Statescape — Seven pilgrims injured as bus falls into gorge

Konkan rail opening on Republic Day

THRISSUR: THE Mangalore-Mumbai Konkan railway line would be inaugurated on January 26 next, Southern Railway general manager N Keerthivasan said here on Sunday. He told media persons that the doubling work of Kollam-Thiruvananthapuram railway line would be completed by the year 2000. About 35 km work in the section would be completed by the end of 1999 while the remaining work would be finished by March 2000. He said that it would take about four years to complete the doubling work of the Shornur-Mangalore line.

Freedom fighter dies in Chennai

AHMEDNAGAR: Karbhari Bhimajirao Rohmare, freedom fighter and senior Congress leader died of massive cardiac arrest at Apollo Hospital in Chennai on Saturday night. He was 72 and is survived by his wife, three sons and three daughters. Rohmare was admitted to hospital for a by-pass surgery. He was a close associate of top Congress leaders from the State Y B Chavan, Vasantdada Patil, VP Naik and SB Chavan represented the Kopargaon Assembly segment of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1962-67.

ONGC field blast probe begins

BARODA: CHHATER Singh, general manager, geophysicist of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has begun an inquiry into the blast at its drilling site at Halona village and is likely to submit his report within a week.

The blast at the village in the district Saturday evening claimed two lives and left two injured, one of them seriously, ONGC sources told PTI here Sunday. The blast occurred during a drilling operation carried out by geophysical field group number 36 which was going on there since October 20 last.

Kukis set 28 houses afire in Manipur

IMPHAL: Suspected Kuki activists have attacked a post of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and set on fire 28 houses at Saikul Paite village in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, official sources said here on Sunday. About 50 armed Kuki activists fired at a IRB post Saturday night. The IRB personnel also retaliated but no casualty has been reported from the encounter, the sources added.