3 killed, 64 injured as fire breaks out in Durga Puja pandal in UP
Bhadohi (UP): Three people were killed and 64 others injured after a fire broke out in a Durga Puja pandal here due to overheating of a halogen light, officials said on Monday.
A digital show was going on at the pandal and 300-400 people were inside it when the fire broke out on Sunday night. The pandal was reduced to ashes, they said.
The fire broke out in a Durga Puja pandal in Narthua village, a stone's throw from Aurai police station, around 9.30 pm on Sunday, District Magistrate Gaurang Rathi said.
A total of 67 people were injured in the fire and three of them -- Ankush Soni (12), Jaya Devi (45) and Naveen (10) -- died. Three of the injured are stated to be serious, he said.
All the injured have been identified, and the district administration and police have their list, he said, adding that the majority of the people inside the pandal were women and children.
A halogen light at the pandal overheated, causing an electric wire to catch fire at multiple points simultaneously. Soon the fire engulfed the wooden scaffolding and the tent, Rathi said.
The cause of the fire was ascertained by a special probe team constituted by Additional Director General Ram Kumar, the DM said.
Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said that an FIR has been lodged at Aurai police station. The Durga Puja had been organised by Ekta Club Pooja Samiti, the officials said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the loss of lives in the incident, his office said in a tweet on Sunday. Adityanath has directed officials to ensure that the injured get proper treatment, the Chief Minister's Officer said.
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.
NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
