Olympic gold medalist Thomas Ceccon sleeps in park amid accommodation complaints in Paris
Paris: Olympic gold medallist and Italian swimmer Thomas Ceccon was recently spotted sleeping on the ground in a park within the Paris Olympic village. This comes after Ceccon, who won gold in the 100m backstroke and bronze in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, expressed concerns about the living conditions in the village.
Ceccon had raised issues about the lack of air conditioning and poor food quality, stating that many athletes have opted to move out of the Olympic village for these reasons. He mentioned that the heat and noise made it difficult to rest, affecting his performance and overall comfort. "There is no air conditioning in the village, it's hot, the food is bad. Many athletes move for this reason: it's not an alibi or excuse, it's the reality of what perhaps not everyone knows," Ceccon said, as reported by The Sun.
A photo shared on Instagram by Saudi Arabian rower Husein Alireza showed Ceccon lying on a towel in a park, highlighting the challenging conditions. The timing of the photo, whether before or after Ceccon's unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the men's 4x100m medley relay final, is unclear.
The situation in the Olympic village has also drawn criticism from other athletes, including American tennis star Coco Gauff. The entire US tennis team, except for Gauff, reportedly sought alternative lodging. In response to the concerns, the Indian Sports Ministry sent 40 portable air conditioners to assist athletes in staying cool amid the high temperatures and lack of air conditioning in the apartments.
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Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision: 88 injured, magisterial probe ordered
Gopeshwar/Dehradun (PTI): Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.
Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).
A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about two kilometres inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.
One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.
Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.
Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.
He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalized.
DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.
They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.
After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.
Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.
"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.
According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.
The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.
