Briefly Nation

Four persons were killed and nine injured in separate incidents of cylinder explosion during Durga puja celebrations in Mirzapur and Ballia districts

4 killed in cylinder explosions in UP

Lucknow: Four persons were killed and nine injured in separate incidents of cylinder explosion during Durga puja celebrations in Mirzapur and Ballia districts,the police said on Sunday. A husband-wife were killed while cooking in Morchaghar in Mirzapur when the LPG cylinder in their kitchen exploded. The deceased have been identified as Bablu,35,and Ramkumari,30. In Ballia,Santosh Mali,40,and Manu Pandey,18,died and nine were injured in Sikanderpur area when the cylinder used to fill balloons exploded. The injured were admitted to a local hospital,where they are reportedly stable.

Banka temple stampede toll 10

Banka: The toll in the Banka temple stampede reached 10 with four more persons succumbing to their injuries late on Saturday. A stampede at the crowded Tildiha temple took place on Saturday evening when the crowd had broken through the front barricading. DGP Neelmani confirmed the toll and added adequate forces had now been at the temple premises. The famous goddess Durga temple had more than Rs 40,000 people on the ninth and 10th day of Durga Puja.

Geelani re-elected Hurriyat chairman

Srinagar: Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani,82,has been re-elected as the chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference for the third consecutive term. Geelani was elected to the post unopposed during Majlis-e-Shoura advisory council meeting here on Saturday,a Hurriyat spokesman said on Sunday.

11 drown in Biharboat capsize

PATNA: Eleven persons drowned and 15 were missing when their overcrowded boat sank in the Punpun river near Behrampur village in Patna district on Sunday. Director-General of Police Neelmani said the boat was carrying 55 passengers from Bharochokia village in the Pipra police station area to a fair at Naubatpur in Patna district. All the bodies,including of four women and three children,have been fished out from the river.