Bengaluru : The Election Commission has issued a notification for the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, with 14 constituencies set for polling in the first phase. The nomination process begins today, March 28, and the last day for submission of nomination papers is April 4. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 5, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 8. Voting will be held on April 26, with results expected on June 4.
The 14 constituencies where elections will be held in the first phase are Udupi-Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga (SC), Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar (SC), Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar (SC).
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Abuja (AP): At least 27 people died and more than 100, mostly women, were missing on Friday, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said.
About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu told The Associated Press.
Rescuers managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services.
No survivor was found about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added.
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes.
According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday's tragedy struck.
Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation.
Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures.
Also, authorities have not been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often because of lack of availability or cost.