Pakistan-made eyeliner suspected of causing lead poisoning
Canberra, July 24 : Three children in Australia are suspected to have fallen ill from using Pakistan-made Hashmi brand eyeliner contaminated with lead, authorities said.
The New South Wales state government issued a public health alert over the products, the BBC reported.
The kohl cosmetics were found to contain 84 per cent lead, as well as other dangerous metals. The products were legally imported but contained dangerously misleading packaging, the government said.
The Hashmi Kohl Aswad and Hashmi Surmi Special cosmetics were sold in specialty shops that stock Indian and Pakistani goods in Sydney, authorities said.
"Some of the product packaging even specifically states that no lead is present, which is a total disgrace," said Matt Kean, the state minister overseeing regulation.
Doctors had raised concerns when they found lead in the blood of the children, all of whom were related.
"An investigation indicated the health concerns were likely to have been caused by one of the Hashmi brand eyeliners," Kean said. Australians have been advised to stop applying the products. The matter will be further examined by the Australian Border Force.
Other nations have previously issued health warnings about Hashmi brand eyeliners. The products are banned for sale in the US, the BBC said.
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Indian-origin techie among 3 killed in tragic climbing accident in US
New York, May 15 (PTI): Indian-origin techie Vishnu Irigireddy was among the three persons killed in a tragic climbing accident in Washington state's North Cascades Range of western North America.
Vishnu, 48, a resident of Seattle, was attempting to climb North Early Winters Spire area of the Cascades along with his three friends, Tim Nguyen, 63, Oleksander Martynenko, 36 and Anton Tselykh, 38, on Saturday when the accident happened, NBC News reported.
The group noticed a storm coming and started to retreat when at some point during their descent, the team’s anchor point failed and sent the group plunging 200 feet down, Climbing website reported.
Tselykh, the sole surviving climber, miraculously survived the dangerous fall and drove 64 kilometres to inform the authorities about the accident that killed his three friends.
Vishnu’s friends and family describe him as an experienced climber “who found joy and purpose in nature.”
“Originally from India and a proud member of Seattle’s vibrant tech and cultural community, Vishnu built a life that reflected his values—integrity, compassion, and a relentless pursuit of growth,” a note by family and friends on remembr.com website said.
According to a notice for his cremation ceremony, to be held on Thursday, his friends and family would be making donations to two non-profits to honour Vishnu, who they said had “developed an intense passion for mountaineering and climbing throughout his life.” They also made an appeal to others to donate to those charitable organisations till May 22.
Vishnu was working as Vice President of Engineering at Fluke Corporation, a test equipment manufacturing company in the Greater Seattle Area.
His company described him as an extraordinary leader in a statement released after his death adding that his loss “felt profoundly” across the organisation.
Tselykh is currently in hospital and is being treated for internal bleeding and a traumatic brain injury.
North Early Winters Spire, a granite peak in the Liberty Bell group of the North Cascades, is popular among experienced climbers.
