‘Scariest 10 seconds’: 19 killed in Pakistan’s earthquake
Tremors were felt across Pakistan and parts of northern India. Panic-stricken people rushed out of their homes and offices in Delhi and other north Indian cities.
india Updated: Sep 24, 2019 21:27 IST
People gather outside their office building after an earthquake in Islamabad, Pakistan on Tuesday.(AP Photo) The toll from a shallow earthquake that rattled eastern Pakistan has risen to at least 19 dead and more than 300 wounded, reported AFP.“At least 19 people have been killed and more than 300 wounded,” said Sardar Gulfaraz, deputy inspector general of police in Mirpur -- a city in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir near the epicentre of the quake -- in televised comments.The quake struck 23 km north of Jhelum, Pakistan, at a relatively shallow depth of 10 km, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. Jhelum is located in northeastern Pakistan, around 120 km southeast of the capital Islamabad.The tremors were felt across Pakistan and parts of northern India. Panic-stricken people rushed out of their homes and offices in Delhi and other north Indian cities.In Islamabad, the tremors shook buildings and people could be seen rushing out to the streets.“It lasted for 8-10 seconds but it was very scary,” an Islamabad resident told a Pakistani news channel.Pakistan’s chief meteorologist Muhammad Riaz told AFP that the earthquake was 10 kilometres deep and was felt in most of Punjab province, some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The worst hit was Mirpur,” he said.TV channels showed the footage of heavily damaged roads in Mirpur, with many vehicles overturned.Authorities in Pakistan are still trying to find out the damage caused by the quake. Major General Asif Ghafoor, a spokesman for the Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted that army troops with aviation and medical support teams were dispatched.People took to social media to share their experience.Major General Asif Ghafoor, a spokesman for the Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted that army troops with aviation and medical support teams had been dispatched to the affected areas.“Our whole concentration right now is to accelerate the rescue operation,” Raja Farooq Haider, prime minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region, told GNN TV. “There are people who are stuck there and who need immediate help. We are putting in all our resources to get people the best of our help.”First Published: Sep 24, 2019 17:52 ISTtagsCourt issues directions for residential arrangements for Unnao rape survivor, family in Delhi
District Judge Dharmesh Sharma directed that the rape survivor, who is likely to be discharged from AIIMS on Wednesday, and her family members -- mother, two sisters and one brother -- be temporarily accommodated in the hostel of the Jay Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi for the next seven days, a lawyer privy to the proceedings said.
india Updated: Sep 25, 2019 05:34 IST
BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was among the 10 people named in an FIR registered in connection with a road accident in which the Unnao rape survivor and her lawyer were critically injured and her two aunts killed, police said.(PTI) A Delhi court Tuesday issued a slew of directions under the witness protection guidelines for arranging accommodation for the 2017 Unnao rape survivor and her family in Delhi after the Uttar Pradesh government said they wanted to reside in the national capital apprehending threat in their home state.District Judge Dharmesh Sharma directed that the rape survivor, who is likely to be discharged from AIIMS on Wednesday, and her family members -- mother, two sisters and one brother -- be temporarily accommodated in the hostel of the Jay Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi for the next seven days, a lawyer privy to the proceedings said.The woman is admitted in AIIMS following an accident on July 28 and the family is under the CRPF security as per the Supreme Court’s order.The rape survivor’s mother had a discussion with the Judge about their relocation arrangements and said that they be allowed to live in Delhi as they apprehend threat to their life and liberty in case they go back to reside at their native village in Unnao district, the lawyer said after in-camera proceedings.The court’s directions came on the report filed by the Uttar Pradesh government stating that the family wanted to reside in the national capital.The report was filed as per the court’s earlier directions to the UP government to apprise it about the possible measures that could be taken for relocating the woman and her family to a safe place.The court has put up the matter for further hearing on September 28.In the report filed on behalf of Special Secretary of the UP government, it was indicated that the counsel for the rape survivor and her family, Dharmendra Mishra, also had a correspondence with the concerned authorities with regard to their security and conveyed that the family wanted to reside in Delhi.The court said Mishra has undertaken that he would look for a suitable accommodation for the victim and her family members so that they could shift to a new accommodation with necessary security arrangements.It is further directed that on finding a suitable accommodation, the terms and conditions of the lease be shared with the court, so that appropriate directions can be passed to the state government to bear or reimburse rental charges till further orders.Mishra also asked to ascertain the educational needs of the children as also the follow up medical treatment for the victim/ survivor in a hospital near to their new accommodation, if desirable or else to continue with the follow up with the JPN Trauma Centre, the court said in its order.Mishra told PTI that the UP government, via telephonic and e-mail conversations with him, had “implied that the court should request the Delhi government to arrange a shelter for the family”.The woman was allegedly kidnapped and raped by expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao in 2017, when she was a minor.The court had framed charges against Sengar and co-accused Shashi Singh in the case.First Published: Sep 25, 2019 05:34 ISTtags64 died cleaning sewers in Delhi, says panel; govt counters claim
Delhi’s social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, however, said the deaths took place in septic tanks of malls and high-rises which are inaccessible to sewer cleaning machines of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
india Updated: Sep 25, 2019 05:31 IST
