S P O T L I G H T

16 killed in stampede
Lucknow, September 28
Sixteen persons were killed and at least 44 injured in a stampede at the Charbagh railway station tonight when thousand of people were returning, hours after attending a massive BSP rally here. All 16 bodies have been recovered and kept in morgues in K. G. Medical College, the Civil Hospital and Balrampur Hospital, railway sources said late tonight. The identity of the dead was not immediately known, while the injured have been taken to different hospitals. A Northern Railway press note in Delhi put the death toll at eight, besides stating that 22 were injured. Police and railway officials said the stampede was caused by people tripping over each other while descending the stairs over platform No 7 and also after three people were electrocuted, triggering panic. PTI

Blast near US Embassy
Kabul, September 28
Three persons, including a woman and a child, were injured in a car bomb blast near the US Embassy here at 9.15 p.m. today. Before the blast, a couple of sounds of gunfire were also heard. The blast took place when security personnel were checking a parked taxi near the embassy. This is the third attempt to disrupt peace in Afghanistan by Al-Qaida terrorists in the recent past. The Punjab Chief Minister’s son-in-law, Mr Raminder Singh Richie, was passing by when the blast took place. He escaped unhurt. He is in Kabul to attend the “Made-in-India Show” being organised by the CII. He took shelter in a nearly hotel. The Afghanistan President, Mr Hamid Karzai, and the Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah, are away to Saudi Arabia. TNS

3 die in police firing
Agartala, September 28
Three persons were killed in police firing to disperse workers of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura and the Congress who clashed with the police in South Tripura district during their statewide “rasta roko” agitation. The police said 26 others, including a Sub-Inspector, were injured in the clash and subsequent police firing on the Agartala-Sabroom main road at Satchand. PTI

Pak shelling
Jammu, September 28
Pakistani troops opened artillery fire and shelled the Mushkoh and Battalick areas of Kargil even as forces on both sides of the border exchanged fire at several places along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border in Jammu and Kashmir since last night, defence sources said here today. No loss of life or injury was reported in Pakistani shelling in Mushkoh and artillery firing in Battalick yesterday, they said adding that Indian troops retaliated. PTI

3 die of enteritis
Jajpur (Orissa), September 28 
Three persons died while 400 persons fell ill following an outbreak of gastroenteritis in seven villages of Orissa’s Jajpur district during the past five days, official sources said here today. The affected people were being treated at the community health centres at Dharmasala and Barchana and the public health centres. PTI

CITU rally
New Delhi, September 28
Hundreds of workers today participated in a rally organised by the Pro-Marxist Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) outside the Chief Minister’s office here in protest against the government’s liberalisation and privatisation policies. UNI

9 killed in bus crash
Kathmandu, September 28
Nine persons were killed and at least 12 were missing when a bus tumbled off a highway in Nepal into a fast-flowing river, the police said today. The bus, mostly carrying health specialists from Kathmandu who were to hold a family planning programme in a rural area, tried to overtake another vehicle yesterday when the side of the highway crumbled, plunging the bus 100 metres down into the Trisuli river. AFP

Action against staff
Kolkata, September 28 
The West Bengal Government has decided to take stern administrative action against those involved in yesterday’s fracas and assault on a photo journalist during pen-down strike by a section of the employees in the Writers’ Buildings. Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta said stern administrative action would be taken on the basis of the inquiry report to be submitted by Special Secretary (Taxation) Bikash Majumdar. UNI

Sudan storm
Khartoum, September 28 
At least 26 persons have died during a storm which hit the Sudanese capital of Khartoum yesterday, state radio reported today. At least 14 were killed when strong winds capsized a Nile ferry boat with 26 on board, the radio said. Reuters