India

Auraiya (UP), May 16 (PTI) At least 24 migrant labourers were killed and 36 people sustained injuries when a trailer truck carrying them collided with another truck in the early hours of Saturday in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

Both the trucks were carrying the labourers. The accident took place between 3 am and 3.30 am, they said.

Kanpur: Lockdown leaves the humming market desolate in Lal Bungalow locality of Jajmau area here. It is one of the main markets in the area. Its expansion has taken place in the past several years.

After a gap of nearly fifty days when one to pass through the market, one was completely stunned by the eerie silence prevailing in the approaching road to the bustling market.

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) India's exports contracted by a record 60.28 per cent to USD 10.36 billion in April amid the coronavirus lockdown, official data showed on Friday.

Imports too tumbled by 58.65 per cent to USD 17.12 billion in April from USD 41.4 billion in the same month last year, according to the data by the commerce and industry ministry.

Kolkata/New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal locked horns on Thursday over the return of stranded workers, with the CM announcing 105 trains to bring them home and the BJP leader accusing the state government of not taking adequate measures.

Bringing back migrant labourers and stranded people to Bengal has snowballed into a major political issue, with the opposition BJP and the Union government rapping the state for not doing enough and the Trinamool Congress denying it.

Pune, May 14 (PTI) With migrant labourers leaving Maharashtra in large numbers, industry bodies in Pune district on Thursday said that labour contractors are now `poaching' remaining workers.

As per the estimate of the Federation of Chakan Industries (FCI), around one lakh migrant labourers have so far left Chakan-Talegaon industrial belt.

"Only 50 to 60 thousand workers are left behind, and more people are leaving," said Dileep Batwal, secretary, FCI.

Raipur, May 14 (PTI) A construction contractor was arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district for allegedly supplying foodstuffs and other essential materials to naxals for last three years, police said on Thursday.

Nishant Jain was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kanker district police which was probing Maoists' urban support network in north Bastar, they said.

So far 12 people have been arrested in the case.

Mumbai, May 15 (PTI) A 45-year-old migrant worker from Rajasthan, who walked 30km from his residence to catch a Shramik Special train, collapsed and died near the Vasai Road railway station, an official said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday evening and the deceased was identified as Harish Chander Shankarlal, a resident of Bhayander in adjoining Thane district, he said.

Itanagar, May 15 (PTI) A NSCN(IM) militant wanted in connection with the killing of a former MLA and 10 others in Arunachal Pradesh was arrested by security forces from Longding district, an official said.

Personnel of the Indian Army in a joint operation with district police apprehended the rebel identified as self- styled 'Sergeant Major' Puman Wangsu from a forest near Longphong village in the district, Kohima-based Defence spokesman Lt Col Sumit Kumar Sharma informed.

Bengaluru, May 15 (PTI) Reformed underworld don N Muthappa Rai died battling cancer at a private hospital here on Friday, hospital sources said.

Rai, 68, was suffering from brain cancer for the past one year and was admitted at Manipal Hospital on Old Airport Road, where he died at 1.34 am, they said.

Rai is survived by two sons.

"After a prolonged illness and hospitalisation, we regret to inform the demise of 68 years Mr Muthappa Rai.

NEW DELHI, May 15 (NNN-BERNAMA) — India’s medical facilities are coming under growing pressure as coronavirus cases rise sharply despite a nationwide lockdown to contain the pandemic.

The crisis has brought to the fore the issue of under-investment in the public healthcare system whereas private hospitals have enjoyed exponential growth.

With about 82,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, India on Friday looked set to reach six-digit figures soon, and if the current rate of infections continued its hospitals might become burdened with patients.