Alert keyman averts Malabar-Mangaluru Express train accident

Bengaluru, Mar 23: In the wake of the shutdown in several districts of the state to control the COVID-19 spread, Karnataka government on Monday said food would be provided free of cost through Indira Canteen for the poor who depend on daily wages for their livelihood.

The state-sponsored subsidised 'Indira Canteens' as of now serves breakfast at Rs 5 and lunch and dinner at a cost of Rs 10.

"In the interest of the poor, it has been decided to serve free food for poor. Through Indira Canteen, free food will be served for the entire day for the poor," Yediyurappa told reporters.

The Karnataka government has already announced shutdown of all commercial activities, barring essential services, in nine districts where COVID-19 cases have been reported till March 31.

They are: Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Chikkaballapura, Kodagu and Belagavi.

Bengaluru, May 11: As many as 343 Indians returned to Bengaluru from London by a special Air India flight on the fifth day of 'Vande Bharat Mission' on Monday. They arrived at the Kempegowda international airport at 4.40 am.

All passengers were found to be asymptomatic on arrival except one 27-year-old woman who had had an incomplete abortion and had vomiting on arrival. She has been shifted to KC General Hospital in Malleshwaram.

Dr Prabhu Dev Gowda, an officer on duty for COVID-19 screening at Kempegowda International Airport, said, "A 27-year-old woman has had an incomplete abortion of her three-month-old foetus before taking the flight from London. She was vomiting on arrival. She was shifted to Aster CMI Hospital for emergency care.”

“Thereafter, she and her husband were shifted to KC General Hospital in Malleshwaram. They will be in isolation there. Since there is nobody to look after her, we have to let the husband accompany her to the hospital where they will be in quarantine."

The patient was famished and was provided a few idlis on arrival, he added.

After she recovers at the hospital, the couple will be shifted to a hotel. As per protocol, their throat swabs were taken for COVID-19 testing too. All passengers whether symptomatic or not are being tested for COVID-19.

Dr Manjula Devi, District Health Officer, Bengaluru Rural district said that all passengers were found to be asymptomatic on arrival except this woman who is being treated as a non-COVID-19 emergency.

Ajith Rai, Devanahalli Tehsildar told DH, "All passengers have chosen to go to hotels over government hostels. We're yet to tabulate how many have chosen budget hotels, three-star and five-star hotels. Twenty of them are still here. The process is on."

Amaravati, May 7: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said that Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has assured him to offer immediate help to stranded Andhra fishermen.

Around 300 Andhra Pradesh fishermen are stranded on the coast of Malpe village in Udupi district.

"Karnataka CM has responded very positively and assured to offer the stranded fishermen immediate help. The fishermen hail from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.

Yediyurappa has also said that their team was also contacting Andhra Pradesh authorities to safely bring them back to their home state," Naidu said in a statement on Twitter.

In a separate letter to Yediyurappa, Naidu lauded the tremendous efforts that the government of Karnataka has been putting to fight COVID-19 and expressed his solidarity with the people there in this critical time.

Naidu said that many Telugu people that have migrated to other states for work were facing various problems due to the COVID-induced lockdown.

"In this backdrop, I would like to bring to your notice that around 300 fishing folk from Srikakulam District are stranded in Malpe Village, Udupi District, Karnataka. Their families, relatives and well-wishers are deeply worried for their safety and well being," Naidu said.

The TDP chief said that on behalf of those families and on his own behalf, he would appeal for sending the stranded fishermen back to their respective homes.

"In case that is not possible, I request you to provide them with shelter, food, water, medical aid and other essential commodities until the end of COVID lockdown," TDP chief said in a letter.