M A I N   N E W S

Laden plot: USA seeks details

New Delhi, June 18
The USA has sought more details about international terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden’s conspiracy to bomb its Embassy in New Delhi, highly placed sources said today.

The Delhi police on Friday had arrested three members of Afghanistan-based Osama bin Laden — Sudanese national Abdul Rauf Hawash, alias Maulana, Shamim Sarvar, alias Peer Baba, a resident of Bihar, and Abbas — in the Capital and in Udaipur.

Contrary to reports that the USA has not got in touch with the security agencies after the announcement of the sensational expose on Friday, the sources said Washington had taken note of the Delhi police breakthrough in the possible bombing of the Embassy and has asked for more details in the case. UNI

Enteritis claims two lives
Six labourers hospitalised
Chander Parkash and Jaswinder Paul Singh

Bathinda, June 18
Gastroenteritis, which struck at the brick-kiln, 17 km from here, has claimed two lives while six migrant labourers, who had been suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, have been admitted to the local civil hospital.

Two children who have fallen prey to gastroenteritis have been identified as Ram Devi and Mamta. These children died about five days ago. Their parents were getting treatment for them from a private hospital in the nearby village.

Those who have been admitted to local civil hospital here include Rambabu and his wife Satrupa, Sagar, Santosh, Muni, Sharwan and Dalit. All of them were working as labourers at the brick-kiln.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that after coming down with gastroenteritis they preferred to take treatment from the village doctors. These patients took treatment from doctors based in Jassi and Kalebander villages.

These patients were suffering from gastroenteritis since June 14. One of the patients told TNS that earlier they had been taking water from the handpump for drinking a few days ago they started taking water from a tubewell.

The patients said about 15 days ago two other persons working on the brick-kiln also fell ill as they were struck by gastroenteritis. But they recovered from that after getting treatment from a private doctor in this city.

The patients said the owner of the brick-kiln did not help them financially.

The deaths due to gastroenteritis came to light only when volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva, a voluntary organisation, came to know about the patients of gastroenteritis at the brick-kiln. The volunteers immediately shifted them to the local civil hospital last evening.

Dr Bawa Ram Gupta, Civil Surgeon, when contacted said water samples of the brick-kiln, where the patients had been working, had been taken today by a team of doctors for chemical examination. He added that water samples of surrounding brick-kilns would be taken tomorrow.

In the recent past gastroenteritis had claimed one life at Malout while last year gastroenteritis acquired epidemic proportions in various parts of the Malwa region.