Explosion at stone quarry in Vitla; over 15 houses damaged
Vitla (Karnataka), Mar 4 (PTI): An explosion occurred at a stone quarry in Madattadka village, Dakshina Kannada district on Tuesday, allegedly after a cache of gelatin sticks stored for rock blasting detonated due to extreme heat, police said.
The incident, which took place at around 1.30 pm in Bantwal taluk, caused at least two houses within 100 meters of the explosion's epicentre to develop cracks due to its intensity, they added.
The sound and tremors from the explosion were also felt within a 4-kilometre radius of the village. Additionally, 15 other houses located within a 1-kilometre radius of the epicentre sustained damage, police said.
According to preliminary reports, the explosion was triggered by intense heat affecting a cache of gelatin sticks stored for rock blasting. Approximately 200 gelatin sticks and detonators had been kept in the middle of a pile of crushed stones in the quarry.
The quarry belonged to a company engaged in stone quarrying in the village.
Senior police officers, including Superintendent of Police Yathish N and officials from the Bantwal police station, along with taluk officials, visited the site and conducted an investigation.
A probe is underway to determine whether the storage of explosives was legal.
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Youngsters should be made aware of UP's condition before 2017: Adityanath
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday urged intellectuals and opinion makers to educate the younger generation about the condition of the state before 2017 and the transformation witnessed in recent years.
Addressing the "Prabuddh Samvad" programme organised by the BJP's Rapti Nagar Mandal at a marriage hall in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said youngsters must be made aware of the "era of riots, curfews, lawlessness and appeasement politics", so that such a situation does not return.
He said many youngsters today were too young to understand the condition of Uttar Pradesh 10 years ago. "If we do not tell the present generation what the state faced earlier, they will forget the consequences of misgovernance and appeasement politics," he said.
The chief minister alleged that before 2017, the state suffered from "goondaism, corruption, anarchy and exploitation by regional parties". He claimed that traders were forced to pay the "goonda tax", women felt unsafe and employment opportunities were limited, forcing many to migrate.
Highlighting the changes under the present government, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh now offers development, security and employment opportunities.
Referring to Gorakhpur, he said the fertiliser plant has resumed operations, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is functioning smoothly and the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College has improved healthcare services.
The chief minister added that industrial projects worth Rs 15,000 crore have generated jobs for nearly 50,000 youngsters in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Adityanath said India has emerged as a global inspiration under his leadership.
Referring to global tensions and rising fuel prices, he appealed to people to conserve fuel and adopt alternatives, such as solar energy, public transport, electric vehicles and carpooling.
Calling intellectuals the "opinion makers of the society", he said teachers, doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs have a responsibility to guide people in the right direction. He also urged citizens to remain balanced during both favourable and challenging times.
Local MP Ravi Kishan and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Dharmendra Singh also addressed the programme. Mayor Manglesh Srivastava and several BJP leaders, professionals and social workers were present.
