Weekly cross-LoC bus service remains suspended
Jammu, July 31 (IANS): The bus service across the Line of Control between Chakan Da Bagh in Poonch district and Rawalakot in the Pakistani side of Kashmir remained suspended for the fourth consecutive week on Monday. Officials at Chakan Da Bagh crossing point said that the bus service had to be suspended on Monday “because of no response from Pakistan authorities in Rawalakot”. Ever since Indian and Pakistan armies engaged each other in heavy shelling and firing exchanges in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the weekly run of the bus service has remained suspended. The bus carries members of the divided families living on either side of the LoC between India and Pakistan to meet each other. The bus service between Chakan Da Bagh and Rawalakot was started on June 20, 2006, as a Confidence Building Measure between the two countries.
20 trapped in Gurugram mall lift rescued
Gurugram, July 31 (IANS): Twenty persons who were trapped in a lift at a mall located in Sector 53 here were rescued safely, Gurugram police said on Monday. Police spokesperson Ravinder Kumar said that as many as 20 persons were trapped in the lift at DLF South Point Mall in Sector 53. The lift was stuck in the early hours of Sunday at a such point that it made access to the trapped people very difficult. But the police team, led by police officer Jashwant Singh, managed to get to the people and rescued them. “People were rescued after carefully breaking the glass of the lift. A few women in the lift were very nervous and were either unconsciousness or in the state of semi-consciousness,” the spokesperson said. The fire brigade was also informed but the people were rescued after an hour-long of efforts, before the firemen reached the spot.
Pregnant woman walks 20 km, delivers on road; baby dies
Katni , July 31 (PTI): A pregnant woman trudged 20 km and delivered baby on the road due to unavailability of ambulance in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh today. The newborn baby girl died. Beena, resident of Barmani village, decided to walk 20 km to Barhi community health centre with her husband as the ambulance failed to arrive and she was feeling labour pains. Her family members alleged that they had called the community health centre for ambulance, but it didn’t come. She reached Barhi town, but delivered a baby girl on the road, near a police station. The family members told mediapersons that the baby died as she fell to the ground. However, the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of the district Ashok Avadhia said the newborn could not survive as she was born prematurely, in the seven month of pregnancy. Asked why no ambulance was sent, he said it wasn’t available at the Barhi community health centre. “Janani Express (108 ambulance service for pregnant women) is not under our control. It is made available through Bhopal,” he said. An inquiry had been ordered into the incident, he added.
Etihad Airways aircraft’s tyre bursts at Mumbai airport
Mumbai, July 31 (PTI): An Etihad Airways aircraft with over 200 people on board suffered a tyre burst on landing, forcing the Mumbai airport authorities to shut operations at the main runway this evening. The operations were moved to the secondary runway after the plane from Abu Dhabi got stuck in the middle of the runway, an airport official said. The incident took place at around 7 pm. The aircraft had 196 passengers and 13 crew members on board, the official said. A comment from Etihad Airways is awaited. The Mumbai airport has a unique layout with two runways — the main runway and a secondary one – intersecting each other. “Runway 14-32 (the secondary one) was in use as runway 09-27 (the main one) was taken over for inspection as Etihad Airways flight EY 204 had a tyre deflated after arrival on the main runway,” the official said.
Pak Army violates ceasefire today
Jammu, July 31 (PTI): The Pakistani Army today violated a ceasefire by firing at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said. The violation came just hours after a previous burst of firing from across the border last night. The Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Rajouri’s Kalsia area around 1445 hours today, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said. Pakistani forces had violated the ceasefire yesterday by firing from light weapons and MMGs (medium machine guns) in the Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector in Rajouri district at around 2230 hours, officials said. The LoC has witnessed several border skirmishes between India and Pakistan in recent days. Eleven people. including nine soldiers, were killed and 18 injured in these clashes in the month of July alone. There also have been reports of more than 110 livestock being killed and two dozen houses damaged along the LoC in Rajouri district alone. Over 4,000 locals have been put in camps setup by the government in safer areas in the Rajouri district. There were 83 ceasefire violations, one BAT attack and two infiltration bids from the Pakistani side in June in which 4 people, including 3 jawans, were killed and 12 injured.
