11 monkeys found dead in Karnataka forest area, viscera sent for lab tests
Tumakuru (Karnataka) (PTI): As many as 11 monkeys, including two langurs, have been found dead in a forest area of this district over the past two days, officials said on Monday.
Carcasses of nine monkeys and two langurs were found scattered within a radius of 200 to 500 metres in the Devarayanadurga--Durgadahalli forest area of Tumakuru taluk, they added.
The forest officials rushed to the spot on Friday evening after the matter came to light, and more dead monkeys were discovered again on Saturday morning.
A post-mortem examination was conducted and prima facie findings suggest suspected food poisoning, as rice was found in the oesophagus and intestines of the animals, a senior forest official said.
He said the mouth and neck portions of the animals appeared bluish in colour, further raising suspicion of poisoning, allegedly due to consumption of decayed leftover food.
However, the officials ruled out any immediate signs of disease and said the exact cause of death would be confirmed only after laboratory analysis.
Samples of the viscera have been sent to a laboratory in Bengaluru and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed examination, the official said, adding that reports are expected soon.
Authorities said further action would be taken based on the findings, while surveillance has been intensified in the area to prevent any recurrence.
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Odisha govt halts salaries of 5 teachers after school fire injures 4 students
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The Odisha government on Tuesday halted the salaries of five teachers and issued show-cause notices to other staff of a state-run high school in Rayagada district, a day after four students sustained severe burn injuries in a fire incident on the premises of the institute.
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond told PTI that he has directed the department secretary to submit a detailed report on the incident and ordered a departmental inquiry to ascertain negligence, if any.
The students suffered burn injuries while playing around a fire during school hours.
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“The department has stopped the salaries of five teachers and issued show-cause notices to other staff members in connection with the incident,” he said.
The minister said that further action would be taken against teachers or staff if negligence in duty was established.
School and Mass Education Secretary N Thirumala Naik said three of the injured students were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rayagada, while one critically injured student has been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The school headmaster had lodged a complaint at Muniguda police station on Monday. Police have recorded statements of the injured students, officials said.
According to preliminary findings, the incident occurred when a classmate of the injured students allegedly threw colour thinner, an inflammable substance, onto a fire that had been lit by the students on the school building’s balcony.
Muniguda police station in-charge inspector Saudamini Behera said the students were playing on the school roof around 2 pm on Monday when they found a bottle of thinner stored there.
They allegedly poured it on the floor and set it on fire using a matchstick. One of the boys later added more thinner, causing the flames to flare up and injure four students, she said.
