One woman killed, 40 others injured as roof of house collapse during village festival in Karnataka
Mandya: In a tragic incident that took place on Tuesday morning in Huligepura village of Maddur Taluk, a woman who had climbed on the roof of a house along with other villagers to see the Kondotsava festivity, died after the roof collapsed. Apart from the woman’s death, 40 other people also have sustained injuries in the accident.
According to the reports, the villagers were trying to get a glimpse of the village deity Basaveshwaraswamy’s Kondotsava when the incident took place.
The deceased woman has been identified as Puttalingamma (40), wife of Dyavarasa, a resident of Huligepura village, it is learned. The injured people were taken to Maddur and Mandya district hospitals, and it has been speculated that the death count could rise in the incident.
The village was observing the Bandi festival and other worship rituals late on Monday night and later, during the early hours of Tuesday, the villagers were partaking in the Shri Basaveshwara Kondostava. Hundreds of people from nearby villages had arrived to watch the festivities and climbed the roof of the residence belonging to Patel Siddegowda. Due to the immense weight load of the people on the roof, the roof reportedly collapsed causing the disaster, it is learned.
The district in-charge minister K. Gopaalaiah has left to visit the incident site, and the senior police officials have visited the site and conducted an inquiry.
A case has been registered in this regard at the Maddur police station.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trump visiting Gulf Arab states while crises flare in Gaza, Iran
Dubai (AP): On his trip this week to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, though his most pressing regional challenges concern two other countries: Israel and Iran.
After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons.
Yet Trump will focus his attention on three energy-rich nations home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects — places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals.
“This is his happy place,” said Jon B Alterman, a senior vice president at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. “His hosts will be generous and hospitable. They'll be keen to make deals. They'll flatter him and not criticize him. And they'll treat his family members as past and future business partners.”
But Trump won't be able to avoid altogether diplomacy on Gaza or Iran: The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places.
“Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America's strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,” analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote.
