CM Siddaramaiah appeals to corporates to donate generously to Kerala landslide victims
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday appealed to the corporate world to contribute generously for the relief and rehabilitation of people hit by massive landslides in Wayanad district in neighbouring Kerala.
In a message to the corporates, Siddaramaiah exhorted them to help rebuild the affected areas through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
"The scale of the disaster necessitates a coordinated and generous response from all sectors of society, particularly from corporate entities that have always been pillars of support in times of need," the CM said in his letter.
He further said Karnataka is specifically looking for financial support to facilitate the logistics of relief operations and rebuilding efforts and food supplies, especially non-perishable food items and clothing.
Underlining that this was an opportunity to stand together and make a significant impact, Siddaramaiah said the involvement and contributions of the corporates will not only provide immediate relief but also help in the long-term rehabilitation of the affected regions.
The Karnataka government has established a dedicated task force to coordinate relief efforts and ensure that all contributions are utilised effectively and transparently.
Director of Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, K B Shivakumar can be contacted on 9482575918 for making donations.
Around 132 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit the northern Kerala district of Wayanad a day ago, with the numbers expected to increase as rescuers unearth debris, official sources said on Wednesday.
Over 180 people were missing and more than 300 houses were completely destroyed in the landslides that hit the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of the district, they said.
Rescue teams comprising the Army, Navy and NDRF are collectively looking for survivors by unearthing the debris and breaking into the remains of houses destroyed or covered up with mud in the landslides.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
