New Delhi, June 11: Three Indian sailors, who were reportedly missing after the US forces attacked a vessel off the coast of Oman earlier this week, have been confirmed dead in the deadly attacks.

The killing of Indian seafarers was confirmed by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who called it a “profound loss for India’s maritime community”.

The minister said that the bodies of all three missing sailors have been recovered. He also informed that steps are being taken to repatriate the bodies of fallen seafarers for their last rites.

“It is deeply unfortunate to learn of the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello. Sadly, three Indian seafarers initially reported missing are now confirmed dead after bodies have been located and identified,” Sonowal said in a post on X.

Preliminary inputs, after the attack on the oil vessel, said that 21 Indian sailors were rescued from the ship while three seafarers were reported missing.

The Union Minister described the tragic incident aboard the Palau-flagged MT Settebello as “deeply unfortunate” and said that the government was standing by the bereaved families in this difficult hour.

“Modi government stands firmly with the bereaved during this difficult hour and is fully committed to supporting the next of kin. I have directed officials to ensure immediate repatriation of the rescued crew members and swift return of the mortal remains of the deceased for their final rites,” he said in the post on X.

The oil tanker had a total crew of 28 members, including 24 Indian nationals and four foreign nationals– two Pakistanis, one Ukrainian, and one Russian– when it came under a US military attack in the Gulf of Oman. The US, justifying the attack, said that the vessel violated the prescribed instructions and hence came under its radar.

Tokyo, June 11: Bear attacks have left at least 27 people injured or dead across nine prefectures in Japan during the current fiscal year as of Wednesday noon, according to a tally by a public broadcaster.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, four of the victims were confirmed to have died after being attacked by bears.

By prefecture, Fukushima recorded the highest number of casualties with eight, followed by Akita with five, Iwate with four, Yamagata and Toyama with three each, and Tokyo, Niigata, Hokkaido, and Miyagi with one each, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting public broadcaster NHK.

Based on available information, at least 11 of the 27 victims were attacked within human living areas, including urban districts, farmland, and areas near their homes.

On June 2, four people were injured in a series of bear attacks in a neighbourhood of Fukushima City where businesses and residences are located.

On Tuesday, an elderly woman in her 80s in Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, fell and suffered injuries to her arm and other areas after coming face-to-face with a bear in front of her home. The same day, a woman was attacked by a bear at a shrine parking lot in a mountainous area of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, sustaining injuries to her face and shoulder.

In addition, at least nine people, including three of those who died, are believed to have been attacked while visiting forests or mountainous areas to gather wild edible plants.

Meanwhile, more bear sightings have been recorded in urban areas, raising public concern. On Tuesday, a roughly 100 kg bear was cornered and tranquilised following four days of repeated sightings in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, prompting the temporary closure of all 94 municipal elementary and junior high schools. Another bear was captured Wednesday night near Amanohashidate, a famous scenic spot in Kyoto Prefecture, according to Kyodo News.

To help prevent bear attacks, the Ministry of the Environment urges people to carry radios or bear bells, travel in groups rather than alone, deliberately make loud noises in areas with poor visibility, avoid leaving food waste or other attractants that may draw bears, and check the latest bear sighting information issued by local governments.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Food and Drug Department has claimed to have seized unsanitary food items in a crackdown on unhygienic food items on the orders of FDA Commissioner Takaram Munde and under the guidance of Joint Commissioner (Food) Mahesh Chaudhary and Assistant Commissioner Chhatarpal Singh Devi. A special team of Safety Officer Rishikesh Rajesh Darshanwad and Meghna Pawar has launched a drive to take action against illegal and non-compliant food traders in Mumbai. Under this drive, the team conducted a physical inspection of the plantation of “Gupta Chana Bhinder” (Gala No. TG 137, 1/1 Dumping Road, Gautam Nagar, Milind West, Milind Central, Greater Mumbai) in Mulund. During the inspection, extremely poor and unsanitary conditions were found in the factory and the godown. In addition, there was no legal label on the packets of various food items manufactured and kept for sale in the factory, such as the manufacturer, date of manufacture or expiry date (without label). Taking immediate notice of these serious matters that are playing with the health of the public, the food safety officers have legally seized a total of 114.2 kg of food items from the factory, with an estimated value of Rs. 20 crore. The seized items included pani puri, sukhi puri, green peas and other items. Seizure of food items and testing of samples: All the above unlabeled and suspiciously colored stocks have been legally seized and the samples of the food items have been sent for further laboratory analysis. Further action will be taken under the law after receiving the analysis report. Notice to Close Business In view of the possibility of pest infestation in the farm and the fear of large-scale violation of laws, an order has been issued to immediately close the business of the said farm until the deficiencies identified by the administration are completely eliminated and the premises are completely disinfected and cleaned. Therefore, the FDA has taken action against the foodstuff.