tirupati l monday l february 17, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION European leaders to gather in paris today for summit on Ukraine Emmanuel Macron Volodymyr Zelenskyy Europe jittery as U.S. weighs deal with russia French President Emmanuel Macron will host leaders from key European countries on Monday to discuss the Ukraine war and the continent’s security call for maximum pressure on moscow The summit will focus on the future of European security as the US pursues a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. European leaders fear Donald Trump may agree to Putin’s demands to limit NATO presence in eastern Europe and the US involvement in the continent’s security. Leaders of Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy and Denmark will attend ■ ■ Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed not to respect a truce negotiated by the US and Russia without Ukraine’s input Finland’s president said Europe must rearm Ukraine and put “maximum pressure on Russia” through sanctions and asset freezes in the run-up to negotiations sought by the US $52 bn The size of the European union’s military assistance for ukraine CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI row over handcuffs, turban 3rd aircraft carrying 112 illegal Indians touches down in Amritsar Confusion over trains led to stampede Police: 2 trains with identical names in different platforms led to confusion among passengers before the tragedy H a r p r ee t b a j w a @ Chandigarh try illegally or overstayed on their visas. THE third batch of 112 Indians Several deportees aboard the deported from the United States US aircraft who landed on Sataboard a military aircraft land- urday night said they were in ed late on Sunday night at Am- shackles during the journey ritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass In- and that 6 Sikh youths were not ter national air por t allowed to wear around 11.30 pm. turbans. Among the 112 deporDaljit Singh of Kurala tees, 31 are from Punjab, Kalan village in Hoshi44 from Haryana, 33 arpur said they were from Gujarat, two from handcuffed and their Uttar Pradesh and one legs chained during the each from Himachal journey “Our legs were . Pradesh and Uttarachained and hands Akali Dal cuffed throughout the khand. Two women slams from Punjab were jour ney. There were Mann among the deportees. three women and three Senior After security clearchildren on board who Shiromani ance, immigration, and were not cuffed,” Singh Akali Dal background checks, efsaid. The shackles were forts were being made leader Bikram removed before the airSingh to send the deportees craft landed in Amritback to their respective Majithia said sar., he said. Singh had Bhagwant states. Those from Puntaken the ‘Dunki route’. jab were being taken to Mann and his Sourav (20), who reached their homes in Punjab ministers are Chandiwala in Punjab’s concerned police vehicles. The Ferozepur district on about Haryana government Sunday “We were hand, Punjab’s had sent a private luxucuffed and our legs were ry bus to transport its image but are chained,” he said. quiet on Sikh residents back home. Harjit Singh, who This was the first de- youths being hails from Khanowal deported portation flight after the Ghuman village in Gurwithout meeting between Prime daspur district, said he turbans. M i n i s t e r N a re n d r a was kept at a detention Modi and US President centre and handcuffed Donald Trump in Washington on the flight. DC. Shiromani Gurdwara ParThe deportation of Indians is bhandak Committee (SGPC) part of an ongoing crackdown member Gurcharan Singh conby US authorities against indi- demned the shoddy treatment viduals who entered the coun- being meted out to Sikh youth. DELHI cm TO BE DECIDED TODAY, OATH-TAKING ON tUESDAY AT Ramlila ground US cancels $21 mn grant to promote voter turnout in India E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi The newly-created US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by billionaire Elon Musk said it has cancelled the previous administration’s $21 million funding to support efforts to increase voter turnout in India. The funding was part of a larger $486 million allocation to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening. “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled,” it said, giving a list of funding commitments that stand cancelled. The list also includes $29 million to ‘strengthen political landscape’ in Bangladesh and $20 million for ‘fiscal federalism’ in Nepal. Reacting to the announcement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it is proof of external interference in India’s electoral process. “$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!,” Amit Malviya, BJP’s national spokesperson, said. DOGE was created by President Donald Trump to reduce government spending. The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold a crucial meeting on Monday at the party headquarters in Delhi led by JP Nadda to choose the next Chief Minister, sources said Rail ministry takes safety measures Railway ministry said all special trains to Prayagraj will be run only from platform No 16. “So, passengers shall come and go from the Ajmeri Gate side of the New Delhi railway station,” the ministry said Personal belongings of passengers caught in Saturday’s stampede lie scattered on a stairway leading to platforms 14 and 15 | x RAJ E SH KUMAR THAKUR a n d SH E KHAR SI N GH @ New Delhi Miscommunication, inefficient control