Karur stampede: Ambulance drivers appear before CBI for questioning
Karur (PTI): Ambulance drivers who were on duty during actor-politician Vijay's election rally in Karur appeared before the CBI on Sunday, sources said.
A stampede at the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) rally led by Vijay claimed 41 lives and left 60 others injured in Velusamypuram, Karur, on September 27.
About five to six ambulance drivers who were present during the incident appeared before the central agency, sources said.
The drivers, from ambulances run by government and private agencies in Karur and neighbouring districts, were questioned, they added.
The CBI took over the probe of the stampede on October 26. A special team has already visited the site in Velusamypuram to gather first-hand accounts as part of the inquiry.
According to the police, nearly five ambulances, including those arranged by the TVK, were stationed near the police quarters in Velusamypuram at the time of the incident.
On September 28, ADGP (Law and Order) Davidson Devasirvatham told reporters that immediately after the stampede, the police informed the local station via microphone, and nearly 10 ambulances from Amaravathi Hospital were pressed into service.
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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.
