Falaknuma Express catches fire near Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Jul 7: Five compartments of Hyderabad-bound Falaknuma Express (Howrah-Secunderabad) caught fire near Bommaipalli, about 50 KM from here on Friday but nobody was hurt in the incident, officials said.
A senior official of the South Central Railway said three compartments (S4, S5 and S6) were damaged completely and two partially in the fire.
"All passengers are safely evacuated and shifted in buses after a fire broke out in the Falaknuma Express near Bhongir rural PS limits. Police, Fire Dept, and Railways are working in coordination. So far, no fatalities have been reported. Out of 18 coaches, 11 are detached and taken away safely. 7 bogies caught fire, out of which fire is extinguished in 3 bogies as of now," Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar tweeted at 1.37 PM.
"Situation is totally under control. No injuries, no causalities. All the passengers are safe," a SCR official told PTI.
An eyewitness told TV channels that all the passengers were alighted after the fire was noticed.
A railway employee said one of his colleagues noticed smoke coming from a compartment prompting the loco pilot to stop the train and evacuate the passengers from the train.
Fire tenders and other rescue machinery including local police reached the spot to extend help.
A passenger told a TV channel that the luggage of several passengers was gutted in the fire as they did not have enough time to collect them.
Another passenger who got down from the train said her luggage, along with her educational certificates, was gutted in the fire.
As many as 12 busses were pressed into service to ferry stranded passengers to Hyderabad.
An SCR spokesperson while refusing to attribute reasons for the fire said, "It is premature to ascertain the reasons at this point of time. A thorough inquiry will be conducted to find out the reasons."
An anonymous letter warning of a 'Balasore-like train tragedy' on the 'Hyderabad-Delhi-Hyderabad' route was sent to the South Central Railway (SCR) here recently.
The SCR authorities informed the Telangana Police about the letter.
VIDEO | Several coaches of Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express caught fire earlier today. No injury was reported in the incident. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/qcX4i2maLY
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 7, 2023
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
