Shillong, Jul 20: Over 360 more citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan crossed over to Meghalaya from violence-affected Bangladesh, taking the total number of people taking refuge in the state to over 670, officials said.

A senior home department official said that 363 people reached Meghalaya through the Dawki Integrated Check Post on Friday. Of them, 204 are Indians, 158 are Nepalese and one person is from Bhutan.

So far, 80 residents of Meghalaya, mostly students, have crossed over to the state. Out of the 80 people, 13 entered their home state on Friday.

The Meghalaya government has activated a helpline number, 1800-345-3644, for the state's citizens in Bangladesh to help them because of the violence in the neighbouring country.

Violence escalated in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and elsewhere over student protests demanding reforms of the quota system for government jobs. There were varying reports of the number of people killed on Friday.

The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.

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.



Thane (PTI): Authorities have seized illegally stored 1,839 gas cylinders and seven vehicles worth over Rs 67 lakh in the Dombivli MIDC area of Thane district, officials said on Saturday.

A special vigilance team of the Mumbai Rationing Department detected an illegal storage of domestic and commercial LPG cylinders in Phase-2 of Dombivli (East).

Cylinders belonging to multiple gas agencies were found stockpiled in closed vehicles, unauthorised warehouses, and open sheds without mandatory permissions from the Explosives Department, Fire Department, or oil companies, according to an official release.