Death toll in Vadodara bridge collapse reaches 13
Vadodara (PTI): The death toll in the collapse of a bridge over a river in Gujarat's Vadodara district has gone up to 13 with the recovery of two more bodies, officials said on Thursday.
Several vehicles plunged into the Mahisagar river after a portion of the four-decade-old bridge collapsed near Gambhira village close to Padra town on Wednesday morning,
"With the recovery of two more bodies from the river on Wednesday night, the death toll in the bridge collapse incident has reached 13. Five persons, who were injured in the incident, are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital," Vadodara district Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand said.
The two victims, whose bodies were found at night, have been identified as Mehram Hathiya (51) and Vishnu Raval (27).
A slab of the Gambhira-Mujpur bridge, which connects central Gujarat to the Saurashtra region of the state, collapsed at around 7 am on Wednesday, as per officials.
This caused the vehicles passing through the bridge to plunge into the river.
Five out of the nine rescued persons suffered injuries and were undergoing treatment at the SSG Hospital in Vadodara, said Anand, adding that none of the injured persons was in a critical condition.
A team comprising senior officials of the Roads and Buildings Department arrived here early Thursday morning to conduct a high-level investigation, a government release said.
Search and rescue operation was being carried out in the river by the NDRF and other agencies.
Various officials, including Vadodara Collector Anil Dhamelia, reached the spot early on Thursday and inspected the operation while revenue officials and police teams camped here overnight, said the release.
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.
Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
