National
Pawan Hans chopper with seven crashes off Mumbai, 5 bodies found (Night Lead)
Mumbai, Jan 13 (IANS) At least five people were killed when a Pawan Hans helicopter with at least five top ONGC officials and two pilots on board crashed shortly after take-off from Juhu Airport here on Saturday morning, officials said.
A massive sea and aerial search operation launched by Indian Coast Guard and other agencies, had, till this evening, found five bodies besides some wreckage of the the crashed chopper and life-jackets.
Indian Coast Guard ship Agrim has recovered some of the bodies, including of an official identified as Pankaj Garg from the crash, while a search continues for the other missing.
The ONGC officers – all Deputy General Managers, have been identified as Sarvananan, V. K. Babu, Jose Anthony, Garg and P. Srinivasan, besides the Pawan Hans pilots whose identity is not known yet.
A Coast Guard official said parts of the debris of the chopper have been found near Uttan Beach in Thane district.
The Dauphin chopper took off at 10.20 a.m but just 15 minutes later, it suddenly lost contact with both the Mumbai ATC and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
At that time, it was reported to be flying around 55 km off the Mumbai shoreline, on a regular sortie to ferry the officers to the ONGC’s Bombay High oilfields, around 175 km northwest from here.
Four Indian Navy ships including waterjet fast attack craft INS Tarasa, a Boeing P8i and a Seaking helicopter joined the search operations, while the Coast Guard deployed five ships and two Dornier aircraft and two helicopters to the crash region for the search and rescue operation which continued this evening, said an official spokesperson.
A pall of gloom descended at Silver Square CHS in Kalina, Santacruz east where Garg, 50, had been living since 15 years with his wife, a minor daughter besides a grown-up daughter studying in an engineering college out of Maharashtra.
“He was a very nice person, a great human being with a helpful nature. We society members are shocked at this sudden tragedy,” Joy Francis, the society’s secretary told media persons this evening.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.