Luggage of nearly 90 passengers arriving to Mangaluru from Dubai goes “missing” at airport
Mangaluru: Nearly 90 passengers on Tuesday who arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport from Dubai complaint that their luggage was “missing” on arrival
The passengers who arrived on the SpiceJet flight were later told by the airline that their luggage would arrive after a couple of days through cargo and would be delivered to their homes. They were asked to fill out forms and addresses at the airline counter at the Mangaluru airport.
The passengers however have denied being informed of any such arrangements in advance. “We were told about this only after arriving at the Mangaluru Airport.” One of the passengers who were on the flight told Vartha Bharati.
“The flight was scheduled to take off from Dubai at 4:20 pm local time but it took off three hours after the scheduled time. We were made to wait on the flight for nearly two hours before taking off. There were 180 passengers on the flight and only 90 of them got their luggage loaded on the flight while the luggage of others was not loaded and instead were told that they would get their luggage after 2-3 days.” Syed Shadab a Bhatkal resident who was also on the flight said.
For Shadab however, this was not the first time an incident like this had happened. Shadab alleged that the airline gave him a similar shocker about 15 days back at the Mumbai airport. His luggage was not loaded on the flight and was sent through cargo.
The passengers after arriving at the Mangaluru Airport protested against the airline for loading their luggage in cargo despite taking complete charges and ticket fares that include luggage charges. Several also claimed that their luggage had edible and perishable items which would be of no use if it arrives 2-3 days after it was loaded. They also demanded a refund for their ticket prices, but to no avail.
Vartha Bharati tried to contact the airline for an official comment regarding the issue but did not receive any response from the airline. The story will be updated as and when we get a response from SpiceJet.
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.
South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
