South African Hindu temple completely destroyed by unprecedented flood
Johannesburg (PTI): A 70-year-old Hindu temple in the sprawling Indian township of Chatsworth, south of the coastal city of Durban in South Africa, was among the scores of buildings left completely destroyed by unprecedented flood waters and mudslides that ravaged the city on Tuesday morning.
At least 45 people were reported dead, hundreds treated at hospitals for injuries and highways and urban streets had scores of cars floating in knee high water after four days of incessant rain.
Meteorologists said the situation could have been much worse, as the bulk of the storm remained off the coasts of Durban.
Horrified devotees looked on from higher vantage points on a nearby bridge as the temple, situated on the banks of the Umhlatuzana River, rapidly broke into pieces and floated down the river.
During earlier heavy rains and flooding four years ago, the temple suffered some damage, but was restored at a cost of half a million rands.
Now it is completely gone, said a sobbing elderly woman identified only as Kamatchee, who said her father was part of the team that built the temple after South African Indians from all over Durban were forcibly resettled in Chatsworth by the apartheid-era separate development policy of racially segregated group areas.
The deities in our Vishnu temple are still there, but in the mother temple everything is gone. We could not remove them because they are solid granite and are fixed to the temple floor, assistant secretary of the temple committee Kureasha Moodley, told the news site IOL.
It is the only temple in the area and I think our devotees have been coming here for over 60 to 70 years. For the past number of years, we have built it up and extended and even added a hall, but after this it will take us a very long time to get back to where we were, Moodley said.
The last time, the mother temple and some parts of the yard were still standing. The water came in through doors and windows, but this time the temple yard is non-existent, she added.
Chaos in Durban continued throughout Tuesday as embattled rescue workers used rubber dinghies to save people trapped on the higher floors or roofs of their homes.
Workers were airlifted from the rooftop of South Africa's largest crude oil refinery after it remained submerged and a worker sent out an SOS via social media.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
