Sivaganga (PTI): As many as 11 persons were killed and over 25 injured on Sunday near here after two state-run buses collided head-on, police said.
According to a senior district police official, all the 11 persons --8 women, 2 men and a child-- were killed on the spot in the accident that happened in the evening. The injured were rushed to state-run facilities for treatment, the senior official told PTI.
Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed shock and grief over the accident and the loss of lives. The CM said he has directed the District Collector and Minister KR Periyakaruppan, the minister in-charge for the district, to render all help to the affected persons and ensure appropriate treatment to the injured.
He also announced ex-gratia of Rs three lakh each to the families of the victims and Rs one lakh to those with serious injuries. The CM announced Rs 50,000 to persons with minor injuries.
He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and expressed his wishes for the early recovery of the injured persons. PMK and AMMK were among the parties that have conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families.
On the cause of the accident, the police official said, "it was a head-on collision, the reason is not clear, we are looking into it."
A senior doctor at the Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital told reporters that all arrangements have been made to provide care and treatment to the people injured in the mishap.
The mishap occurred at Vairavanpatti near Tirupattur under Nachiyapuram police limits on the Tirupattur-Pillayarpatti route, approximately15 km away from Karaikudi.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
