Kashmir.Watch

Blog

  • 24 migrant labourers killed, 36 injured in truck collision in Uttar Pradesh

    Auraiya (UP), May 16: At least 24 migrant labourers were killed and 36 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck in the early hours of Saturday in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

    Both the trucks were carrying the labourers. The accident took place between 3 am and 3.30 am, they said.

    “The accident took place in Mihauli in which 24 people died, and around 36 were injured. A trailer truck carrying around 50 migrant labourers was coming from Rajasthan and it collided with another truck. ?

    The accident took place on Saturday between 3.00 am and 3.30 am,” Circle Officer, Auraiya, Surendranath Yadav told PTI

    Auraiya, which falls under the Kanpur division, is in the south-west Uttar Pradesh. It is on the National Highway-19 and is 400 km away from Delhi and 200 km from Lucknow

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased

    Elaborating on the incident, Yadav said, “The trailer truck hit the other vehicle, which was coming from Delhi and heading towards Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. Both the vehicles turned upside down after losing control.”

    The chief minister, in a statement released by the state government, directed the divisional commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give a report on the cause of the accident immediately.

    “UP chief minister has taken note of the unfortunate incident in Auraiya. He has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives. He has also directed that all the injured be provided medical care and the Divisional Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately,” the statement said.

    Talking to PTI over phone, Inspector General, Kanpur, Mohit Agarwal said most of the migrant labourers in both the vehicles were from Jharkhand and West Bengal

    “The accident took place when some of the labourers travelling on the truck (coming from Delhi) halted on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat Road to have tea at a local shop. At this point of time, a truck coming from Rajasthan hit the stationary vehicle. The intensity of the hit was so huge that both the vehicles turned upside down and fell into a ditch on the roadside,” he told PTI.

    “Of the 36 injured, as many as 14 labourers with serious injuries have been admitted to PGI in Saifai (in Etawah district), while 22 have been hospitalised in Auraiya,” he added.

    Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, “Going by the information received till now, there were a couple of migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district. Most of the deceased labourers were from West Bengal and Jharkhand.”

    When asked whether any financial assistance will be provided to the families of the deceased, he said information in this regard will be given soon.

  • Hizbul militant, soldier killed in encounter in Doda

    PTI

    Doda/Jammu: A Hizbul Mujahideen militant and an Army jawan were killed in an ongoing gunfight in a village in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said.

    The encounter started when security forces launched a joint operation in Posta-Potra village in Gundana area, 26 kms from Doda town, following information about presence of some militants, the officials said.

    An Army jawan was critically injured in the initial firing from the holed up militants and later succumbed to injuries while being evacuated to hospital, they said.

    Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said one of the hiding militants was killed in the ongoing operation.

    The operation is on and further details are awaited, Singh said.

    The officials said joint teams of Army’s Rashtriya Rifles, police and CRPF were launched on Saturday night after inputs were received about presence of two suspected militants in the village.

    As the search parties were moving towards the target area, they came under heavy fire around 7.30 am which was retaliated, the officials said, adding the militants took shelter in a house after a brief encounter in the open.

    This is the second encounter between security forces and militants in Doda district this year. Earlier, Hizbul Mujahideen commander Haroon Abbas was killed in the same area by security forces on January 15.

    Earlier this month, two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were arrested along with some arms and ammunition in the district.

    Doda along with nearby Kishtwar district has witnessed increased militant activity lately.

  • BJP government solely responsible for plight of migrants: AAP

    PTI

    New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday hit out at the Centre over the migrant crisis in the country, saying the BJP government is “solely responsible” for their plight.

    A large number of migrant workers from major urban industrial centres in the country have been moving with their families towards their home states, often walking and also in cramped trucks and other vehicles, during the nearly two-month-long lockdown due to COVID-19.

    “Today, for the first time after 1947, there is a migration of workers across the country. The government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is solely responsible for the barbaric treatment towards the migrant workers returning to their home states,” AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said.

    He urged the BJP-led government to pay heed to the condition of the migrants.

    “The BJP arranged luxurious ships and private chartered planes to bring the rich people and the capitalists back to India from abroad. But the BJP did not make any arrangements to send the poor labourers and migrants to their home states,” he told reporters.

    India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has infected over 90,000 people and killed more than 2,800 people in the country till now.

