disaster
Maha Kumbh stampede: SC declines to entertain PIL seeking action against officials

New Delhi, Feb 3: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking legal action against authorities and officials in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for their “negligent conduct” resulting in a tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh, in which at least 30 people were killed and around 60 others were injured.
A bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar suggested the PIL litigant, advocate Vishal Tiwari, who appeared as a party in-person, to approach the Allahabad High Court for redressal of the grievances raised in the petition.
The CJI Khanna-led Bench took note of the submission by senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, that a judicial inquiry has already been set up by the state government to probe the cause of the stampede and a similar petition has also been filed before the Allahabad High Court.
“It is something of concern and it is an unfortunate incident. But move the (Allahabad) High Court,” the apex court told the PIL litigant.
The petition filed before the apex court said the incidents of stampede have become regular and the incident in Prayagraj depicts the drastic condition and fate of people due to the lapses, negligence and utter failure of administration purported by the government authorities.
Apart from the “failure of maintaining and administering the supervision”, the plea alleged that the authorities had also failed in controlling the crowd gathered for the event.
“From the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede accident to the Maha Kumbh 2025 stampede in Uttar Pradesh which took around 30 lives and left several injured, it is clear and visible to mention that nothing in the administration activity of our country has changed wherein such actions could have been avoided by showing reasonable duty of care and upfront repair and development activity,” stated the petition.
Quite often there are reports of casualties occurring due to overcrowding and lack of management by the administration and its municipal bodies, it highlighted, adding that every time such incidents take place, it underscores that “we have not learnt anything from the past”.
As per the petition, the event of Kumbh is one of the biggest and leading religious events of the nation, and hence, it becomes the collective responsibility of all states to ensure the safety and secure visit of its respective residents.
“All states shall have to come forward for proper facilitation, security, medical facility, transportation and other facilities for their respective residents who are going to Maha Kumbh. Whenever such incidents happen, mostly the common and poor people become victims,” the petition said.
“There are several questions which are brewing up from this horrific incident of stampede thereby questioning the duty and lapse of state government and Municipal Corporations,” it added.
Similar incidents of stampede had also taken place earlier in religious festivals, ceremonies and events, the petition said. It prayed that the Uttar Pradesh government be directed to file a status report on the Maha Kumbh 2025 stampede incident and initiate legal action against the authorities and officials for their negligent conduct.
On Monday, Parliament’s Budget session resumed with an uproar as the Opposition demanded accountability from the Uttar Pradesh government and accused the state government of concealing the actual number of deaths. They have also demanded a comprehensive list of those who died in the tragedy, slamming Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for initially refusing to confirm fatalities for several hours after the incident.
Some Opposition MPs even called for the Chief Minister’s resignation. Amid the commotion, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged members to maintain order, blaming the Opposition for disrupting proceedings.
disaster
Massive Fire Breaks Out At Oshiwara Furniture Market In Jogeshwari, No Injuries Reported; Visuals Surface

Mumbai: A massive fire broke out at a furniture godown in Oshiwara Furniture Market in Jogeshwari West, on Tuesday morning. The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) reported the incident at 11:52 am, classifying it as a Level-II fire at 11:46 am. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Details On The Fire Incident
The fire erupted in a ground-floor furniture godown near A1 Darbar Restaurant on Swami Vivekanand Marg. Thick smoke and flames were seen rising from the structure, causing panic in the area. Firefighters and other emergency services rushed to the spot to contain the blaze.
Authorities quickly mobilised multiple agencies, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, Adani electricity officials, ward staff and 108 ambulance services. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far.
Cause Of Fire Not Known Yet
Firefighting operations were underway to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures, with efforts focused on controlling the flames and ensuring the safety of surrounding areas. The cause of the fire remains unknown and further investigation will be conducted to determine the exact reason behind the incident.
disaster
Four killed, several injured in firecracker factory blast at Bengal’s Kalyani

Kolkata, Feb 7: At least four persons were killed and several others have been injured following a blast at a firecracker factory at Kalyani in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Friday afternoon.
Sources from the district police said that so far, four charred bodies have been recovered from the spot of the blast and of the four, two are women. The administration has yet to reveal the identities of these four deceased individuals. It is perceived that the four individuals killed in the blast were workers at the said factory.
Local eyewitnesses said that the impact of the blast was such that the entire factory shade was blown off and the entire structure came tumbling down.
Local people also suspect that the administration’s figure of four deaths till now is not accurate and the number of casualties will be much higher. The conditions of some of those who had been injured are so critical that it is doubtful that they may survive.
A huge police contingent and personnel from the state fire services and the disaster management departments have already reached the spot and started the rescue operations. The rescue teams are trying to locate whether there are more bodies trapped under the debris.
Now questions are being raised on how permission for running such a hazardous factory was given in that area which is heavily crowded. At the same time, the police have started an investigation to track whether the firecracker factory had the requisite license or not.
For the last couple of years, West Bengal has been in the national headlines because of unfortunate deaths because of illegal firecracker factory or warehouse blasts.
In 2023, as many as nine persons were killed in a similar blast at an illegal firecracker factory at Egra in East Midnapore district. There were similar blasts at Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas and Duttapukur in North 24 Parganas districts during the last couple of years killing several people.
Every time after the blast the administration cautions of strong actions against such illegal firecracker entities. Police raids continue for some time and fade away.
disaster
Los Angeles wildfires cost up to $164 billion in property and capital losses: Report

Los Angeles, Feb 6: The two largest wildfires that recently ravaged Los Angeles County may have caused total property and capital losses of as much as 164 billion US dollars, according to a new report.
The report published on Tuesday by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) suggests total property and capital losses caused by the Palisades and Eaton fires could range between 95 billion dollars and 164 billion dollars, with insured losses estimated at 75 billion dollars.
The report, authored by UCLA Anderson Forecast economists Zhiyun Li and William Yu, predicts a 0.48-percent loss in county-level GDP for 2025, amounting to approximately 4.6 billion dollars, and a total wage loss of 297 million dollars for local businesses and employees in the affected areas.
“Without substantial and effective wildfire mitigation efforts and investments, Californians will face increasingly higher insurance premiums and growing health risks from wildfire-related pollution,” said the report, adding that Los Angeles housing markets, “in particular for rental units, will become increasingly unaffordable.”
UCLA Anderson Forecast is one of the most widely watched and often-cited economic outlooks for California and the nation, according to UCLA Anderson School of Management’s website.
Last month, Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States, experienced the most catastrophic wildfires in its history. The two deadly major wildfires killed at least 28 people and destroyed over 16,000 structures. The Palisades and Eaton fires scorched over 23,700 acres (95.9 square km) and 14,000 acres (56.7 square km), respectively.
Additionally, the devastating wildfires that began sweeping through Southern California on January 7 have left the region’s education system reeling, with over a dozen schools severely damaged or destroyed.
As school officials begin the daunting task of rebuilding, they face an estimated cost of hundreds of millions of US dollars, with recovery expected to take years.
At least 12 schools in Los Angeles County have suffered significant damage, with five campuses destroyed, according to CalMatters, a nonprofit news organisation focusing on local agendas in California. Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second-largest school system, lost two elementary schools in Pacific Palisades, while Palisades Charter High School was heavily damaged. In Pasadena and Altadena, three additional elementary schools were destroyed.
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