Mumbai; There was chaos in Kurla Quraish Nagar when a crane fell on the site during the demolition of an old dilapidated building, causing 10 people to be seriously injured. The injured were admitted to Sine, Kurla Bhabha Hospital. According to Dr. Naveen, AMO of Sine Hospital, eight injured people have been admitted to the hospital, including Jagarullah Nabi Khan 63, Ahmed Niaz Ahmed, 3 months, Atiqur Rehman, 60, Hakim Sheikh, 36, Noman Khan, 21, Reham Khan, 19, Suraj Gaur, 10, Akbar, 40

All eight are undergoing treatment and their condition is said to be stable.

Two injured were admitted to Kurla Bhabha Hospital. According to the hospital’s AMO Dr Sheetal, they have been identified as Raju Gad, 35, and Aartigaud, 30. According to officials, both the victims are undergoing treatment and their condition is stable. The crane used during the demolition work The MMRDA, while issuing an official statement on the incident, said, “Demolition work was being carried out at Building No. 1, Bhandari Metallurgy, Kurla. A crane was brought to the site for the work, however, the crane operation had not started. While the crane was being placed on the site, it tilted and fell towards the adjacent structure. The ground at the location was soft, which appears to have affected the stability of the crane. Some people suffered minor injuries in the incident. The MMRDA is providing all necessary medical aid and assistance to the injured. He added, “The MMRDA immediately mobilized the required machinery and manpower, and the work of removing the fallen crane is being done on priority basis.” The site has been secured and all necessary precautions are being taken. The demolition work was being carried out by M/s Sunny Company. During the operation, a part of the hydraulic crane fell on the high-tension railway overhead wires.
The slum of Qureshi Nagar was hit by the falling crane. According to initial information, the falling material also hit nearby huts in Qureshi Nagar, the road of Samrat Ashok Nagar, the wall of the Mahada building and three to four four-wheelers parked inside the Mahada building premises. Earlier, the authorities had said that the incident took place during the work being done in connection with the proposed eviction and demolition operation at the site. The restoration work is in progress. Restoration and security measures are being taken at the site while the authorities are monitoring the situation. Officials are also gathering information to find out if anyone else is trapped at the site.

Around 10 acres of forest land in the Shilubepura forest range of Kollegal taluk in Chamarajanagar district were gutted in a fire on Thursday, with forest officials suspecting that the blaze may have been deliberately set following the recent action in which three poachers were killed in self-defence by Forest Department staff after they came under fire from the hunters.Officials suspect that the fire could have been a retaliatory act aimed at creating fear among forest department personnel and disrupting anti-poaching operations in the region.

The blaze was reported in the Shilubepura forest area, where anti-poaching camps were also allegedly targeted. The incident comes days after forest department personnel allegedly shot dead three suspected poachers during an encounter in the Hanur forest range.

The encounter has triggered demands from the Opposition and local groups for an impartial investigation into the deaths.Forest officials are examining whether the fire and the attacks on anti-poaching camps are linked to the operation. They are also investigating the possibility that the incidents were intended to intimidate forest personnel and disrupt anti-poaching operations.The incident has raised further concerns after gelatin explosives were allegedly used to target anti-poaching camps (APCs) in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary following the killing of the three suspected poachers.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government is considering stringent measures to curb poaching activities in the region. The Forest Department has collected data on wildlife hunting cases dating back to 2011, with more than 3,200 poaching cases reportedly registered during the period.

The department is planning decisive action against those involved in poaching, officials said.

Following the operation, the Forest Department has reportedly gathered information about a large network of poachers operating in Hanur and surrounding areas along the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.

According to the information gathered by the department, poaching gangs allegedly supply wildlife meat and skins based on demand, with orders reportedly coming from Bengaluru and other metropolitan cities across the country.

The attacks on anti-poaching camps and the torching of forest areas are suspected to be attempts to instil fear among forest personnel and disrupt anti-poaching operations.

The government is considering stringent measures against the poaching network even as the magisterial enquiry report into the Forest Department action that resulted in the deaths of three suspected poachers is expected to be submitted by August 24.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has also initiated an investigation into the action, which the Forest Department stated was conducted in self-defence as the poachers hid behind a boulder and fired at them.

Further details regarding the cause of the fire and the suspected involvement of individuals are awaited as the investigations continue.

Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police probing the fire incident at a multi-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street in Central Kolkata, which claimed nine lives, has arrested one person, said officials on Thursday.

Each floor of the said building had separate hotels or guesthouses, and the source of the fire was one such hotel, “Shikha Inn”. The person arrested by the city police this morning has been identified as Abu Zafar, who had taken the hotel on lease from the original owner, Bireshwar Mitra.

Zafar was arrested from his residence in Jorasanko, North Kolkata. He will be presented at a city court later in the day, and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody.

Mitra, the original owner of the hotel, is still absconding. Besides arresting Zafra, the members of the SIT have detained two other persons, reportedly staff of the hotel, for questioning. However, the city police are yet to disclose their identities.

The State Fire Services Department has issued show-cause notices to nine other hotels and four restaurants on Mirza Ghalib Street for non-compliance with safety regulations. They have been asked to respond within the next 24 hours.

The five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street housed multiple hotels and guesthouses, with each having shacks. Hotel ‘Shikha Inn’ was on the third floor of the same building, covering an area of ​​1,100 square feet.

There had been numerous allegations of irregularities at this hotel. The hotel caught fire late Tuesday night. Nine people lost their lives in the fire.

The West Bengal government has announced a detailed special audit of all hotels, lodges and guesthouses in the Mirza Ghalib Street area following the incident.

The New Market Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the building falls, has registered a suo motu case. The State Fire Services Department has also lodged a separate complaint.