Woman killed, another injured as man goes on knife rampage in Sydney
Melbourne: A knife-wielding man shouting "Allahu Akbar' on Tuesday went on a stabbing rampage in Sydney's busy central business district, allegedly killing one woman and injuring another before he was overpowered by passersby with a chair.
The attacker has been identified as 21-year-old Mert Ney and is said to have a history of mental illness. Police said the incident was currently not classified as a terror act. Australian TV channels showed the attacker running through the King Street with a large kitchen knife yelling Allahu Akbar (God is Great).
The attacker, who was seen jumping on the bonnet and roof of a Mercedes, stabbed a 41-year-old woman passing on the street in the back before he was held down with chairs and a milk crate by onlookers, police said.
Paramedics found the woman with a stab wound taking refuge in a nearby hotel.
Later, police said they found the body of a 21-year-old woman, believed to have been an acquaintance of the detained suspect, inside an apartment near the crime site.
Officers confirmed that the death was linked to the ongoing investigation. "All the information we have at hand would link these two crimes," New South Wales police commissioner Mick Fuller said.
In a statement, police said that the emergency services responded following reports that a man was walking along York Street armed with a knife.
Fuller said the attacker had no known links to terror organisations, but he did have a thumb drive with details of mass-casualty white-supremacist attacks in the United States and New Zealand.
He said the accused "is by definition a lone actor. Information was found on him that would suggest he had some ideologies related to terrorism... but he has no apparent links to other terrorist organisations." "It is not currently classed as a terrorist incident... As investigation continues we will reassess that," Fuller said.
Officers from Sydney City Police Area Command and various specialist police were conducting patrols in the area, but it is believed there is no further threat to public safety, the police said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the bravery of the onlookers.
"The attacker is now in police custody following the brave actions of those who were present at the scene and were able to able to restrain him," he said in a tweet.
"Our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted by this violent attack," he said.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
