UP: 11 killed in multi-vehicle crash in Mirzapur
Mirzapur (UP) (PTI): Eleven people were killed in a multi-vehicle accident on Wednesday in Dramandganj area here, police said.
SP Aparna Rajat Kaushik said that information about the accident was received at around 8.30 pm.
The collision occurred on a route descending from Dramandganj valley towards the Lasoda area, where a vehicle lost control and crashed.
Preliminary investigation suggests that a truck coming from behind possibly rammed into another truck after suffering a brake failure.
A car got trapped between the two trucks during the collision. In the sequence of events, another vehicle was also hit and caught fire, she said.
Police teams and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot immediately upon receiving the information, according to Kaushik.
With the assistance of local residents, rescue and relief operations were launched without delay, she said.
"So far, 11 deaths have been reported, and efforts are underway to establish the identities of the victims," the SP said.
Police personnel remain deployed at the site, and efforts are ongoing to restore traffic movement on the affected route.
According to initial information, one of the trucks involved bears a Bihar registration number, while the other is registered in Madhya Pradesh.
Among the cars involved, one is from Sonbhadra district and another from Mirzapur district, the SP said.
A detailed probe is on in the matter.
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Polling begins for 152 assembly seats in 1st phase of Bengal elections
Kolkata (PTI): Voting began on Thursday in 152 constituencies in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, amid unprecedented security arrangements and a high-stakes battle that could shape the direction of the entire contest.
Polling started at 7 am with voters queueing up outside booths in districts ranging from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in the north to Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and Hooghly in the south.
The opening round covers more than half of the state's 294 assembly seats and is being seen as the BJP's best opportunity to make an early breakthrough and the ruling Trinamool Congress' most important test in its bid for a fourth consecutive term.
According to the Election Commission, over 3.60 crore electors are eligible to vote in this phase, including around 1.75 crore women and 465 third-gender voters.
A record 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces, comprising nearly 2.5 lakh personnel, have been deployed across the state for the polls, with over 8,000 polling stations identified as highly sensitive.
The Election Commission has placed districts such as Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Birbhum and Purba Bardhaman under special surveillance.
More than 2,193 quick response teams, surveillance units and flying squads have also been deployed to prevent violence and ensure free and fair polling.
The first phase assumes political significance because it includes all 54 seats in north Bengal, the region that powered the BJP's rise in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and helped it emerge as the principal challenger to the TMC in the 2021 assembly polls.
Of the 152 seats, the BJP had won 59 in 2021, while the TMC had secured 93.
For the saffron camp, retaining its dominance in north Bengal is crucial if it is to remain in contention in the statewide battle. For the TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, preventing a BJP sweep in the north is equally important to establish momentum before the second round.
This phase is also being closely watched because it comes after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which resulted in the deletion of around 91 lakh names from the state's voter list.
The controversy has sharply polarised the campaign, with the BJP alleging that the revision weeded out infiltrators and bogus voters, while the TMC has accused the Centre and the Election Commission of disenfranchising genuine electors, especially minorities and migrant workers.
Several high-profile candidates are in the fray in the first phase.
Key candidates in this phase include leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP, Nandigram), former Union minister Nisith Pramanik (BJP, Mathabhanga), state minister Udayan Guha (TMC, Dinhata), Goutam Deb (TMC, Siliguri), and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress, Baharampur).
The second phase of polling will be held on April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
