Eight of a family killed in road accident in Bihar
Bettiah (West Champaran), Apr 6: Eight members of a family including three minors were killed and eight others were injured when their pick-up van was hit by a truck in West Champaran district on Saturday, officials said.
The incident occurred near Bargajwa village on Ramnagar-Lauriya road when 14 persons of a family, were going to attend a wedding reception when a tipper truck hit the van from behind. Two other persons passing through the area were also injured in the mishap, they said.
West Champaran District Magistrate Nilesh Ramchandra Devre said the next of the kins of those killed in the incident would be given Rs 4 lakh each as ex-gratia amount.
Those killed in the incident have been identified as Sahmun Nesha (50), Sakir Ali (25), Gulnaz Khatoon (22), Jabula Khatoon (70), Sheikh Abdullah (19), Muskan (8), Shamina (4), Arbaz Khan (5), police said, adding that the injured persons have been admitted in hospitals of Bettiah and Ramnagar.
The family was going to attend a wedding reception at Madhopur Bairiya village from Jogiya village of West Champaran district, sources said.
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50 elephants electrocuted in four years in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Karnataka has witnessed the tragic deaths of 50 elephants over the past four years due to electrocution, with the Madikeri division reporting the highest number of such fatalities. In this division alone, eight elephants were electrocuted, while another 12 deaths were recorded within the state's tiger reserves, underscoring the urgent need to address this issue.
The number of elephants in Karnataka have increased steadily, rising from 6,049 in 2017 to 6,395 by early 2023. Despite this apparent success in conservation efforts, the rising number of elephant electrocutions has raised alarms among wildlife activists, particularly as many habitats are being disrupted by expanding 'development' projects.
Nagaraj, a resident from Padavinangady in Mangaluru, filed a request seeking district-wise data on elephants killed due to electrocution from 2021 to 2024. In response, the forest department provided division-wise figures, including details of electrocutions within protected areas.
Alarmingly, 19 elephant deaths have occurred in zones where wildlife is supposed to receive the highest levels of protection. These include the Nagarahole tiger reserve with 5 deaths, Bandipur tiger reserve with 4, BRT tiger reserve with 3, and the Shivamogga wildlife division with 3. Other affected areas include Cauvery wildlife sanctuary with 3 deaths and Bannerghatta National Park with 1 death.
