20 Myanmar migrant workers killed in Thailand bus fire
Bangkok: Twenty migrant workers from Myanmar were killed when their bus caught fire in northwestern Thailand on Friday, the police said.
The workers were travelling to a factory district near Bangkok when their chartered bus was engulfed in flames around 1.30 a.m. in Tak Province, the Bangkok Post reported.
The double-decker bus was carrying 47 Myanmar workers, out of which 27 managed to escape the inferno, said Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen, a Royal Thai Police spokesman.
The cause of the fire was not yet known, he said. Initial reports said that the engine of the bus caught fire which spread quickly through the vehicle.
Police said the fire was so intense that identifying the dead would require experts. One officer at the scene told the daily that he could not distinguish between male and female corpses.
The authorities were planning to interview the driver, who survived the fire.
The workers who were killed on Friday had passed the lengthy new registration process to work in the country, reports said.
Thailand has the world's highest rate of road traffic deaths, according to World Health Organisation data from 2013. In 2015, it was found to have the second highest road fatality rate behind Libya.
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Police probe antecedents of man who opened fire at Farooq Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Police have initiated a detailed probe into the antecedents of Kamal Singh Jamwal, the man who allegedly attempted to assassinate former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah at a marriage function here, officials said on Thursday.
Police are examining the 63-year-old Jamwal’s background, including his personal, social and possible organisational links, to ascertain the motive behind the firing incident, they said.
Abdullah, the president of the National Conference, had a narrow escape when the accused allegedly fired at him from behind as he was leaving the marriage function at Greater Kailash on the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night.
Security personnel deployed with Abdullah immediately swung into action and thwarted the assassination attempt. A licensed pistol allegedly used in the crime was recovered from Jamwal's possession.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and adviser to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Nasir Aslam Wani, were also accompanying the NC chief when the incident occurred.
Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, reportedly told police that he had been waiting for an opportunity to target Abdullah for the last 20 years. Officials said police are also examining his recent activities and movements before the attack.
Senior police officers are currently questioning Jamwal, who told investigators that he earns his livelihood from rent generated by his shops.
Officials said security arrangements at the venue are being reviewed to determine how the accused managed to enter the function with a weapon.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal has condemned the attack on Abdullah, saying "such acts of violence are unacceptable and have no place in a democratic and civilised society."
"Since the accused has been arrested, the authorities must ensure a thorough and transparent investigation so that the complete facts behind the attack come to light and strict action is taken in accordance with the law," Sirwal said.
