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1. Kolkata flyover collapse: At least 27 people were killed and more than 80 injured as two parts of an under-construction 2.2-km-long Vivekananda Flyover collapsed in a congested market area in BurraBazar, north Kolkata, on Thursday, 1st April. A 100-metre (330-ft) section came crashing down suddenly on a crowded street around lunchtime, crushing pedestrians, cars and other vehicles under huge concrete slabs and metal. The death toll is likely to increase as scores of people inside vehicles were trapped under the collapsed bridge. A top official of the Hyderabad-based construction company IVRCL, which was responsible for building Vivekananda flyover, has been arrested, police said Wednesday. (Reuters)
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2. Kollam temple fire: In one of the worst fire tragedies in the country, at least 108 people were killed and nearly 400 injured when a huge stock of fireworks exploded at a temple in Kollam district early Sunday morning. The incident took place at the 500-year-old Devi Temple at Puttingal of Paravur municipality in Kollam, located around 70 km from the state capital, where a fireworks show is part of the annual festival. The toll is likely to go up as at least two dozen victims are critically injured. Police has registered a case against six persons, including members of temple managing committee and associates of firework contractors, on attempt to murder and other charges in connection with the mishap.
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3. Earthquake in Delhi: A powerful 6.8 magnitude quake on Richter scale rocked north India including Chandigarh, Kashmir and other areas in region — the initial tremor felt was at 4.01 pm in Delhi. The earthquake was earlier said to be of 7.1 magnitude. According to a report 3 people died due to the quake. The quake hit not just India, but also Afghanistan, Pakistan and even China. The temblor had its epicentre in the Hindukush mountain range of Afghanistan at 36.4 degrees North Latitude and 71.2 degrees East Longitude. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that earthquake epicentre was 282 kms NE off Kabul in Afghanistan.
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4. Bhiwandi fire: A major fire broke out at a garment factory where workers also live in the Bhiwandi town of Thane district, around 30 km from Mumbai, on Tuesday, officials said in Maharashtra. Local police officers said that by 10:30 am, around 20 people trapped inside had been safely rescued from the four-storey building. No casualties have been reported so far. However, an elderly woman sustained minor injuries while being rescued, he said.
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5. Andhra Pradesh accident: 11 people from two families were killed in a freak accident involving four vehicles on NH-16 in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district on Sunday, 10th April. The victims included four children. It all started when the driver of a car lost control of the vehicle following a flat tyre. The car then slammed into a lorry loaded with pipes, flew over the divider, and knocked down a two-wheeler on the other side of the road. (Representational photo PTI)
