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Mexico quake toll rises to 139 (Fourth Lead)
Mexico City, Sep 20 (IANS) The Mexican authorities have raised the number of casualties to 139 after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook the centre of the country, an official said.
The emergency services were carrying out rescue operations in the areas affected in the Tuesday disaster, Efe news reported.
Mexico’s National Coordinator for Civil Protection, Luis Felipe Puente, confirming the toll gave the break-up of various areas — 64 in Morelos, 36 here, 29 in Puebla, nine in the State of Mexico and one in Guerrero.
As night fell, thousands of troops were working in the dozens of dilapidated buildings here.
On Monterey Street, near the Miguel Aleman Viaduct one of the city’s main thoroughfares, a building with at least four floors has collapsed completely.
At least a hundred soldiers, fire-fighters and civil defence officers using shovels and picks and buckets were remove the debris, working arduously against the clock to get the alive out from under the rubble.
The Dog Squads were also pressed into service.
“We pull out debris and work in a line, and when they ask you to be quiet, you remain silent. If applause is heard, we start to get the person out”, a young man explained.
Emergency teams were attempting to rescue people trapped in collapsed buildings here. Traffic chaos has made it difficult for ambulances to get through as fears of new quakes loom on people’s mind.
Director of the National Centre for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred), Carlos Valdes, ruled out the possibility of strong aftershocks due to the depth of the epicentre at 57 km.
So far there have only been two, the largest one is of 3.3-magnitudes, he said.
The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) reported that 3.8 million residents were without electricity, after it was cut off as a prevention measure.
Tuesday’s quake coincided with the 32nd anniversary of the 1985 earthquake that claimed thousands of lives.
Tuesday’s quake also follows the 8.2-magnitude quake on September 7, that killed 98. It was considered the strongest since 1932.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.