Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Mumbai bridge collapse kills four

FOUR people were killed and dozens injured when a footbridge collapsed near Mumbai's main train station today (14), the latest accident to highlight creaking infrastructure in India's financial capital.

The bridge, which was under repair according to multiple Indian media reports, gave way around 7.30 pm (1400 GMT) as rush hour commuters made their way into Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus.


"Twenty-eight people were injured when the bridge collapsed. Four of those taken to hospitals have succumbed to their injuries," said Tanaji Kamble, a spokesman for the local civic authority's disaster management cell.

India's National Disaster Response Force said it had sent a team to the site over fears that people may be trapped under rubble.

The accident comes almost two years after 23 people died in a crush on a narrow overcrowded footbridge at Prabhadevi station in the centre of the city in September 2017.

Indian railway officials blamed bad weather for causing the deadly stampede despite commuter warnings before the tragedy of a disaster waiting to happen.

Experts pointed the finger of blame at the railway network's creaking infrastructure, which has long struggled to cope with several million daily passengers.

Some 7.5 million passengers commute in nearly 2,500 trains daily on Mumbai's colonial-era rail network, a lifeline for the city's 20 million residents.

Travelling on it is not without its dangers, however.

An average of almost 10 people die on the suburban railway every day, either from falling off crowded trains or while crossing the tracks.

Commuters say investment in the railway's crumbling infrastructure has not kept up with the city's burgeoning population.

(AFP)

More For You

commonwealth-youth-awards-regional-finalists

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 12 March 2025, hosted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

20 finalists announced for 2025 Commonwealth Youth Awards

THE Commonwealth Youth Awards has announced 20 regional finalists for the 2025 edition, recognising young leaders working in areas including social entrepreneurship, climate action, and community health.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 12 March 2025, hosted by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wolverhampton pharmacist Sundip Gill jailed for Covid grant fraud

Gill made “false representations” and supplied “fake quotations” to support funding applications

Representative image (iStock)

Wolverhampton pharmacist Sundip Gill jailed for Covid grant fraud

Dineshwori Longjam

Sundip Gill, a registered pharmacist from Wolverhampton, has been sentenced to imprisonment after being found guilty of fraud related to Covid-19 grant applications.

According to the City of Wolverhampton Council, Gill made “false representations” and supplied “fake quotations” to support funding applications. Gill is the director of two pharmaceutical companies, Sync Chem Ltd and Collateral Ltd, and operates four pharmacy businesses in Wolverhampton—Collateral, Your Pharmacy First, Low Hill Pharmacy, and Fallings Park Pharmacy.

Keep ReadingShow less
obesity-representational-iStock

India is projected to have the second-highest number of overweight and obese adults—218m men and 231m women—after China. (Representational image: iStock)

Global obesity to reach 3.8 bn by 2050; India among worst affected: Study

BY 2050, the number of overweight and obese people worldwide could reach 3.8 billion, with India accounting for over 440 million, a global study published in The Lancet journal has estimated.

India is projected to have the second-highest number of overweight and obese adults—218m men and 231m women—after China, while the United States, Brazil, and Nigeria follow, according to researchers, including those from the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mortgage lending rises to highest since September 2022

Lending rose to £4.207 billion in January from £3.343 bn in December. (Representational image: Getty)

Mortgage lending rises to highest since September 2022

NET mortgage lending in Britain increased in January to its highest level since September 2022, while mortgage approvals declined slightly but remained above expectations, according to Bank of England data released on Monday.

Lending rose to £4.207 billion in January from £3.343 bn in December. This was the highest level since September 2022, when financial market turmoil followed the economic plans of then-prime minister Liz Truss. The figure was also higher than the £3.55 bn forecast in a Reuters poll.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wes Streeting

Wes Streeting walks near 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, October 29, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Labour hasn’t always got it right on Muslim engagement, says Streeting

HEALTH secretary Wes Streeting has acknowledged that the Labour Party "hasn't always got it right" in its engagement with Muslim communities.

Speaking at the launch of the British Muslim Network, Streeting said successive governments had failed to establish strong relationships with Muslim communities, The Times reported.

Keep ReadingShow less