Nine tourists killed in landslide in HP; PM announces Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for families of victims
Shimla, Jul 25: Nine tourists were killed after heavy boulders fell on their tempo traveller in a landslide near Basteri in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, police said.
Multiple landslides triggered by recent rains occurred near Basteri on Sangla-Chitkul road at 1.25 pm, resulting in a bridge collapse and damage to some vehicles, they said.
A video of a bridge collapse in Basteri has gone viral on social media. In the video, boulders could be seen rolling downhill, causing the bridge to collapse.
According to the police, nine people died and two others injured after heavy boulders fell on a tempo traveller. The passengers were going to Sangla from Chitkul.
In a similar incident, a pedestrian was injured in another landslide in Kinnaur district, they added.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the death of people due to the landslides in Kinnaur.
"Deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people in a landslide in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured people a speedy recovery, Kovind tweeted in Hindi.
Modi said all arrangements are being made for the treatment of those injured and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also expressed grief over the deaths and asked the district administration to ensure immediate relief and rescue operations.
The police said all the deceased were tourists from different parts of the country.
The deceased have been identified as Maya Devi Biyani (55), her son Anurag Biyani (31) and daughter Maya Devi Biyani (25) of Rajasthan, Pratiksha Sunil Patil (27) of Maharashtra, Deepika Sharma (34) of Jaipur, Amogh Bapat (27), Satish Katakbar (34) of Chhattisgarh, driver Umrab Singh (42) of West Bengal and Kumar Ulhas Vedpathak (37).
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in an accident in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 25, 2021
#WATCH | Himachal Pradesh: Boulders roll downhill due to landslide in Kinnaur district resulting in bridge collapse; vehicles damaged pic.twitter.com/AfBvRgSxn0
— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2021
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ballari maternal deaths: Karnataka govt. seeks explanation from CDSCO
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has sought clarification from the Central drugs standard control organisation following reports linking the serial deaths of pregnant women at Ballari District Hospital to unsafe IV Ringer's Lactate solution. Health Department Principal Secretary Harsha Gupta has written a letter to the Drugs Controller General of India, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi.
Recent Investigations revealed bacterial and fungal contaminants in the IV solution given to the women. Out of 192 batches supplied by a West Bengal-based pharmaceutical company, 22 were found substandard by the state drug control department, leading to the suspension of the medicine's use.
However, these batches had passed quality tests at the Central Drug Lab, creating a regulatory conflict.
The Health Department emphasized adherence to tender rules, stating that the Central Drug Lab's approval is legally binding. Samples from the problematic batches have been sent for re-testing at the central lab in West Bengal, with results expected on December 9.
As a precautionary measure, the state has blacklisted the implicated batches and issued directives to halt their use in all hospitals.
