Amarnath flashflood: CM Bommai says no report of Kannadigas affected so far
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said there has been no report of any untoward incidents related to Kannadigas so far, following the flashflood triggered by a cloudburst near the cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir where the death toll has risen to 16.
He said the Karnataka government has taken steps to rescue people from the State stranded in Amarnath.
According to the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), as of now, there are details of around 350 yatris in groups hailing from Karnataka spread in various locations of the yatra route.
"As per initial reports, there are, presently, over 100 Kannadigas there, and most of them are safe. There is no report of any untoward incidents related to Kannadigas. We are in contact with the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Union government," Bommai said earlier today.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Karnataka government has launched a helpline to assist those in need of help.
"Already, about 15-20 people have contacted and shared details of their location, we will do all that is necessary to rescue them. Officials of the Union government, BSF and ITBP are engaged in the rescue operations. The Karnataka Chief Secretary is in direct contact with the Union government. Those in trouble could contact the helpline so that they could be rescued immediately," he added.
Later KSDMA, in a statement, said the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) has received 48 calls from the relatives of yatris, mainly because of mobile connectivity and the fact that only mobiles with prepaid SIMs can be used to communicate compounded the communication problem.
It said the details of yatris received at SEOC have been shared with NDRF control room and integrated command and control centre under the Divisional Commissioner's Office, Kashmir, and Amarnath Shrine Board to provide any assistance on priority.
According to officials, the cloudburst that occurred at around 5.30 PM on Friday caused copious rain and streams of sludge rolled down the mountain slopes into the valley. The gushing waters hit the base camp outside the shrine in south Kashmir, damaging 25 tents and three community kitchens where the pilgrims are served food.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
