Vol 2, Issue 18, Nov 1-15, 2022
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Tragedy strikes Gujarat as 141 people killed after Morbi bridge collapse
PM Modi, Indian leaders congratulate Sunak for becoming UK PM
In historic flight, Indian rocket puts ‘OneWeb’ satellites into orbit - Page 3
10 fear stricken Kashmiri Pandit families abandon homes in J&K’s Shopian district - Page 7
Morbi (Gujarat), Oct 30 (IANS) At least 141 people, including women and children, were killed and scores were missing as the hanging bridge over the Machhu dam in Gujarat’s Morbi district collapsed on the evening of October 30, officials said. Many bodies had been fished out from the Machhu river and sent for post-mortem examinations at the Morbi government hospital while Morbi MLA and Minister of State for Panchayat Brajesh Merja confirmed the number of deaths. No break-up of the deceased was available yet.
2 missing Indians killed, claims Kenyan President’s aide - Page 10
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who has cancelled all his programmes and rushed to Morbi to personally monitor rescue and medical services, announced Rs 4 lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 financial help to those injured in the accident. Patel is likely to camp in Morbi till the rescue operations continue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took cognisance of the accident,
Pay fees with plastic waste! How a Bihar school is cleaning up a village Page 13
According to a tweet by the Prime Minister’s office, “PM @narendramodi spoke to Gujarat CM @ Bhupendrapbjp and other officials regarding the mishap in Morbi. He has sought urgent mobilisation of teams for rescue ops. He has asked that the situation be closely and continuously monitored, and extend all possible help to those affected”. Meanwhile, the Morbi Municipal Committee’s Chief Executive Officer S.V. Zala, in a shocking revelation, said that the bridge was opened for the public after renovation without a fitness certificate from the civic body. On the state government’s request, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has deployed one NDRF team from Rajkot, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has instructed the Army rescue teams to rush to Morbi.
The rescue operation is likely to be carried out the entire night, as locals fear that children’s bodies have been swept away due to the water flow in the Machhu river. Local authorities’ apprehension is that the bridge has collapsed right in the middle of the river, where the water level is 15 to 20 feet deep, and due to this the death toll is likely to rise. A total of seven fire brigade teams were pressed into rescue services, and one State Disaster Response Force team, and two NDRF teams from Gandhinagar rushed to the spot. Local authorities have started a helpline number - 02822-243300 - on which people can seek help to know about their missing relatives. This hanging bridge was constructed by Morbi Dynasty ruler Sir Vaghaji Thakor some 150 years ago, and its length is 233 metres and it is 4.6 feet wide. Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Continue on Page no. 17
One Australian killed in Seoul’s Halloween crowd crush tragedy
Lecture on ancient Indian wisdom held - Page 15
A tale of traditional and contemporary - Page 20
announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of the kin of the dead from the PM’s Relief Fund, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk/IANS One Australian is among more than 153 people who died in a crowd crush in Seoul, the Australian Embassy in Seoul has said. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, consular officers are providing assistance to the individual’s family in Australia. Consular officials are also said to be assisting a number of other Australians who were present at the event, Australian media reports suggest. An Australian man in Seoul is reported to have told the ABC news that one of his friends has died in the crush. According to him, as reported by the ABC, another Australian is in intensive care and another one who is a dual citizen is in a stable condition. The ABC report quotes Choi
Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, telling a briefing at the scene that 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously. The deaths reportedly include 22 foreigners, he said, reports the ABC. Officials are said to be telling the media that the death toll could rise. It’s believed people were crushed to death after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. Meanwhile, the Australian national who survived a deadly stampede in Seoul’s Itaewon district the previous day, desperately searched for the body of his Australian friend on October 30. The 23-year-old female victim, whose identity was withheld, is believed to be one of 22 foreign nationals who died in the crush in a narrow downhill alley in the famous nightlife district on the night of October 29 after tens of thousands of people visited the area for Halloween, Yonhap news agency reported. The foreigners killed also include those from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway. “I don’t know where she is ... Next week’s her birthday,” Nathan Taverniti told Yonhap News Agency in front of Soonchunhyang University Hospital, where the bodies of some of the victims are
located. Taverniti said he and the victim were visiting South Korea for vacation and were together at the Itaewon alley at the time of the tragic accident. “I just can’t believe it. I was in the front of where it happened,” Taverniti said as he wiped away tears. “All I could see was a wall of people ... it was impossible (to save her).” After crawling outside of the pile of people, the Australian survivor said he tried to pull people out and called out for help. “People need to know how bad it was and how little help there was,” he said. “Nobody was paying attention.” Taverniti said after seeing the body of his friend being taken away on a stretcher, he has since not been able to hear any information on the whereabouts of her body. “I can’t find any info, phone number for missing people .... the (Australian) consulate doesn’t know where she is,” he said, adding that his friend was planning to go back to Australia on Thursday. “Her family’s in Australia, so I’m the guardian, but they wouldn’t let me see her,” he added. Halloween stampede in Seoul’s Continue on Page no. 17
Biden thanks Indian-Americans as he hosts Diwali event at WH festival of lights a joyous part of the American culture.