  • UK Media Watchdog Fines Zakir Naik’s Peace TV For “Hate Speech”, “Highly Offensive” Content

    Zakir Naik left India in 2016 and subsequently moved to Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency.

    PTI

    London: UK’s media watchdog Ofcom has fined controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik”s Peace TV network 300,000 pounds for broadcasting “hate speech” and “highly offensive” content in the country.

    The London-based regulator for the communications services in the UK has fined licence holders of Peace TV Urdu 200,000 pounds and Peace TV 100,000 pounds for breaking its broadcasting rules.

    “Our investigations found that programmes broadcast on Peace TV Urdu and Peace TV contained hate speech and highly offensive content, which in one instance was likely to incite crime,” it said.

    “We concluded that the content represented serious failures of compliance with our broadcasting rules, which warranted fines. Ofcom has today fined the former licence holders of Peace TV Urdu 200,000 pounds and Peace TV 100,000 pounds for breaking our broadcasting rules,” Ofcom said in a statement.

    Peace TV is owned by Lord Productions Limited, and Club TV holds the licence of Peace TV Urdu. Both have the Universal Broadcasting Corporation Limited as their parent company which is owned by Naik, a 54-year-old televangelist and Islamic preacher from Mumbai.

    “The former licence holders, Club TV and Lord Production must now pay 200,000 pounds and 100,000 pounds respectively to HM Paymaster General,” said the statement issued early this month.

    Peace TV is a nonprofit satellite television network broadcasting free-to-air programmes in English, Bengali and Urdu languages from Dubai. The founder and president of Peace TV is Naik.

    The controversial preacher has been wanted in India for money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches. He left India in 2016 and subsequently moved to Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency.

    Last week, India made a formal request to the Malaysian government for his extradition.

    He was banned from entering into the UK in 2010 due to his “unacceptable behaviour”.

  • Dean GMC violates lock down norms

    Police raids clinic

    Pattan: Police Sunday detained Dean Government Medical College Baramulla after he was found busy in private practice at a clinic in North Kashmir’s Pattan town violating all norms of lock-down.

    The doctor identified as Abdul Rashid Budoo was seen examining patients in the clinic where attendants and patients were seen violating the norms of social distancing.

    Dr Abdul Rashid Budoo is known for fleecing patients and in past as well, he was in news for the wrong reasons. “In this lockdown and pandemic, when government is impressing upon people to stay at home, Dr Abdul Rashid Budoo who is Dean GMC Baramulla was seen busy in his private practice every day in Pattan market,” said an attendant to news agency KNT.

    Witnessing said a police team from Pattan arrived in the clinic and detained the doctor. He was let go after counseling at police station.

    Budoo according to reports charge Rs 400 as fee these days, though before the onset of pandemic, patients used to pay only Rs 300 as fee.

    One of the patients told KNT that the said doctor forced them to visit his private clinic as he didn’t attend on him at GMC Baramulla Hospital. (KNT)

  • Lockdown likely to be extended in J&K

    Will take final call by evening, says Div Com

    Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir administration is likely to extend the lock down amid surge in the coronavirus cases.

    An official told news agency KINS that Jammu and Kashmir administration has received guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs about the lock down.

    “Lock down is likely to be extended in Jammu and Kashmir but will be different from previous ones. There would be some relaxations,” the official said.

    Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole confirmed they have received guidelines from the MHA.

    “We are working on it and will take final call by the evening,” Divisional Commissioner Kashmir told news agency KINS.

    Earlier Maharashtra and Punjab extended lockdown till May 31 to contain spread of COVID-19.(KINS)

  • Young girl declared positive for Covid-19 dies of Septic-shock

    Srinagar: A young lady from Habba Kadal area of Srinagar city died of septic-shock. The lady was declared positive for Covid-19 a couple of days ago.

    With this death the death toll reached 13 in Jammu and Kashmir. In Kashmir Valley 11 patients have died of Covid-19 infection while 2 died in Jammu.

    The young lady (29) died at Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar. She according to reports was married to one Bilal Ahmed Sheikh.

    Nodal Officer for Coronavirus at SMHS Hospitl Dr Saleem told news agency KNT that the lady was suffering from Septic-Shock and she had undergoine multiple surgeries. After testing positive for Covid-19 infection, she was shifted from SMHS Hospital to CD Hospital and today she died there.

