Explosions reported at Syrian military airport
Damascus, Sep 2 : A series of explosions was reported at a large Syrian military airport near Damascus, state media reports said on Sunday.
The private, pro-regime news outlet al-Mayadeen originally reported that Israeli airstrikes hit the airbase in al-Mazzeh on Saturday night area with multiple missiles, reports CNN.
However, Syrian state media later cited an unnamed military source denying the base was hit by Israel.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and Syria state television reported a "military source denies the exposure of the Mazzeh Airport to any Israeli aggression and the sounds of explosions that were heard resulted from explosion of an ammunition depot near the airport because of electrical failure".
About four explosions were heard coming from the direction of the military airport Saturday, a Damascus resident told CNN.
Some clips of the explosions and the aftermath -- seemingly filmed by phones at a distance -- emerged on various forums including Facebook and WhatsApp.
Video showed bright flashes of light in the night sky in some kind of explosion, but did not reveal precisely what caused the blasts.
Besides the military airport, the al-Mazzeh area is home to embassies, security buildings and the homes of some members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle.
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Essar Group co-founder Shashi Ruia dies at 80
New Delhi (PTI): Essar Group co-founder Shashi Ruia has died after a prolonged illness. He was 80.
Ruia, who co-founded metals-to-technology conglomerate Essar with his brother Ravi, died in Mumbai around 23.55 hrs on November 25, family sources said.
He had returned from the US, where he was undergoing treatment, about a month back.
His mortal remains will be kept at Ruia House from 1 pm to 3 pm on Tuesday. The funeral procession will leave from Ruia House at 4 pm towards the Hindu Worli Crematorium.
Shashi, a first-generation entrepreneur industrialist, started his career in 1965 under the guidance of his father Nand Kishore Ruia.
He, along with his brother Ravi, laid the foundation of Essar in 1969 by constructing an outer breakwater at Chennai Port. The group expanded into various sectors, including steel, oil refining, exploration and production, telecom, power, and construction.
He is survived by his wife Manju and two sons Prashant and Anshuman.