Filmmaker blames TikTok for allowing abusive comments in video - Page 25
Extortion case: Jacqueline deleted evidence from phone, says ED - Page 30
www.indianabroad.news
More than a billion Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists celebrated the festival of lights in the US, India, and around the world on October 24.
New York, Oct 25 (IANS) Hosting a Diwali reception at the White House, which was attended by more than
200 prominent Indian-Americans, US President Joe Biden thanked the community for making the
“We are honoured to host you. This is the first Diwali reception of this scale in the White House ever to be held. We have more Asian-Americans than ever before in history and we want to thank you for making the Diwali celebration a joyous part of American culture,” Biden said while addressing the Indian-origin community at the East Room on Monday.
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Continue on Page no. 4
New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders across the political spectrum on Monday congratulated Rishi Sunak, who is set to take over as the first Indian-descent Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. “Warmest congratulations @ RishiSunak! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030. Special Diwali wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership,” Modi said in a tweet. “Congratulations and good wishes @RishiSunak on becoming UK PM,” tweeted Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “Great News. Indians setting their mark all over the globe. My best wishes to Mr @RishiSunak on becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Wishing him wisdom and strength to lead the
country successfully”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet. “Truth is always stranger than fiction. #Sunak, only one ever 2lose #PM contest & then bcome PM in 90 days. First indian origin #PM of #UK. Reverse imperialism of nicest kind. First ever indian 2head a foreign govt on #Deepawali!!” tweeted leader Congress Abhishek Manu Singhvi. TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu posted: “Absolutely delighted that @ RishiSunak is all set to become UK’s new Prime Minister! I extend my best wishes to him as he prepares to steer his country ahead as its first Indian heritage PM. This is indeed a joyous moment for Indians across the globe.” “India scored a glorious hat trick this Diwali week! After Aman Continue on Page no. 17
Tsunami ruled out as sea back to normal in Kozhikode Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 30 (IANS): After a day of the Arabian Sea suddenly and inexplicably receding from the shores of Kerala’s Kozhikode, the situation returned to normal on October 30 and authorities also ruled out the threat of a tsunami. It was around 4 p.m. on October 29 that the sea suddenly withdrew till the horizon with no waves coming up and a large area of land emerging. People had come in large numbers to witness the phenomenon from in and around Kozhikode district. As the crowds swelled up, the police and fire force personnel reached the spot and police put up a barricade to prevent people from venturing into the sea, warning that the water could come back with double the vigour and that this could be dangerous. The Indian Ocean 2004 tsunami was fresh in the minds of the people but the State Disaster Management Authority clarified that there was no tsunami warning or possibility. A disaster management authority official told IANS that this was a phenomenon not related to tsunami and that the sea has now returned to
normalcy. On October 30, a large number of people reached Kozhikode beach only to find a large number of fish in the place where the sea had withdrawn. A.A Balu and K. Sakeer, friends and businessmen from West Hill, Kozhikode reached the beach and had a good catch of fish. “We had come to the beach for a run but found a large quantity of fish that could be collected using bare hands and we can even share these with our neighbours. We were afraid yesterday (October 29), given the fact that the sea has withdrawn and the authorities were not coming up with a clear answer. Anyway, the sea is back and we are happy,” Sakeer told IANS.
Australia repatriates families of IS fighters from Syria
F
our women and 13 children who were family members of fighters of the Islamic State group (IS) have been repatriated to Australia, reports the BBC. The group has been reported to have arrived in the country on 29 October after spending years in Syrian detention camps. As of now, the BBC quotes officials as saying, nearly 60 Australians are still to be repatriated. According to the latest media reports, thousands of people who had joined IS and families of those who died have been languishing in captivity in
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PM Albanese Syrian detention camps since the Continue on Page no. 17
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