UP boat accident: Death toll rises to 3 with recovery of 2 more bodies; 6 still missing
Bahraich (PTI): Two bodies were recovered on Sunday evening, four days after a boat capsized in the Kaudiyala river near Bharathapur village here, taking the death toll to three, officials said.
According to police, six villagers are still missing after the boat carrying 22 people overturned in the river on Wednesday evening.
Thirteen passengers were rescued that night, while the body of a 60-year-old woman was recovered earlier.
According to police sources, the bodies of boatman Shivnandan (50) and a passenger, Suman (28), were found by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams about three to four kilometres downstream, near the Lakhimpur district border.
Officials said the recovered bodies were identified by family members and villagers before being sent for post-mortem examination.
Rescue operations by the NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Flood PAC teams are continuing to locate the remaining six missing persons.
Continuous rainfall and strong river currents have made the search operation challenging, officials added.
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.
No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
