Bus with pilgrims falls into river in India, killing 13

Police are investigating the cause of the accident. (File photo: Reuters)
Updated 27 January 2018
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Bus with pilgrims falls into river in India, killing 13

NEW DELHI: A bus carrying Hindu pilgrims plunged into a river in western India after smashing through a bridge railing, killing 13 and injuring another three, police said Saturday.
The accident took place on Friday night when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the outskirts of Kolhapur, a town in Maharashtra state, police officer Anil Shinde said. The area is nearly 375 kilometers south of Mumbai, the state capital.
The victims belonged to three families who were returning home after visiting a temple of Ganesha, an elephant-headed Hindu deity worshipped by those seeking prosperity, Shinde said. The injured have been hospitalized.
A total of 16 people were traveling in the bus, said S.P. Patil, another police officer. The bus was pulled out of the river.
Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
More than 110,000 people are killed annually on India’s roads. Most crashes are attributed to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.


Explosion at US embassy in Oslo, no injuries: police

Updated 2 sec ago
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Explosion at US embassy in Oslo, no injuries: police

OSLO, Norway: Norwegian police reported on Sunday an explosion at the US embassy in the capital Oslo, but said there were no casualties.
The explosion occurred around 1:00 am local time (0000 GMT), the Oslo police department said in a statement, adding they did not know the cause of the blast.
Public broadcaster NRK quoted police incident commander Michael Dellemyr saying the blast hit the entrance of the embassy’s consular section.
“At around 1:00 am we received several reports of an explosion. We arrived shortly afterward and confirmed that there had been an explosion that hit the US embassy,” he told NRK.
“There is minor damage,” he said.
“We are not going to comment on anything related to the type of damage, what it is that has exploded and similar details, beyond the fact that there has been an explosion” because “it is very early in the investigation,” he said.
The police statement said investigators were in contact with the embassy about the incident and there was a huge police deployment on site.
Residents near the embassy said they heard a loud blast.
A 16-year-old identified only as Edvard told TV2 that he was watching television when he heard the blast.
“My mother and I first thought it came from our house so we looked around a little, but then we saw the flashing lights outside the window and a ton of police,” he said.
“There were police dogs and drones and police with automatic weapons and helicopters in the air,” he said.
US embassies have been placed on high alert in the Middle East over American military operations in Iran and several have faced attacks as Tehran hits back at industrial and diplomatic targets.
But police gave no indication the incident near the embassy in Oslo was connected to the conflict.