Delhi’s social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, however, said the deaths took place in septic tanks of malls and high-rises which are inaccessible to sewer cleaning machines of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).(Photograph by Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times) The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) Tuesday said 64 people have died while cleaning sewers in Delhi since 1993, with 38 such deaths taking place over the last two years.Delhi’s social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, however, said the deaths took place in septic tanks of malls and high-rises which are inaccessible to sewer cleaning machines of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).Addressing a press conference, NCSK chairman Manhar Valjibhai Zala, also a former BJP MLA from Gujarat, claimed that the Delhi government has not been implementing the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and was sending a wrong message to the rest of the country. The presser soon turned into a heated argument between minister Gautam and NCSK members, with the former criticising the BJP and the latter blaming the AAP government.“The AAP government has put an end to manual scavenging and is exploring alternative ways to clean septic tanks in malls and high-rises. The issue should not be politicised and everyone should join hands to put an end to the abominable practise,” Gautam said, minutes before he walked out of the conference.NCSK member Gangaram Ghosre claimed that the Delhi government had promised to employ manual scavengers to operate 200 sewer cleaning machines procured last year, but only 38 have got these jobs.“Of the 64 people who died while cleaning sewers, the state government has given compensation of ₹10 lakh each to 46 families. The panel has asked the Delhi administration to provide the compensation to the remaining families within a week,” he said.Zala and other members of the NCSK also targeted the Delhi government over non-implementation of the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme in the capital.To this, Gautam said, “Delhi has a better scheme than Ayushman Bharat which cannot be implemented here since the average income of Delhiites is higher than those in other states.”First Published: Sep 25, 2019 05:31 ISTtagsAt least 8 drone sorties, target J&K as Pak-based groups airdrop weapons
The entire consignment, using the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) network, was supported by Pakistan’s spy agency Inter Services Intelligence and orchestrated through Germany and Lahore; the ultimate aim — to fuel terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir.
india Updated: Sep 25, 2019 05:05 IST
Some of the weapons dropped into India.(HT Photo) At least eight drone sorties, carrying a total of 80 kg of weapons (arms and ammunition), were sent across the border into Punjab by Pakistan-based Khalistani terror groups between September 9 and 16, officials in security agencies and the Punjab Police have confirmed on condition of anonymity.The entire consignment, using the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) network, was supported by Pakistan’s spy agency Inter Services Intelligence and orchestrated through Germany and Lahore; the ultimate aim — to fuel terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir.The details of these drops have emerged following investigations that led to and following the September 22 weapons seizure at Tarn Taran district; the eight payloads were dropped in Amritsar and Tarn Taran.
Police recover a half-burnt drone that was used for smuggling weapons into Punjab from Pakistan. ( Photo: Special arrangement )Five people have so far been arrested by Punjab Police in connection with the drone drops, with one 22-year-old Subhdeep held on Tuesday. Investigators said he was from Amritsar district and was radicalised by the prime accused in the case, Mann Singh, and another accused, Akashdeep, in Amritsar jail. The other four people, suspected to belong to a terror module, were arrested from the outskirts of village Chohla Sahib in Tarn Taran on Sunday. They were using a white Maruti Swift with a Punjab registration number.The investigation involved multiple agencies – the Punjab Police, central security agencies, the Border Security Force, the Indian Air Force – and prima facie found that multiple Chinese commercial drones with 10 kg payloads have been used in the weapons drop operations across the border. The drones, the investigation reveals, may have been launched from locations 2 km inside Pakistan and made to travel the distance of five kilometres at a height of 2,000 feet, and then dropped off the weapons after descending to 1200 ft. The payload was slung from the platform using Chinese mountaineering ropes.With drone activity also being seen in Punjab’s Ferozepur district, the IAF and BSF have been asked by the Punjab police to intercept these unmanned aerial vehicles through low-level radars and destroy them. Officials fear that they could also be used to carry and drop off bombs.The interrogation of those arrested has revealed that KZF’s Germany-based operative Gurmeet Singh Bagga in coordination with his Pakistan-based chief Ranjeet Singh aka Neeta have made deliveries of at least four weapons, grenades, electronics, and fake currency through drones. The deliveries were made on the intervening nights of September 6/7, 9/10 and the last one on 15/16. The last drone crashed at Rajoke Village, Khalra police station, in Tarn Taran, near a border drain which is 2km from the fencing on the international border with Pakistan. The entire operation came to light after the discovery of the burnt drone, whose eight Chinese batteries were stripped off by the accused on instructions from across the border. “ It has also been revealed that such deliveries took place on four different dates, mostly between 9.30 pm and 10.30 pm with the drone making two sorties within an hour,” said a senior Punjab Police official. As many as five AK-47 rifles, which weigh about four kilograms with magazine, four Chinese pistols , nine HE grenades, ₹10 lakh fake currency, 1000 rounds of ammunition and two electronic receivers were recovered by the police from the accused.The main concern of Indian security agencies is the revelation that entire consignment was meant for Islamist groups in Kashmir. “ We are not very clear as to how many other consignment has made their way into Kashmir using similar modus operandi and with the help of Pakistan based Sikh terrorists,” said a senior security official.First Published: Sep 25, 2019 05:03 ISTtagsPlastic out, bottles from home back as Parliament goes green
According to two senior officials involved in the purchase of water bottles that were widely used in the Parliament complex, an average of 2,000 bottles of Rail Neer, a product of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, were bought daily.
