Mizoram bridge collapse: 23 workers from Bengal feared dead; 18 bodies found
Aizawl (PTI): Of 26 workers present on the under-construction railway bridge that collapsed in Mizoram's Aizawl district, 23 people are believed to be dead, though the police have recovered only 18 bodies, officials said on Thursday.
Three of those working there are in hospital and "undergoing treatment" while five are missing, they added.
All the 26 people working there were from Malda district of West Bengal.
The Railways said the accident that took place on Wednesday was due to the collapse of a gantry, which was being launched on the under-construction bridge over the Kurung river.
A high-level committee has been constituted to probe the incident involving the under-construction bridge, one of the 130 bridges in the Bhairavi-Sairang New Railway Line project.
All 18 bodies have been identified. They are Naba Chawdury, Mojammel Haque, Narim Rahman, Ranjit Sarkar, Kashim Sheikh, Samrul Haque, Jhallu Sarkar, Sakirul Sheikh, Masrekul Haque, Saidur Rahman, Rahim Sheikh, Suman Sarkar, Sariful Sheikh, Insarul Haque, Jayanta Sarkar, Md. Jahidul Sekh, Manirul Nadap and Sebul Mia.
"Five workers are still missing. But chances of their being alive are slim," a police officer said.
The five missing workers are Mojaffar Ali, Sahin Aktar, Nurul Haque, Senaul and Asim Ali.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata that arrangements have been made to bring their bodies to the state.
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Unjustified, says Russia on US pressure on India for buying Russian crude oil
New Delhi, (PTI): The US pressure on India for its procurement of Russian crude oil is "unjustified", a senior Russian diplomat said on Wednesday.
We are confident that India-Russia energy cooperation will continue notwithstanding the external pressure, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin said.
It is a "challenging" situation for India, he said at a media briefing and added that, we have "trust" in our ties with New Delhi.
In the context of Western punitive measures against Russia, Babushkin said the sanctions are hitting those who are imposing them.
To a question, he said the role of BRICS as a stabilising force will increase amid the ongoing global turbulence.
His remarks came against the backdrop of strain in India's ties with the US following President Donald Trump doubling tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent that included an additional penalty of 25 percent for purchasing Russian crude oil.
US President Trump this month issued an executive order slapping an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods as a penalty for New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil.
Defending its purchase of Russian crude oil, India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
India turned to purchasing Russian oil sold at a discount after Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow and shunned its supplies over its invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022.
Consequently, from a mere 1.7 percent share in total oil imports in 2019-20, Russia's share increased to 35.1 percent in 2024-25, and it is now the biggest oil supplier to India.
