Bring Mangaluru Railway network under South Western Railway: KCCI
Mangaluru, Dec 11: The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has requested Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to hand over the Mangaluru railway region to the South Western Railway (SWR).
In a letter to the Union Minister, KCCI president Issac Vas said the overall potential of coastal districts can be fully exploited only if the region is administered by a single zone.
He said Mangaluru is now fortunate to have train connectivity to Bengaluru, Kerala and Mumbai.
However, being under the control of three railway zones (Southern Railway, SWR and Konkan Railway Corporation), train operations are getting complicated due to lack of coordination among the zones.
Many development proposals including introduction of new trains and modification of existing services did not materialise due to the lack of coordination, Vas said in the letter.
He said the Railway Ministry had in 2004 decided to hand over the Mangaluru railway network to Mysuru division of SWR after the completion of the gauge conversion between Mangaluru and Hassan.
The Ministry has not implemented the decision even 14 years after the gauge conversion.
Vas said freight movement between New Mangalore Port Trust and other parts of Karnataka will improve if Mangaluru comes under SWR.
With the proposed expansion of MRPL, bringing Mangaluru-Thokur line under SWR will also enhance the operations in the region, he said in the letter.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
