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30 killed as bus plunges into canal in Karnataka (Second Lead)
Bengaluru, Nov 24 (IANS) About 30 people, including 15 women and 8 minors, drowned to death on Saturday when a private bus they were travelling in plunged into a river canal in Karnataka’s Mandya district, police said.
“The mishap occurred around noon at Kanaganamaradi village near Pandavapura town, as the bus skidded off the bridge and fell into the Cauvery river canal,” a Mandya police control room official told IANS on phone.
Divers of the district fire brigade retrieved bodies of 30 passengers — 15 women, 7 men and 8 minors — from the 40-seater bus before it was lifted by a crane out of the Visveswaraya canal.
The accident spot is about 120 km from Bengaluru on the state highway towards Mysuru after Mandya town.
According to a witness, the speeding bus was on way to Mandya from Pandavapura when the driver apparently lost control of the wheel, resulting in the bus veering off the bridge and falling into the 20-feet deep canal, which does not have a retaining wall.
Vehicular traffic on the state highway was disrupted and rescue work affected, as hundreds of people from the surrounding areas thronged the mishap spot to see the bus plunged into the canal.
Another witness said about 10 passengers of the bus, however, survived the mishap by emerging out of the plunged bus and swam to the canal bank.
A few students were among the victims as they were returning home from schools and colleges which had half-day classes as it was Saturday.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who visited the mishap spot to condole the deaths, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the 30 victims.
“An ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh would be paid to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the tragic accident,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.
“This is a tragic incident. I pray for peace to the souls of the deceased and strength to their families to bear the loss,” Kumaraswamy said in the statement.
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state Transport Minister D.C. Thammanna and district in-charge Minister C.S. Puttarajau also visited the accident spot with district Deputy Commissioner N. Manjushri and Superintendent of Police S.P. Devaraj to console the bereaved families and supervise the rescue operation.
District police have registered a case against the bus driver and its operator for the deaths.
“We have booked a case of negligence and rash driving against the driver and bus owner to investigate the case. The bus operator has been summoned for the inquiry,” Devaraj told reporters later at Mandya.
A 20-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and specialist divers joined the rescue operation to retrieve the bodies and lift the ill-fated bus from the canal.
“We have directed the river authority to stop the water flow to speed up the rescue work and lift the bus from the canal,” said Puttaraju.
The man-made canal was built to supply the river water to agricultural fields in the district.
–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.