Helium cylinder blast near Mysuru Palace gate: Home Minister orders probe
Bengaluru: Home Minister G. Parameshwara said he has directed officials to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report into the helium cylinder blast that occurred near the Mysuru Palace gate on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters near the Home Office, Parameshwara said a balloon vendor, reportedly from Lucknow, lost his life in the incident. He pointed out that there appears to be a lack of regulation over people selling small items in public places, especially in areas frequented by tourists.
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“As a large number of tourists visit Mysuru Palace, stricter measures are required. The matter needs to be examined with seriousness,” he said, adding that he has instructed officials to discuss the issue with the Tourism Department and take necessary steps.
The Home Minister said the investigation will look into how the balloon vendor obtained the helium cylinder and where it was purchased from. Officials have been asked to verify all these aspects and submit a detailed report.
Parameshwara also clarified that he is not a member of the CWC and therefore will not be travelling to Delhi to attend its meeting. “If Karnataka-related developments are discussed in the meeting, we will come to know about it,” he said.
He further informed that a meeting with senior police officers has been convened on Sunday to discuss security arrangements for New Year celebrations, after which appropriate instructions will be issued.
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China opens world's 'longest' expressway tunnel in Xinjiang
Beijing (PTI): China on Friday opened to traffic a 22.13-km-long tunnel, which it claimed to be the "world's longest", in Xinjiang province.
The Tianshan Shengli tunnel, which traverses through the central Tianshan Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has reduced a treacherous mountain journey of several hours to about 20 minutes, official media reported.
According to Song Hailiang, chairman of China Communications Construction Company, the tunnel has “set two world records”.
“It is the longest expressway tunnel in the world and has the deepest vertical shaft for a highway tunnel,” Song said.
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The tunnel is a key part of the G0711 Urumqi-Yuli Expressway, which also became operational on Friday, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The expressway serves as a major transport artery linking city clusters in northern and southern Xinjiang.
Stretching 2,500 km, the Tianshan Mountains span central Xinjiang, separating the provincial capital Urumqi, the largest city in the north, from Korla, the largest city in the south.
With the opening of the expressway, travel time between Urumqi and Korla has been reduced from around seven hours to about three hours, the report said.
The expressway, constructed over five years, is 324.7-km-long with a total investment of 46.7 billion yuan (about USD 6.63 billion).