india Updated: Sep 25, 2019 05:05 IST
The Lok Sabha Speaker’s office told HT that big water dispensers will be installed in large numbers across the Parliament building, library and the annexe.(REUTERS) After three unsuccessful attempts, Parliament has finally stopped the use of packaged drinking water bottles and other disposable plastic items on its premises. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s action against single-use plastic has earned praise from a large number of MPs, but sceptics still wonder how sustainable the ban will prove to be.According to two senior officials involved in the purchase of water bottles that were widely used in the Parliament complex, an average of 2,000 bottles of Rail Neer, a product of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, were bought daily.The annual supply of more than 600,000 bottles suddenly came to a halt following a circular issued on August 19 on “total prohibition of use of plastic bottles and other plastic items within Parliament House complex”. Glasses of water have replaced bottles in all meetings and more officials have started bringing water bottles from home.“The security officers are checking if people are bringing plastic wraps or single-use plastic bags. They are reminded of the order and requested not to bring any such item in future,” a senior officer involved in Parliament’s security said on condition of anonymity.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the vanguard of a campaign against single-use plastic, using his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort to eliminate the use of these polluting items by 2022. Disposable plastics are the least biodegradable and with the lowest possibility of being reconverted.The Lok Sabha Speaker’s office told HT that big water dispensers will be installed in large numbers across the Parliament building, library and the annexe to make it easier for people to get drinking water. “Thousands of paper cups will also be made available every day along with the dispensers,” said a close aide to Birla. The Lok Sabha Speaker is deemed as the custodian of Parliament premises.This is not the first attempt to get rid of single-use plastic in Parliament. In June 2015, the Lok Sabha secretariat issued the first order to prohibit use of plastics in the complex. The next order came on May 2017, followed by another appeal in April 2018. “But none of the previous orders were as effective as the recent one, as there was laxity in enforcement of the order. People took it lightly and plastic bottles continued to come to Parliament complex,” said a joint-secretary level official.This time, the picture looks different. Last week, a number of Parliamentary committees met for the first time following their reconstitution in the new Lok Sabha and in no meeting were plastic water bottles served. Thirsty MPs had to drink RO water in glasses.Chairman of the standing committee on labour and consecutive six-term MP Bhartruhari Mahtab welcomed the anti-plastic campaign. “Till 15 years ago, there were no facility for water or snacks for MPs in the Parliament annexe, where most of the committee meetings take place. No water or food was even allowed in committee meetings. Earlier in central hall, water was served in glasses. Between 2004 and 2005, after some MPs raised the issue, the secretariat started serving water in plastic bottles. And over the years, it almost became a norm as it was very convenient to handle and distribute,” said Mahtab.Officials also point out that in the floor of the House, no water bottles are allowed. “Even when Prime Minister of India or any other MP feels thirsty, the orderly brings him or her a glass of water. There have been several instances when the PM or the finance minister drinks water during a long speech. If the PM can drink water processed through the RO plant in Parliament, why can’t it be followed by others.” said a senior official.Mahtab added that there was a water dispenser in the lobby of the Lok Sabha for MPs. “We can get warm, normal or cold water from it.”Not everybody is convinced about the purity of drinking water they have access to in the Parliament complex. An officer who sits on the ground floor said he brings his water from home. Another said that when foreign delegates come to Parliament, it may be difficult to convince them to drink the water supplied by the New Delhi Municipal Council.An officer recalled that during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era, an animal fell into the water tank and died. “As a result, some MPs fell sick after drinking that water,” he said.Another senior official brushed aside such possibilities and pointed out that the large water tank installed on the third floor of Parliament House has been encaged to stop animals, particularly monkeys, from reaching it. “Moreover, the NDMC checks the quality of the water almost on a daily basis. There is absolutely no possibility that the drinking water is unfit for use,” said the official.Some remain sceptical about how long the ban will last. An official in the Lok Sabha secretary general’s office, however, recalled, “After a study revealed that cold drinks in India contains high levels of pesticides, Parliament of India banned the entry of cold drinks in 2004. Till date, no Pepsi or Coke is allowed in Parliament.”Former parliamentary affairs secretary Afzal Amanullah welcomed the move. “Plastic is creating havoc in the entire world. Parliament of India has done the right thing and took the lead by setting an example. All government offices should also ban plastics now,” Amanullah said.First Published: Sep 25, 2019 05:01 ISTtags
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
earthquake in pakistan
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