    Earlier, a 34 year old died of this infection at SMHS Hospital. He was from Hawal area of Srinagar. (KNT)

  • Kashmir’s 75% Covid cases in 20-60 age group

    Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Sunday said most of the people who are infected by the novel coronavirus in Kashmir valley are young and middle aged.

    “Nearly 75 percent of Covid-19 cases are between 20 to 60 years of age,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

    “Based on our analysis from the data of all 989 laboratory confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus as of May 16, 739 cases (74.72 percent) are concentrated in 20-60 age group,” he said.

    “Of these 739 cases, 278 cases (28.10 percent) are between 20 to 29 years of age, 179 cases (18.09 percent) are in the age group of 30-39, 149 cases (15.06 percent) belong to 40-49 and 133 cases (13.44) are between 50 and 60 years of age,” he added.

    Dr Nisar said while the elderly are said to be most vulnerable to the disease, but as per our data patients above 60 years of age accounted for only 79 (7.98 percent) of the total cases in the valley.

    “According to a WHO report those under 19 years of age make up only 2.4 percent of the total cases, but in Kashmir valley 171 (17.29 percent) of the total cases are in the age group of 0-19,” he said.

    Dr Nisar said along with age, the gender-wise difference is also visible in confirmed cases. Our data reveals out of 989 cases, 597 (60.36 percent) are males, while 391 (39.53 percent) are females.

    “21 pregnant women are tested positive for the novel virus. One 8 month old infant is the valley’s youngest Covid victim,” he said.

    Dr Nisar said Kashmir is among the highest Covid-19 case density areas in the country which is 141.28 cases per million of the population.

    “97 percent cases were either asymptomatic or had mild disease. Only 2 percent patients had severe disease and just 1 percent had critical illness,” he said.

    Dr Nisar said the Covid death rate in Kashmir valley is 1.011 percent which is below than the national average of 3.15 percent.

    “Ten patients have succumbed to the disease. 8 of them were males while two were females. 7 of them were above 60 years of age and 8 had underlying medical conditions.

    Though the virus is fatal in elderly and those with medical conditions, we had one death in a pregnant woman and a young male 32 years of age died due to the disease,” he added.

    “While the percentage of positive cases in Kashmir valley as per our data is 2.2 percent, the recovery rate is 48.7 percent which is more than the national average which stands at 35.09 percent,” said Dr Nisar.

    Kindly note that this release is based on data collected and collated right from the day Kashmir reported the first COVID-19 case.

  • COVID-19: JK records 13th death as lady from Habba Kadal dies at CD Hospital

    Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory recorded 13th death due to deadly Coronavirus as one more positive case from Srinagar’s Habba Kadal area has died at Chest Disease Hospital on Sunday, officials said.

    Head of Department at Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar, Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that a 29-year-old lady from Habba Kadal Srinagar who was tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday died at CD hospital today.

    “She was admitted as a case of septic shock at SMHS Srinagar and was put on ventilator at Surgical ICU in critical condition on Friday and was later shifted to CD hospital after her reports came positive,” officials said.

    With her death, the death toll due to COVID-19 has mounted to 13 in Jammu and Kashmir including 11 from Kashmir division and two from Jammu division –(KNO)

  • 14 butchers booked for overcharging, 4 FIRs registered: Director FCS&CA

    Srinagar: Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department claimed to have booked 13 butchers for selling meat at higher-than-approved rates.

    Director FCS&CA Bashir Ahmad told news agency KINS that on Saturday there was an inspection by the deputy director, Joint director and other officers in which 14 meat sellers were booked of which FIR was lodged against four mutton sellers.

    He said in the coming days a massive crackdown will be launched against mutton dealers selling meat on exorbitant rates.

    Sources said that the action is in pursuance to a series of measures the administration has taken against violators over the past few days in response to complaints of overpricing of meat and other essential items following the Covid- lockdown.

    The authorities have stepped up the market vigil to check the menace of overpricing of essential commodities in the markets.

    Sources said that Divisional administration has also called for strict action against all those indulging in overpricing.

    The administration has appealed the general public to help in maintaining a check on the black marketing of essential items and report such instances to FCS&CA. (KINS)