Santigao (Chile), Feb 13 (PTI): A 36-year-old Indian cyclist died after being run over by a vehicle in Chile during his pursuit to break the world record for the fastest 10,000 km journey across South America on a standard bicycle, according to media reports.

Mohit Kohli was run over by a minibus on Route 5 in the Pozo Almonte commune at 8.30 am (local time) Wednesday, local radio network Radio Paulina reported, quoting officials.

According to Pozo Almonte Fire Department superintendent Efrain Lillo, Kohli died on the spot.

Personnel from the national law enforcement agency reached the spot to carry out initial investigations and clarify the causes of the accident, the report said.

“Due to the severity of his injuries, he unfortunately lost his life," said Lieutenant Alexis Gutierrez Corbalan from the Traffic Accident Investigation Section (SIAT) of the Iquique Police.

"That is why the presence of this investigative team was requested in order to analyse the elements and traces present on the road to determine the dynamics and the underlying cause of this accident,” the report quoted him as saying.

Kohli was documenting his journey on his social media account, according to which, his goal was to set the fastest cycling record from Cartagena, Colombia to Ushuaia, Argentina.

According to the local news portal Cooperativa.cl, the cyclist began his journey on January 22 in Cartagena. His journey consisted of a 10,000-kilometre trip during which he passed through Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and recently Chile.

According to the official website of the Guinness World Record, the record for the fastest journey across South America was set by Michael Strasser from Austria, who took 41 days and 41 minutes to achieve it in 2018.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the statewide pulse polio vaccination drive on Sunday.

While Siddaramaiah kicked off the campaign along with state Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Home Minister G Parameshwara at his residence 'Kaveri' here, Sitharaman, who is in Vijayanagara district in the state, holding Chintan Shivir, administered pulse polio drops to children below five years of age in Kamalapura.

"Smt @nsitharaman launched the Polio Immunisation Drive in Kamalapura, Karnataka, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding child health and ensuring a polio-free India," a post on her 'X' account said.

The post further said that children under five years of age were administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) drops, "reinforcing the collective effort to protect future generations through timely immunisation."

According to the details shared by the health departments, about 62.4 lakh children have been identified for it.

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"Under the routine immunization programme, every Child is given 5 doses of OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) and 3 doses of IPV (inactivated injectable polio vaccine) and Government of Karnataka is committed that no child should miss these doses," a government statement said.

Apart from all hospitals in the state, special focus will be given to immunise children living in villages, hilly areas, brick kilns, slums, migrant areas, farmhouses, urban slums. Booths will also be set up in railway stations, metro stations, airports and Seaports, the statement said.

The state health department has set up 33,258 booths and deployed 1,030 mobile teams, 2,096 transit teams, 1,13,115 vaccinators and 7,322 Supervisors.

All children below five years of age will be administered the oral polio vaccine on December 21, 2025.

"Even if your child has received any number of doses of OPV before, it is very essential to immunise your child again during this round," the department said.

In order to allay concerns, the department said the polio vaccine is completely safe and people should not to believe in any false rumours.