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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Time of India
4 of family killed as house collapses in Uttarkashi village after heavy rain
Dehradun: Four members of a family died early Friday after a portion of their house collapsed in Uttarkashi district's Odata village following heavy rain overnight. The incident occurred around 2am, burying Ghulam Hussain, 26, his wife Rukma Khatun, 23, their three-year-old son Abid, and 10-month-old daughter Salma under debris while they were sleeping, said officials. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hussain's parents, who were in another room, also got injured. A search and rescue operation was launched by a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team led by sub inspector Deepak Kuniyal. The village, located nearly a kilometre uphill from the main road and accessible only on foot, posed challenges to the rescue effort. All four bodies were eventually recovered. Preliminary investigation suggests the collapse may have been triggered by either the rain or structural weakness. "The heavy rain in the region likely compromised the integrity of the house," said officer Jabbar Singh Aswal. The district disaster management office said an ex-gratia amount of Rs 16 lakh – Rs 4 lakh for each of the deceased – has been given to the victims' family. Since the monsoon began on June 1, at least 11 people have died and seven others have been injured in rain-related incidents across the state, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). (With inputs from Ashish Mishra in Uttarkashi)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
J-K conducts flood mock drill in Pahalgam to bolster Amarnath Yatra preparedness
Pahalgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 20 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Department conducted a mock drill simulating a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) scenario in Pahalgam on Friday. The exercise was held in coordination with the Anantnag District Management Authority and saw participation from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, and other emergency support and line departments. The exercise aimed at enhancing preparedness for the Amarnath Yatra will start on July 3. It tested response mechanisms for disasters like floods and accidents, critical for the safety of over 4.5 lakh pilgrims who visited the Amarnath cave shrine last year. The Deputy Secretary of the J-K Disaster Management Department, Snober Jameel, while speaking to ANI, stated, 'It is a very significant and important pilgrimage for us. So, before that, too, it's crucial that we ensure people are already prepared. Given the extreme weather events we are witnessing nowadays--like cloudbursts and other types of events--we must be prepared in advance. We have already implemented preparedness and preventive measures. For prompt response, we have already trained our staff.' The Deputy Secretary stated that the initiative aims to tackle potential disasters in advance, highlighting the region's vulnerability due to numerous glacial lakes in the Himalayas. She said, 'This initiative is by the J-K Disaster Management Department. This mock exercise has been organised in collaboration with the Anantnag District Management Authority. GLOF hazards are a global issue, as we know, and especially in the Himalayan region, where there are many glacial lakes. The approach of the Disaster Management Department and the J-K government has always been that we should be prepared in advance to tackle any disaster.' She said that the drill aims to sensitise and mobilise response forces, including the SDRF, NDRF, and the Army. 'This initiative has been taken to conduct a mock exercise specifically for GLOFs, so that all response forces--be it SDRF, NDRF, the Army, Emergency Support Function departments, line departments, our administrative personnel, and other disaster managers--can be sensitised and mobilised. This is being done to implement preparedness measures and demonstrate the practical steps that need to be taken for a response. The idea is that if we face any such disaster in the future, we are fully prepared.' (ANI)
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
2 palanquin-bearers from J&K carrying pilgrim killed in landslide on Kedarnath trek route
Dehradun: Two palanquin-bearers from Jammu and Kashmir died on Wednesday after a landslide struck near Jungle Chatti along the Kedarnath trek route. They were carrying a pilgrim at the time, who survived with minor injuries. Three others, including two more palanquin-bearers and a pilgrim from Gujarat, were injured after being knocked down into a gorge by the falling debris. Nitin Kumar and Chandra Shekhar, both from Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir, died after falling in the gorge. The injured, Sandeep Kumar, 22, and Aakash Chitriya, 40, also from Doda, and Nitin Manhas, 16, a pilgrim from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, were rescued and taken to the Base Hospital in Srinagar for treatment. District disaster management officer, Nandan Singh Rajwar, said, "Huge boulders fell from the hillside with immense force around 11.20am. Local police, the SDRF, and the district administration rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation." A staff member from the Rudraprayag district disaster management office added, "All five were first brought to Gaurikund, and the three were then shifted to Base Hospital." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The Kedarnath valley has experienced heavy rainfall in recent days. Jungle Chatti, located 4 km from Gaurikund, is a known landslide-prone area on the 16-km trek to the shrine. Heavy rain last Sunday had also triggered landslides in the area, leading authorities to halt the yatra for a day as helicopter services remained suspended after the chopper crash near Kedarnath that killed seven people. During the 2024 monsoon, portions of the Jungle Chatti trail were washed away and took weeks to repair. In light of recent incidents, the district administration has urged pilgrims to check weather forecasts before starting their journey and to proceed with caution. Since the start of the Char Dham yatra, around 130 people have died, with most deaths caused by health complications such as cardiac arrest. Over 60 of those fatalities occurred on the Kedarnath route alone.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Honeymoon murder: New details deepen mystery; court extends police custody
The murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi continues to baffle investigators as new twists surface, deepening the mystery behind his killing during his honeymoon in Meghalaya. A Shillong court on Thursday extended the police custody of accused Sonam Raghuvanshi and her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha by two more days. Meanwhile, three alleged hitmen — Akash Rajput (19), Vishal Singh Chauhan (22), and Raj Singh Kushwaha (21) — were sent to 14-day judicial remand. All five were earlier remanded to eight days of police custody on June 11, after being brought to Meghalaya on transit remand. On Thursday, they were taken to Shillong Civil Hospital for medical tests. From honeymoon to homicide: Timeline of the crime Raja, 29, married Sonam on May 11 in Indore. The couple travelled to Meghalaya for their honeymoon on May 20. They were reported missing on May 23 in Sohra (Cherrapunji), and Raja's decomposed body was discovered in a gorge on June 2. Sonam surrendered to police in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 8. The Meghalaya Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) recreated the crime scene in Sohra on June 17 in the presence of the accused. SP Vivek Syiem said, 'The SIT visited several places to replay how the accused did it. We started from the parking lot where they had kept their two-wheelers. We went to the viewpoint, and ascertained who was standing where just before the murder. There were three blows — first by Vishal, second by Anand, and the last blow by Akash." 'We have ascertained that the victim was hit with the weapon. The first hit was by Vishal aka Vicky. When Raja was hit and blood came out, Sonam moved away from the spot. The three accused threw the body down,' he added. Murder weapon missing, phone destroyed Police are still searching for one machete used in the murder. 'We have ascertained that one more machete still needs to be recovered. The accused replayed how they threw the machete. SDRF is trying to recover the second weapon,' said Syiem. He also revealed that Raja's phone was broken: 'Sonam damaged it, and then Vishal damaged it. This whole thing was played out, and also their exit from here.' Phone records and fake identity expose affair Police said Sonam had a relationship with Raj Kushwaha, an accountant in her family's Sunmica business. Before her wedding, she made over 100 calls to a man named Sanjay Verma, who turned out to be Kushwaha using a fake identity. SP Syiem said, 'We have discovered that Sonam made over 100 phone calls to one Sanjay Verma before her marriage to Raja. The calls continued even after the wedding.' Three failed murder attempts before Sohra killing Investigators found that there were three failed attempts to kill Raja — in Guwahati, Nongriat, and near Weisawdong falls — before the murder was finally executed in Sohra on May 23. Kushwaha reportedly avoided travelling to Meghalaya to escape suspicion. Police also questioned a taxi driver who allegedly helped Sonam flee from Indore to Uttar Pradesh. She reportedly hid in a rented flat with ₹10,000–₹20,000 in cash, two mobile phones, and some jewellery. Victim's family seeks longer remand; Sonam's family responds Raja's brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, said, 'Sonam hasn't confessed her crime yet. She and the other accused are trying to mislead the police. We demand that their remand be extended by eight more days. Through further investigation and interrogation, the truth will come out.' Sonam's brother, Govind Raghuvanshi, said he is open to a narco test. 'A big tragedy has happened in their home... so I also want that if they are demanding a narco test, then it should definitely be conducted.' He confirmed Sonam carried some jewellery while fleeing. 'Some jewellery, like a pendant and a few other items such as earrings or nose rings, I think she took with her... the rest of the jewellery is in our custody.' Govind also stated, 'I don't know anything about Sanjay Verma. I had come to show you all the places where Raj used to work. Nothing has been seized from here.' Case status and arrests So far, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the case:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bridge collapses in Cachar, snaps link to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur
Silchar: A key bridge over the Harang river near Bhangarpar in Cachar district collapsed late Tuesday night as two overloaded limestone-laden trucks attempted to cross it, severing a critical road link between Assam's Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram, parts of Manipur, and the rest of the country. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The collapse has halted traffic on NH-6, triggering disruption and panic across the region. The Harang bridge served as a vital artery after the closure of the nearby Gammon Bridge over the Barak river, which has been undergoing repairs for the past two months. Sources said the incident occurred around midnight when two trucks — reportedly exceeding the permissible load limit — tried to cross the bridge simultaneously. Though the bridge had a 40-tonne limit, local reports allege that trucks weighing 70-80 tonnes were routinely allowed passage in exchange for bribes ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per vehicle. Residents awoke on Wednesday to find the region cut off. Authorities suspended vehicular movement indefinitely. Attempts to reroute traffic via alternative roads have proved difficult due to their poor condition; NH-27, connecting Silchar to Guwahati via Dima Hasao, is considered unsafe for heavy vehicles. Cachar SP Numal Mahatta, who visited the site on Wednesday morning, said SDRF teams were deployed to assist in ferrying schoolchildren, elderly residents, and patients across the broken link. District commissioner Mridul Kumar Yadav also assessed the damage and initiated emergency traffic management measures. "We are working on temporary arrangements, but restoring normal connectivity will take time," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The incident has sparked sharp political backlash. Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev accused the BJP-led state govt of administrative failure, noting that the bridge had recently undergone renovation by the public works department.
