India News
Mumbai’s Andheri Bridge Collapses: 6 Injured, 2 Critical
Amid heavy rains in the city, part of a foot overbridge (Gokhale Bridge) collapsed in Mumbai’s Andheri collapsed around today 7.30 am, bringing the western local railway services on halt, an official said.
It is suspected that some people are trapped under the debris of the collapsed over-bridge, a senior fire brigade official said, adding that a search and rescue operation is underway, PTI reported.
According to reports, two persons injured in the Andheri bridge collapse are critical, while six others have sustained grievous injuries.
A special medical team of Railway doctors is taking due care of all of them at Cooper Hospital. The Commissioner of Rail Safety of Western Circle will hold an inquiry of this incident.
The Gokhale bridge connects Andheri East and Andheri West stations and is used by thousands of commuters each day.
A part of the bridge, which is on the southern end of Andheri station between platform numbers 7-8, crashed around 7.30 am, ripping off overhead wires which were left on the tracks.
The bridge crash damaged a portion of the platform roof, blocked railway lines and damaged high-tension electric wires and overhead power equipment, according to an IANS report. A team of engineers are working to restore services, a Western Railways official told news agency Press Trust of India.
Officials said the debris has to be removed and the wires fixed before trains could resume. Meanwhile, Western Railways has tweeted saying cranes have been deployed to lift the slabs of the bridge from the railway tracks.
Fire brigade personnel, the National Disaster Response Force, Mumbai and railway police along with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials are working to clear debris.
“A part of the foot overbridge has collapsed which has halted our up and down services of Western Railway. Our officers have reached to the spot and accessing the situation,” said Western Railway spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar.
“Thankfully, no train was passing beneath the track,” he added.
Traffic at the bridge has been stopped and trains – the lifeline of India’s financial capital – have been affected.
The routes of some local trains on other lines have been extended to clear the spillover at Ghatkopar station, officials said.
According to reports, the traffic on all four railway lines — the up and down fast lines and the up and down slow lines — between the Bandra and Goregaon suburban stations as well as on the bridge affected came to a halt after the collapse.
Union railways minister Piyush Goyal took note of the incident and said that he has asked officials to work to “rapidly restore traffic.” “I have also ordered an inquiry by Commissioner of Rail Safety,” Goyal said.
A tweet from the Maharashtra chief minister’s office said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked Mumbai’s municipal body chief to increase frequency of the city’s BEST buses. Around 39 extra BEST buses have been arranged on the western line route from Bandra to Andheri.
While some trains have been canceled or terminated due to traffic disruption, 27 special buses have been arranged made between Borivali and Bandra stations for clearance of stranded passengers.
Last year in September, Mumbai was struck by a horrible tragedy that saw 23 people died following a stampede at the Elphinstone Road station on the Western Railway.
The stampede took place on a foot overbridge injured nearly 40 other people.
ALSO READ: Army to help build bridge at Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road station, Opposition lashes out
India News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raises concerns over organized crime, extremism in Canada
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar further mentioned that the issues are intricately intertwined and that the authorities are looking into more discussion and investigation.
India and Canada are witnessing escalating diplomatic standoff over the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Speaking on the same, India’s External Affairs minister S Jaishankar noted that there is a rise in organized crimes linked to secessionist groups, violence and extremism in Canada over the years.
The External Affairs Minister further asserted that these issues have been allowed to persist owing to political considerations in Canada. He added that India has been engaged in discussions concerning specific incidents and information related to the aforesaid concerns.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar further mentioned that these issues are intricately intertwined and that the authorities are looking into more discussion and investigation. The minister made these statements while addressing a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
On being questioned about reports suggesting Five Eyes group’s role in intelligence related to the killing of Nijar and the FBI’s warning to US Sikh leaders of credible threats, S Jaishankar remarked that he is not a part of the Five Eyes and certainly not part of the FBI. Notably, the Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK.
Referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations, S Jaishankar assured that the Indian side would take action if the Canadian side provided specific information concerning Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing. Earlier in a shocking statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed the country’s security agencies were investigating a link between the Indian government and the killing of Nijjar.
In a meeting that was held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reportedly conveyed strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada, promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.
India News
Uttar Pradesh: Train climbs on platform at Mathura railway station, woman injured
Chief Public Relations Officer of North Central Railways, Himanshu Shekhar affirmed that a high level inquiry would be conducted into the unusual incident.
In a tragic incident, a train climbed on the platform at Mathura railway station. According to reports, a woman sustained minor injuries when a local train climbed onto a platform at the Mathura Junction Railway Station on Wednesday.
An official concerned to the matter asserted that the Railways has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter. According to the official from Agra division, the electric multiple unit (EMU) train arrived on platform 2A from Shakurbasti at 10.50 pm on Tuesday. The official narrated that after all the passengers, including the crew, had deboarded, the train rolled down the track and climbed onto a platform before coming to a stop.
Divisional commercial manager and public relations officers for the Agra division of the North Central Railways said that a woman received an electric shock and no one else was injured in the incident. The woman has been identified as Usha Devi (39). She is from Jhansi. After the accident, she was taken to a hospital and administered first aid. Following that, she was sent to Jhansi. Reportedly, few trains on the upline were affected.
Chief Public Relations Officer of North Central Railways, Himanshu Shekhar affirmed that a high level inquiry would be conducted into the unusual incident. The movement of the trains on all platforms except platform 2A is normal, the officials mentioned. Earlier, train traffic was affected after an overhead equipment (OHE) snapped.
In another incident, a 12-year-old boy based out of West Bengal’s Malda transformed his red shirt into a flag to signal the loco-pilot about the broken track the train was heading to, averting a possible accident. Following, the pilot reacted immediately and applied the emergency brake.
The incident took place last Sunday, close to the Bhakula road. Northeast Frontier Railway officials underlined that the boy waved his red shirt to an approaching train packed full of passengers after spotting a damaged track.
India News
BJP’s Shahnawaz Hussain suffers cardiac arrest, admitted to Lilavati Hospital
While giving information about the health of BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, Doctor Jalil Parkar of Lilavati Hospital said that he was admitted to Lilavati Hospital after cardiac arrest. He told that Shahnawaz Hussain has suffered a heart attack. After this the doctors performed his angioplasty.
Former Union Minister and BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain has suffered a heart attack. According to reports BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain suffered a cardiac arrest in the evening. After which he has been admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. Shahnawaz Hussain is the national spokesperson of BJP and he has also been the Industry Minister in Bihar Government.
While giving information about the health of BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, Doctor Jalil Parkar of Lilavati Hospital said that he was admitted to Lilavati Hospital after cardiac arrest. He told that Shahnawaz Hussain has suffered a heart attack. After this the doctors performed his angioplasty.
He was one of the youngest Union Ministers in Atal Bihar Vajpayee’s Cabinet. The BJP leader held several portfolios, including Minister of State, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Minister of State, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Coal, Minister of Civil Aviation and Minister of Textiles during Vajpayee regime.
Shahnawaz Hussain suffered a major setback when he had to face defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier in 2006, BJP had brought him to Parliament through by-election. After the defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party did not even give tickets in the 2019 elections. The seat from which Shahnawaz Hussain contested was given to JDU by BJP. However, JDU was a part of NDA at that time.
In the 2020 assembly elections in Bihar, BJP had fielded Shahnawaz Hussain for the Legislative Council elections. Shahnawaz Hussain was successful in winning and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made him the Industries Minister. However, in 2022, BJP suffered a major setback when Nitish Kumar’s party JDU broke ties with NDA and formed the government with RJD.
Shahnawaz Hussain, who once enjoyed power, is now seen in the role of opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council. Bihar is the home state of Shahnawaz Hussain and Supaul is his home district.