management measures, confusion over train names are among the major factors that led to the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, which killed at least 18 people, 14 of them women, and injured another 15 people. Over 2,500 passengers booked tickets at New Delhi on Saturday within a span of one hour, which could also have resulted in overcrowding. “As 2,600 more tickets were booked within an hour at New Delhi, and there was a surge in crowd numbers for Prayagraj, a special train was announced from Platform 12,” the rail ministry said. While the ministry said there was no platform change or cancellation of any special trains, vendors and porters at the railway station claimed an announcement was made about platform change. Following this, they said, passengers waiting at Platform 14 IPL to begin on March 22 The latest edition of the Indian Premier League will begin at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the venue of the defending champions. The 74-match, two-month long competition will also conclude at the same venue on May 25. Kolkata to face Bengaluru in opener The defending champions, as is customary, will kick-start the league with the opener against Bengaluru on March 22. Both sides will have new captains Hyderabad and Kolkata venues for knockouts and finals Hyderabad, 2024’s losing finalists, will host the first qualifier and the eliminator on May 20 and May 21 before the caravan moves to the home of the current champions for the league’s closing stages on May 23 and 25 Group 1 Group 2 Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants Key dates May 20: Qualifier 1 | May 21: Eliminator | May 23: Qualifier 2 | May 25: Final rushed towards Platform 16 resulting in the stampede. The Delhi Police, which conducted the initial probe, said two trains with identical names— both bound for Prayagraj—led to chaos among thousands of Maha Kumbh devotees. According to senior police officers, an Rly stations continue to be crowded On Sunday, major railway stations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Punjab witnessed massive crowds headed for Prayagraj announcement for the arrival of the Prayagraj Special at Platfor m 16 created confusion among passengers waiting for the Prayagraj Express at Platform 14. In the rush to board what they assumed was their train, a large section of the crowd surged towards Platform B a n d h a v i Ann a m @ Guntur A second death due to GuillainBarré Syndrome (GBS) has been reported in the State, with a 45-year-old woman, Kamalamma from Alasandalapalli village in Komarole mandal, Prakasam district, succumbing to the rare autoimmune condition at the Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH) on Sunday . Earlier this week, a 10-yearold boy from Srikakulam was declared brain-dead after exhibiting similar symptoms. Confirming the death, Superintendent of Guntur GGH Dr The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is set to begin compressed biogas (CBG) production in Tirumala in July us, ing food waste generated by the Mathrusri Tarigonda Vengamamba Nithya Anna Prasadam Complex and other TTD-run establishments. The project, which aims to produce 1,500 kg of biogas per day, will address both waste management and energy needs. The biogas plant, currently under construction at Kakula Thippa, will be capable of processing 50 tonnes of food and wet waste daily. The total cost for establishing the plant is `12 crore, with TTD contributing `5.85 crore and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) providing the remaining `6 crore through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The Central government had SSV Ramana said Kamalamma was initially treated at Giddalur Government Hospital for three days for fever and weakness in her upper and lower limbs. She was then transferred to Guntur GGH on February 3, where tests confirmed the diagnosis of GBS. Kamalamma received I V I m m u n o g l o bu l i n treatment for five days, along with supportive therapy . “She was intubated and placed on ventilator support on February 10. However, her health continued to deteriorate. express read TTD to convert food waste into energy for eco-conservation @ Tirumala Security has been beefed up at key railway stations including Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Lucknow and Mirzapur following the Delhi stampede, officials said Sack railway minister: Congress Opposition parties alleged mismanagement by authorities led to the stampede. The Congress launched a scathing attack on the railway minister, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove him RAJ E SH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi SUNDAY morning brought an unsettling calm to New Delhi railway station, where just hours earlier a chaotic stampede had claimed 18 lives and left countless others shaken. The stampede occurred around 9.55 pm on Saturday night when passengers headed to Prayagraj congregated at platform 14 and 15. According to railway officials, Prayagraj Express was stationed at platform 14, while the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express were delayed, leading to overcrowding on platforms 12, 13, and 14. Many eyewitnesses said the situation turned chaotic when a last-minute change of platform was announced. “It was total confusion,” said a vendor at the station. “When a special train to Prayagraj was announced I saw women fall from platform 16, passengers to the ground, rushed towards it. That’s only to be when