Most victims of Sudan fire tragedy belonged to Tamil Nadu, Bihar: Indian Embassy
Khartoum: Most of the Indian victims hospitalised or reported missing after the massive LPG tanker blast at a ceramics factory in Sudan belonged to Tamil Nadu and Bihar states while authorities are trying to ascertain the details about the 18 Indians killed in the tragedy.
The Indian Embassy has issued a detailed list of the Indians who were hospitalised, went missing or survived the incident that happened at Seela Ceramic Factory in Bahri area in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday, killing 23 people and injuring 130 others.
Eighteen Indians were among those who lost their lives in the tragedy. No information is currently available on their identities. Seven Indians have been hospitalised, with four in critical condition and 16 reported missing.
Six victims belonged to Tamil Nadu, five from Bihar, four each from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, two from Haryana and one each from Delhi and Gujarat.
Out of those hospitalised, Jai Kumar, Bobalan and Mohd. Saleem are from Tamil Nadu; Ravinder Singh and Surender Kumar hail from Rajasthan; Neeraj Kumar from Bihar and Sonu Prasad from Uttar Pradesh.
Out of those reported missing, three are from Tamil Nadu- Rama Krishan, Raj Shekhar and VenkataChalem-, four from Bihar- Ram Kumar, Amit Tiwari, Hari Nath and Nitish Kumar Mishra-, three from Uttar Pradesh- Zeshan Khan, Mohit and Pradeep Verama-, two from Rajasthan- Bhajan Lal and Jaideep, two from Haryana-Pawan and Pradeep-, one Intezar Khan from Delhi and Bahadur from Gujarat.
"Some of the missing may be in the list of dead which we are still to receive as identification is not possible because of the bodies being burnt," the Indian Embassy said in a release on Wednesday.
Expressing grief at the incident, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said 60 Indians were employed in the factory and 53 of them were understood to be present at the factory and residential area at the time of the accident.
"Sadly, we have reports of fatalities among Indian workers and we are trying to ascertain the numbers," he said.
The injured have been admitted at Al-Amal Hospital, Omdurman Teaching Hospital and Ibrahim Malik Hospital.
He said the Indian Embassy in Khartoum is in constant touch with the factory management and the embassy staff has been stationed at the site as well.
"We are working with the Sudanese authorities to facilitate the identification of the deceased at the earliest," he said.
A total of 34 Indians who survived have been accommodated at the Saloomi Ceramics Factory residence. According to a statement issued by the Sudanese government, the blast in a gas tanker triggered the fire.
"Preliminary observations indicate a lack of necessary safety measures and equipment at the factory, in addition to random storage of flammable materials," it said.
An investigation has been launched, it added.
Meanwhile, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, now on a visit to the US, expressed his condolences for the victims and said that preliminary reports indicate the absence of necessary safety tools.
"The random storage of flammable materials contributed to the continuation and expansion of the fire and the destruction of the factory completely," he said in a statement from Washington.
"The Council of Ministers will form a committee of inquiry to determine the responsibilities and avoid the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the future," he was quoted as saying by Sudan Tribune portal.
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BJP workers protest Bengaluru event on Umar Khalid, taken into preventive custody
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP workers, led by former Bengaluru Mayor M Gautham Kumar, staged a protest outside the heavily fortified BIC in the city on Tuesday ahead of an event.
The editors of the book “Umar Khalid and His World” have planned a reading of excerpts from the book at the venue, followed by a discussion involving several “historians and intellectuals”.
The BJP activists raised slogans demanding the cancellation of the event. They attempted to enter the venue by breaking through the barricades put up by the police.
Police personnel deployed at the spot took the BJP workers into preventive custody.
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The party had on Monday petitioned Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh seeking cancellation of the event organised in support of activist Umar Khalid.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan met the commissioner and submitted a memorandum in this regard.
Khalid is currently in jail in connection with allegations of conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots.
In a post on ‘X’ earlier in the day, the Karnataka BJP alleged that while courts are still hearing cases related to anti-national activities, the Congress-backed ecosystem is busy glorifying individuals who aim to divide Bharat.
“Why is Bengaluru being turned into a hub for celebrating such elements? Is this the ‘cultural contribution’ the Siddaramaiah government wants to promote? Our city is a land of innovators and patriots, not a playground for the ‘Tukde Tukde’ (divisive) narrative,” it alleged.
The Supreme Court on April 20 dismissed Khalid’s plea seeking review of a verdict denying him bail, observing that there are reasonable grounds to believe the allegations against him in connection with the conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
The court had earlier said there was a prima facie case against Khalid and Sharjeel Imam (another accused) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), noting that prosecution material suggests their involvement in the “planning, mobilisation, and strategic direction” of the riots.
The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi broke out during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), leaving 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
