Hima Das' golden run continues, bags 4th gold in 15 days
Muhammad Anas wins men's 400m race at Tabor Athletics Meet
New Delhi: Star Indian sprinter Hima Das clinched her fourth gold of the fortnight as she won the 200m race with a creditable time in the Tabor Athletics Meet in Czech Republic here Wednesday.
Hima won in 23.25 seconds though the race had a mediocre field with most of the competitors representing clubs of Czech Republic. Nonetheless, she is inching closer to her personal best of 23.10.
Hima's compatriot V K Vismaya was second with a season best 23.43.
This was 19-year-old Hima's fourth gold since July 2 when she ran her first competitive race in Europe. She has been keeping on improving since her first race.
In her first competitive 200m race of the year, the old Assam runner had clocked 23.65 seconds on her way to gold at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland on July 2. After that, she won her second 200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet, also in Poland, on July 7 with a time of 23.97 seconds.
On July 13, she won her third 200m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with a time of 23.43. Hima's pet event is 400m and she is yet to qualify for the World Championships in both the quartermile event and the 200m.
The World Championships qualifying time for 200m is 23.02 while it is 51.80 in 400m.
In men's 400m, Muhammad Anas won in 45.40 seconds in a mediocre field while compatriots Tom Noah Nirmal came second with a season best effort of 46.59. K S Jeevan was third in 46.60 and M P Jabir finished fourth in 47.16.
On July 13 at Kladno, Anas had bettered his own 400m national record to clinch a gold and qualify for the World Championships by clocking 45.21 seconds.
The World Championships qualification time is 45.30 seconds in men's 400m race.
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Bengaluru building collapse: Seven more bodies recovered; owner, contractor held
Bengaluru, Oct 23: Seven more bodies were recovered during search and rescue operation after an under-construction building collapsed at Babusapalya here, taking the death toll to eight, police said on Wednesday.
Teams from the fire and emergency department, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been pressed into rescue operations since the incident occurred during heavy downpour on Tuesday.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident, they said.
"Muniraja Reddy under whose name the building was being constructed, his son Bhuvan and the contractor Muniyappa who was building it have been arrested in connection with the incident," a senior police official said.
"Permission was only for construction of a four-storey building but seven floors were being constructed," he said.
One body was recovered by the rescue team on Tuesday.
"Seven more bodies have been recovered and six workers were injured."
Those killed in the incident hailed from Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Search operation is underway to trace two more people who have been reported missing since the incident and are suspected to be trapped under the rubble, the official said.
Thirteen workers have been rescued so far, he said.
Meanwhile, Assistant Executive Engineer Vinay K has been suspended by the city's civic body BBMP in connection with the incident with immediate effect for serious dereliction of duty, officials said.
Lokayukta Justice B S Patil, who visited the spot, termed it as an "unfortunate incident" and assured that all necessary actions will be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen.
"It is an unfortunate incident. Eight innocents have lost their lives. There is suspicion that two more people are still trapped. Who is responsible for it? Why it happened? Who is at fault?. We have registered a suo moto case. We have come here for inspection," he told reporters here.
He said that the inspection revealed that there was no license. When such a big building was coming up, there was no sanctioned plan nor license. The building was being constructed illegally.
"It is said that the building was being constructed for the last two years. Still the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) officials have not tried to stop it. We have to come to know prima facie that no notice was served when the construction was on from foundation to the fourth floor," he said.
Patil said buildings should not be constructed illegally and that the constructions have to be done with proper license. The officials should not remain silent when unauthorised constructions are underway and then issue notice after they are completed.
"We have inquired assistant executive engineer , zonal commissioner and joint commissioner and prima facie, we have come to know that there is lapse on part of officials, they will be served notice and they will be summoned. Such a tragic incident should be an eye opener for Bengalureans," he said.
"If the constructions are stopped, the question of demolition will not arise. Such incidents should not happen again and we will take all necessary actions," he added.
