Israel attacks Hamas positions in Gaza
Jerusalem, May 27 : The Israeli Air Force on Saturday attacked Hamas positions in Gaza, in response to an infiltration that took place hours earlier when four Palestinians threw a petrol bomb after crossing the fence into Israel, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said.
The infiltrator also left behind a tent with the message "March of Return: returning to the lands of Palestine", Efe quoted an IDF statement as saying.
Israeli soldiers who arrived at the site fired warning shots and the individuals returned to the Palestinian side of the fence, with no injuries reported.
The army claims that Saturday's incident is one of many attempts at infiltration over the weekend aimed at damaging the fence and security infrastructure and holds Hamas, the de facto ruler of the enclave and considered by Israel, the European Union, the United States and other countries to be a terrorist organisation, responsible for "any threat" emanating from Gaza.
Over the weekend dozens of kites with Molotov cocktails were flown from the Gaza strip, setting fire to Israeli fields.
According to news reports some 300 kites with incendiary devices crossed the divide this month and some 100 fires were started on the Israeli side.
Tension in the area has soared with the Palestinian protests of the Great March of Return and against the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14.
The demonstrations -- which began on March 30 -- were scheduled to end on 15 May, the day on which the Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, the catastrophe that for them marked the creation of the State of Israel 70 years ago and the beginning of their dispossession and exile.
However, the Islamist Hamas movement called for continued mobilisation until June 5, the day of the start of the Six Day War in 1967, when the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights began.
The protests continued on Friday, albeit in smaller numbers than in previous weeks, when, according to the IDF, some 5,000 people gathered near the fence, compared to between 30 to 40,000 on the previous Friday. More than 100 people were injured by live fire, rubber bullets and asphyxiation from tear gas, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Since the protests began, at least 116 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers, more than 3,000 have been injured by bullets and, according to Palestinian sources, 6 more have been killed and their bodies are being held by the Israeli army.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
