India reports 73,272 new coronavirus cases, 926 fresh fatalities
New Delhi: India reported 73,272 new coronavirus cases in a span of 24 hours, taking the overall caseload to 69,79,423, while 59,88,822 people have recuperated so far, pushing the recovery rate to 85.81 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated Saturday.
The death toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 1,07,416 with 926 people succumbing to the disease during the period, the data updated at 8 am showed.
For the second day in a row, the number of active coronavirus cases remained below 9 lakh. There are 8,83,185 active cases of infection in the country which make 12.65 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
The COVID-19 case fatality rate was recorded at 1.54 per cent.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and 40 lakh on September 5. It went past 50 lakh on September 16 and crossed 60 lakh on September 28.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a cumulative 8,57,98,698 samples have been tested up to October 9. As many as 11,64,018 samples were tested on Friday.
The 926 new fatalities include 302 from Maharashtra, 114 from Karnataka, 68 from Tamil Nadu, 62 from West Bengal, 48 from Uttar Pradesh, 39 from Delhi, 38 from Chhattisgarh, 32 from Punjab, 31 from Andhra Pradesh.
The total 1,07,416 deaths reported so far in the country include 39,732 from Maharashtra, followed by 10,120 from Tamil Nadu, 9,789 from Karnataka, 6,293 from Uttar Pradesh, 6,159 from Andhra Pradesh, 5,692 from Delhi, 5,501 from West Bengal, 3,773 from Punjab and 3,547 from Gujarat.
The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.
"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
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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.
