14 killed in Pakistan bus-tanker collision
Islamabad, Aug 5 : At least 14 people were killed and over 30 others injured in a deadly road crash in Pakistan's northwestern district of Kohat on Saturday, the media reported.
According to the reports, the accident occurred when a passenger bus collided with an oil tanker at the Indus Highway near Samari area of Kohat, a district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Rescue teams and police rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital in the district.
The deceased included two women and two children, police said, adding that the accident happened due to over-speeding. The ill-fated bus was on its way to the countrys southern port city of Karachi from northwestern Buner city.
Road accidents frequently happen in Pakistan mainly due to poorly maintained roads, violation of road safety rules and reckless driving.
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MP Brijesh Chowta urges centre to grant point of call status to Mangaluru airport
New Delhi: Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta has demanded that Mangaluru International Airport be given Point of Call (TOC) status urgently.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377, MP Chowta said that Mangaluru International Airport is a major aviation gateway for coastal Karnataka and neighbouring Kerala. The airport handled around 23.4 lakh passengers, including 7.15 lakh international passengers, during 2024-25. More than 16,800 flights were operated for it. This has registered a growth of more than 15% annually. He said that these figures highlight the importance of the airport in terms of growth and commercial promotion.
A significant number of people from Tulunadu regions work in Gulf and Middle Eastern countries. This working community relies heavily on Mangaluru airport for international travel. However, due to lack of point of call status, foreign airlines are unable to operate direct international services from here. Hence, passengers have to travel via Bengaluru or Cochin airports. This is causing various inconveniences to the NRI community, including high cost, long travel time, Brijesh Chowta has drawn the attention of the House.
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Granting the status to Mangaluru International Airport will enable direct international connectivity for the people of this region. It will also facilitate further expansion of airline operations. It will enable smooth travel for the working class abroad and their families.
Such air connectivity will naturally boost trade and investment activities here. It will also support and encourage regional industries like areca nut, cashew nut processing and petrochemicals. It will also complement the growth of the Mangalore Special Economic Zone, MP Chowta assured the House.
Providing direct international connectivity can not only boost the growth of tourism in the coastal region but also the progress in the education sector. It will also facilitate easy travel for students, researchers and visitors of prestigious institutions like NITK Suratkal and Manipal Institute of Technology to international forums, he said.
