improve reporting and plug gaps in diagnosis and treatment, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
According to a 2019 study published in PLOS Medicine, the most substantial gap occurs during the testing stage, with nearly half of those with incident tuberculosis not receiving diagnostic tests. Experts say stigma, restricted availability to molecular testing, and dependence on sputum microscopy continue to impede early detection.
According to official data, 19.3 million smear microscopy tests were performed in 2023, compared to 6.83 million molecular tests using the CBNAAT/GeneXpert and Truenat platforms, indicating that smear-based diagnosis will continue to be used. While doctors report inconsistent implementation across regions, legislation mandates 100% molecular testing for suspected tuberculosis patients.
Health officials point to the increase of diagnostic infrastructure, which includes approximately 10,000 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test equipment and over 25,000 microscopy centers across the country. Eexperts identify operational difficulties such as specimen transportation, machine maintenance, supplier chains, and unequal distribution of skilled staff.
Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the government has expanded active case-finding in high-risk areas and identified 1.58 lakh vulnerable villages and urban wards using an AI-based mapping tool. Under which the latest campaign document states that of the 2.73 million cases reported in 2025, 35 per cent were asymptomatic.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
Specialists warn that up to half of microbiologically diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients may not show characteristic symptoms, contributing to continuous community transmission. To increase early diagnosis of drug resistance, it is advised that chest X-rays and molecular testing be used more frequently.
The government increased financial aid for Tuberculosis patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana to ₹1,000 per month, as the disease is mostly linked with malnutrition and poor living conditions and those with a BMI less than 18.5 are given energy-dense nutritional supplements for the first two months of therapy.
