Croatia stun Argentina 3-0 to qualify for last 16 stage
Nizhny Novgorod (Russia), June 22 : A far superior Croatia stunned heavyweights Argentina 3-0 to qualify for the knockout stages and leave their opponents' fate hanging by a thread in a crunch Group D encounter here.
Second half goals during the match on Thursday from Ante Rebic (53rd), Luka Modric (80th) and Ivan Rakitic (90+1) ensured Croatia stretched their winning run to two games after they breezed past Nigeria 2-0 in their opener.
Lionel Messi's Argentina, who drew with minnows Iceland in their first game of the competition, will now have to depend on favours from other teams in their group after winning against Nigeria in their last engagement to harbour any hopes of advancing to the next stage.
The 2014 World Cup finalists have one point from two games while Croatia have six from two outings.
The game started with Croatia's Ivan Perisic forcing Argentina goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero's into a low save for a corner in the 5th minute.
Messi nearly got on the end of a sumptuous lobbed ball into the box two minutes later, but his outstretched toe could not reach it with Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic caught in no-man's land.
Real Madrid midfield mainstay Luka Modric and FC Barcelona counterpart Ivan Rakitic combined well in midfield as the European outfit looked the better team in the opening exchanges.
For Argentina, Maximiliano Meza was found free in the middle of the box but his low shot was well-blocked by Dejan Lovren.
At the other end, Argentina's relatively untested back three found their going difficult and on a couple of occasions almost paid the price for lack of communication.
Croatian defenders led by Liverpool's Lovren too looked out of sorts on one occasion and it was due to their incoherence that the ball fell to Enzo Perez who had an empty net in front of him but hammered a shot into the side netting just before the half hour mark.
Mario Mandzukic had the best chance of the half when Sime Vrsaljko's cross found the Juventus striker but 32-year old headed inches wide of target.
In first half stoppage time, Rebic also spurned a good chance from a super Modric through ball as both teams went into the break locked level.
Moments after the break, Gabriel Mercado received a yellow card for a tackle to stop Rebic from breaking through the midfield.
Sergio Aguero forced a save in the 53rd minute with a quick turn and shot from the left of the box. Seconds later, Croatia were celebrating their opener after a Caballero blunder handed Rebic a golden chance.
The Chelsea keeper tried a chipped pass over Rebic but the ball fell to the winger, who volleyed over Caballero to give his side the lead.
Rebic came off with an injury soon after and Argentina fans whistled their disapproval when Aguero made way for Gonzalo Higuain in the 64th.
Meza's shot at the near post was well-saved by Subasic as Argentina looked to equalise.
All their hopes, though, were dashed in the 80th minute when Real Madrid man Modric curled home a remarkable effort from outside the box.
Rakitic then completed the rout in second-half-stoppage time -- the FC Barcelona midfielder passing past Caballero after the Argentine defence gave up on the play in their own box.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
