India

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Forty workers were trapped in a collapsed road tunnel in northern India for a seventh day Saturday as rescuers waited for a new machine to drill through the rubble so they could crawl to their freedom.

On Friday, the drilling was interrupted when some machine bearings became damaged by the breaking of rocks and clearing of debris, officials said, adding a new challenge to the long-drawn rescue efforts.

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Rescuers drilled deeper into the rubble of a collapsed road tunnel in northern India on Friday to fix wide pipes for 40 workers trapped underground for a sixth day to crawl to their freedom.

Drilling with a new machine started on Thursday and has covered a stretch of 24 meters (78 feet) so far, Devendra Patwal, a disaster management official, said.

It may require up to 60 meters (195 feet) to enable the trapped workers’ escape, Patwal told The Associated Press on Friday.

Shimla/Kullu, Nov 17 (PTI) The naked bodies of a couple believed to be from Russia were found at a small pond near the holy town of Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district, police said on Friday.

The bodies found Thursday bore some injury marks. Police said it appeared to be a case of suicide, but did not rule out the possibility of murder.

Kota (Rj), Nov 16 (PTI) Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading "lies" against the Congress, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday called him 'jhooth ke jagatguru", days after the prime minister mocked Rahul Gandhi as the "leader of fools" during campaigning for assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference here, Ramesh took potshots at the BJP and Modi and claimed the Congress will retain power in Rajasthan because of its development and welfare schemes.

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Some of the 40 construction workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel for a fourth day were getting sick as falling debris and technical glitches delayed the work to free them, officials in northern India said Wednesday.

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) People associated with the BJP instigated residents to burn firecrackers on Diwali, leading to an overnight increase of over 100 points in the national capital's air quality index, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai alleged on Monday.

At a press conference here, he said the firecrackers burnt in Delhi were sourced from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and that certain individuals, including police personnel from these states, permitted the transportation of those firecrackers to the city.

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government and the BJP of crushing the dreams and aspirations of India's youth.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, while referring to a recent incident in Telangana where a young woman climbed up an electricity pole and tried to convey something to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally, said "Young India is fed up with Modi Government's rank betrayal".

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) Delhi recorded a jump in pollution levels and a smoky haze returned on Monday morning after residents flouted the ban on firecrackers on Diwali night.

The city recorded its best air quality on Diwali day in eight years on Sunday, with its 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 218 at 4 pm.

However, firecracker bursting till late Sunday night led to a spike in pollution levels amid low temperatures.

13 November 2023; MEMO: Senior leader of India’s main opposition Indian Congress Party today hit out at the international community, calling the death toll of 11,000 Palestinians from Israeli strikes on Gaza “a deplorable and disgraceful milestone.”

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Rescuers were digging through dirt and parts of a collapsed road tunnel Monday to reach 40 workers trapped by a landslide at the construction project in northern India.

All of the construction workers are safe, police officer Prashant Kumar said, adding that they have been supplied with oxygen and water. He said the rescuers had established contact with the trapped individuals.

The collapse occurred Sunday in Uttarakhand, a mountainous state dotted with Hindu temples that attracts many pilgrims and tourists.