the stampede oc- trampled over. People didn’t curred”, said a coolie. even realize they The chaos that resulted be- were stepping on tween platforms 14 and 15, others who were and on the foot-over bridges still alive left scores of passengers crushed. Scattered slippers, Dharamji Mandal, torn bags, and abandoned be- Bookstall owner longings lay strewn across the staircase, the bridge, and platforms 14 and 15 — silent witnesses to the tragedy “I’ve been . a vendor here for the last 15 years, but I’ve never seen such a heart-wrenching scene,” said Chetan, a local vendor. Mohan, a cleaning staff at the station, described it as “one of the worst” tragedies he had witnessed in the past 10 years. “There were personal belongings everywhere. People had no time to gather their things; they just ran for their lives,” he said, tears in his eyes. On Sunday a majority of passengers return, ing from Prayagraj alighted at platforms number 14 and 15, which were unusually clean. Some inquired about the casualties, before disappearing into the crowd towards the exit. Woman dies of GBS, toll rises to two in State green project E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e 16, triggering a deadly crush. “There were already four trains scheduled to depart for Prayagraj that night, and three of them were delayed. This caused extreme overcrowding. The announcement further fueled panic, as many passengers believed they had missed their original train and rushed in the wrong direction,” said a senior police officer. The government announced a `10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased, `2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and `1 lakh for those with minor injuries. Despite the stampede, the New Delhi station remained overcrowded on Sunday, with platforms flooded with thousands of passengers trying to board trains to Prayagraj and other destinations. Heavy police presence was noted throughout the station. The foot-over-bridge and other connecting areas between Platforms 14 and 15 were densely manned by RPF officers to ensure the smooth movement of P7 passengers.  Security beefed up at rly stations Unsettling calm at ground zero hours after deadly rush assigned IOCL to assess the energy potential from Tirumala’s waste, and it was determined that biogas generation could reach 1,500 kg per day It is worth . noting that the daily gas requirement for TTD institutions in Tirumala is between 3,500 and 4,500 kg. Tirumala generates thousands of tonnes of wet and dry waste, including legacy waste accumulated over the past 40 years. The Anna Prasadam Complex alone produces 30 tonnes of food waste, five tonnes of leafy waste, and five tonnes of vegetable, fruit, and P4 flower waste.  Laddu row: SIT shifts focus to former TTD EO Tirupati: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified its probe into the Tirumala Laddu ghee adulteration case, shifting focus to TTD higher officials and former Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy. SIT questioned the four accused on involvement of officials that helped them secure the TTD contract | P4 India, Pak exchange fire along LoC in J-K’s Poonch Jammu: A brief exchange of fire took place along the LoC in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. “Around 11 am, Pakistan troops opened small arms fire on own (Indian) post across LoC in Poonch Sector, J&K. The fire was retaliated appropriately by the Indian Army,” an Army official said She suffered three cardiac arrests within three days and passed away following the third one on Sunday,” Dr Ramana explained. In response to the case, local health authorities have ramped up sanitation efforts in Alasandalapalli village. They are also conducting screenings for elderly residents and anyone exhibiting symptoms of GBS. Prakasam District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr T Venkateswarulu noted that preliminary investigations suggest contaminated water, pos- sibly due to decaying animal carcasses, might be contributing to the outbreak. Water samples from borewells in the area have been collected for further analysis. Meanwhile, Guntur DMHO Dr Vijayalakshmi reported that seven patients from Guntur, Prakasam, Palnadu, and Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema districts had been admitted to Guntur GGH with GBS symptoms. Of these, three patients have been discharged, one (Kamalamma) has died, and three others remain under treatment — two of whom are P4 in critical condition.  No new cases of bird flu in past two days: Official E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada/Rajahmundry With the Animal Husbandry Department intensifying biosecurity measures in poultry farms, State officials have reported a decline in new cases of Avian Influenza (bird flu). According to Dr Damodhar Naidu from the State Animal Husbandry Department, no new cases have been reported in the last two days. With rising temperatures expected to curb the virus spread, officials remain confident that the situation is stabilising. He said 100% culling of poultry has been completed in six infected farms located in Velpuru (West Godavari), Kanuru Agraharam (East Godavari), Badampudi (Eluru), and Gampalagudem (Krishna district). Ducks in an infected farm in Kurnool were also culled. In the past few days, over 1.90 lakh hens were culled. Naidu confirmed that all 40 workers at these farms have tested negative for bird flu, assuring the public that there is no evidence of human transmission.  P4