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.
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Govt ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels, securing convictions against offenders: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and praised the NCB for securing convictions against 73 offenders in the first quarter of 2026.
Among the important convictions is one linked to a case involving the seizure of 2.75 kg of heroin at the Ahmedabad airport in 2021 and 4.23 kg of heroin at Fazilka (Punjab) along the India-Pakistan border in 2022.
In these cases, two foreign traffickers were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, a home ministry statement said.
Shah took to X to say: "To protect our youth from the scourge of drugs, the Modi govt is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and is also ensuring their conviction."
"Under this mission, the NCB has made a breakthrough of getting 73 drug offenders convicted in the first three months of 2026, with harshest punishments. We are determined to shut every breathing space of drug rackets with entire might. Congratulations to NCB for this achievement," the home minister said.
According to official data, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) secured convictions for 73 drug offenders in 35 cases in the first three months of this year. Of the convicts, four were awarded the maximum sentence of 20 years, while 54 received sentences of 10 years or more.
The statement said a total fine of Rs 1.22 crore was also imposed on the convicts.
The statement also mentioned a conviction secured in the 2023 pseudoephedrine-diversion case (a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) involving a company named Alps Life Sciences Private Limited located in Sonipat, Haryana.
In this case, three accused, including the firm's director, were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh each. The company was also convicted and fined Rs 1.5 lakh. The permission granted to the company for manufacturing pseudoephedrine has also been withdrawn by the NCB, the statement said.
The federal anti-narcotics agency has also appealed to other central and state enforcement agencies to identify key undertrial cases involving drug kingpins and ensure effective prosecution, according to the statement.
