Close shave for Odisha MLA, 36 passengers as bus catches fire
Malkangiri(Odisha) (PTI): As many as 37 passengers, including Odisha's Congress MLA Mangu Khila, had a narrow escape when the bus in which they were travelling from Bhubaneswar to Nabarangpur caught fire after a rear tyre burst early on Saturday, police said.
The incident took place near Ramabhadrapuram in Andhra Pradesh. All the passengers and crew members were safely evacuated before the bus was completely gutted in the fire, Khila told reporters.
Police said all the passengers, including the MLA, were safely evacuated without any injuries.
The prompt response of the driver and the alertness of passengers helped avert a major tragedy, the police said, adding that fire services personnel and local authorities reached the spot and brought the fire under control, although the vehicle could not be saved.
The MLA from Chitrakonda assembly segment in Malkangiri district said, "The bus caught fire when all the passengers, including me, were in deep sleep. The driver's presence of mind saved all. He stopped the bus, opened all the windows and awakened all the passengers."
"A major tragedy was averted. I had boarded the bus at Rasulgarh bus stand in Bhubaneswar and was going to Malkangiri," he said, adding that later another bus picked up the passengers to Malkangiri.
Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
