Kabul, Aug 15: At least 25 people were killed in a suicide bombing inside an education academy here on Wednesday, officials said.

The bombing took place at 4.10 p.m. while students were attending classes at the Mawoud academy in Dasht-e-Barchi.

The Ministry of Public Health confirmed the death toll and said 35 people were wounded in the blast, TOLO News reported.

Public Health Ministry spokesperson Wahidullah Majroh said that the victims were being transferred to hospitals and at least 18 ambulances were at the scene.

Security forces cordoned off the area. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

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Bhubaneswar, Jan 16 (PTI): The Odisha government will provide a monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000 to each of the Padma awardees of the state from the current month.

The Odia Language Literature and Culture Department issued a notification to this effect on Thursday.

In view of their outstanding contribution to society in various fields, the state government has decided to provide an honorarium of Rs 30,000 to the Padma awardees, the notification said.

All the Padma awardees of the state, who are alive, will receive the honorarium through direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode from January 2025, it said.

The government has asked collectors and culture officers of all districts to submit details of the Padma award winners (who are alive) including the district collector's certificate, bank account details, IFSC code to the Directorate of Odia, Language, Literature and Culture as soon as possible.

In March last year, the previous BJD government had announced a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 for the Padma awardees from Odisha. However, it was not implemented yet, an official of the department said.

In November last year, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had decided to provide Rs 30,000 to the Padma awardees of the state. Accordingly, the formal notification was published on Thursday, he said.

The Padma Award was introduced in 1954. The award is given to personalities for their outstanding contribution in the fields of arts, education, science, sports, social work, public service, medicine, literature, etc.

As per the Padma Awards website of the Ministry of Home Affairs, till now, the President has conferred Padma awards on 105 eminent personalities from Odisha, which includes 90 Padma Shri, 11 Padma Bhushan and four Padma Vibhushan.