Indian-origin man among 4 killed in temple collapse in South Africa
Johannesburg (PTI): A 52-year-old Indian-origin man is among four people killed after a four-storey Hindu temple under construction collapsed in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province, officials have said.
The New Ahobilam Temple of Protection, situated on a steep hill in Redcliffe in north of eThekwini (formerly Durban), was being expanded when a section of the building gave way on Friday while workers were on site.
The exact number of workers and temple officials believed to be trapped beneath tonnes of rubble is unknown.
While two people, a construction worker and a devotee, were confirmed dead on Friday, the death toll rose to four on Saturday after rescue teams recovered more bodies.
Of the four deceased, one has been identified as Vickey Jairaj Panday, an executive member of the temple trust and manager of the construction project, local media reported, quoting officials.
Panday had been deeply involved in the development of the temple since its inception nearly two years ago, the reports said.
Sanvir Maharaj, director of Food for Love, a charity affiliated to the temple, also confirmed that Panday was among those who had died.
Rescue workers, who spent two days trying to recover a fifth body that had been located, had to suspend operations on Saturday afternoon due to inclement weather, Reaction Unit South Africa spokesperson Prem Balram told local media.
“At this stage, it cannot be confirmed whether additional individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble,” he said.
The temple was designed to resemble a cave, using rocks brought from India and excavated on site, and the family building the structure had claimed that it would house one of the world's largest deities of Lord Nrsimhadeva.
The eThekwini municipality, in a statement, said no building plans had been approved for the project, suggesting the construction was illegal.
Initial rescue efforts had been guided by cellphone calls from one of the trapped persons, but communications ceased late Friday evening, officials said.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi visited the site on Saturday and pledged that rescue operations would continue for as long as necessary, even as experts noted that there was little hope of finding more survivors.
Buthelezi expressed gratitude to the combined government and private teams involved in the search and rescue operation, including a special dog unit from the Western Cape.
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India wants to be powerful nation to ensure nobody dares to dictate terms to it, says Vice Prez
Bengaluru (PTI): Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said that India wants to be the "most powerful" country in the world, not to dominate or dictate unjustified norms to other countries, but to ensure that nobody dares to dictate terms to Bharat.
He also said that India is today no longer only an adopter of technology, but it is now emerging as the creators of technology. The initiatives like Digital India, Startup India, Make in India have made the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country vibrant and supportive.
The Vice President was speaking at the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of CMR Institute of Technology here.
"Bharath will be marching towards the Viksit Bharat goal by 2047...We want to be the most powerful, not to dominate other countries, not to dictate unjustified norms to other countries. But, nobody should dare to dictate terms to mother Bharat. That's why we want to become the most powerful nation in the world," Radhakrishnan said.
He said the global scenario today is full of challenges.
Climate change, cyber security threats, equitable access to technology and ethical use of AI are some of the things that need to be concentrated on. "These challenges also offer incredible opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership," he said.
Speaking about the rapid change in technology and new innovation, the Vice President said, "We have to equip ourselves. The institutions and students should get ready to adapt to the dramatical changes that are coming in the field of technology."
"What is the impact we are creating in the industrial field, what is the impact we are creating in society is the greatest success of any institute," he said.
According to Radhakrishnan, in a world shaped by Artificial Intelligence, sustainability challenges and global uncertainty, the students are expected to be creative, ethical, courageous, stay strong, and confident.
"Luck may not favour us every time, but hard work will make luck favour us at least once, and it will be great," he said, as he asked students to never give up.
"You should fix the target and move towards the target all the time at your own convenient speed, never compare yourself with anyone. Everyone has their own plus and minuses. Hard work, sincerity and involvement in any work, may not bring you success on the same day, but it will bring bigger success some other day. Even God cannot deny you that success," he added.
Calling students, the wealth of this nation, the Vice President requested them to say "no to drugs", with a loud voice. He said drugs should not spoil the youngsters of this nation.
Also, advising students to be careful about using social media, he said, "Every invention has positive and negative impact. Based on how we use it, we grow. I'm not asking you not to use it, you can do anything, but you should have full control."
Speaking about remaining relevant in the global arena without losing our values, Radhakrishnan said, "Modern development and keeping our great traditions is not contradictory, it can complement each other. We should grow, and at the same time we should not lose our roots."
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, among others, were present at the event.
