Saturday 26 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Iraq attacks kill 15 as elections loom

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Attacks in Iraq killed 15 people Saturday in the run-up to next week's first parliamentary election since US troops withdrew, with violence at its worst in years.Shootings and blasts in the capital came a day after a twin bombing by a jihadist group on a Shiite political rally there killed 36 people, the deadliest single attack during campaigning for Wednesday's polls.Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is seeking a third term on Wednesday, with voters citing a long list of grievances ranging from poor electricity and sewerage services to rampant corruption and high unemployment.A bomb inside a central Baghdad cafe killed three people on Saturday, and gunmen killed four others in shootings around the capital, security and medical officials said.In Salaheddin province north of Baghdad, a series of attacks left eight people dead.In one incident, gunmen killed four soldiers, while militants elsewhere in the province killed a provincial councillor and three of his guards.Also in Salaheddin, insurgents detonated bombs at two polling centres but did not cause any casualties.A police officer said at least two of the Baghdad assassinations appeared to be revenge attacks for Friday's twin bombings targeting the political rally.Friday evening's car bomb followed by a suicide attack hit a rally for the Sadiqun bloc, the political wing of the Asaib Ahel al-Haq (League of the Righteous) militia, killing 36 people.The League of the Righteous, a Shiite militia previously blamed for killing US soldiers and kidnapping Britons, has been linked to groups fighting mostly Sunni rebels in Syria, whose civil war has split the Middle East's sectarian communities, particularly in multi-confessional Iraq.The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed the attack, saying it wanted to avenge the League's involvement in neighbouring Syria.ISIL, itself fighting in Syria, made the claim in a statement on jihadist forums hours after the attack.It was in revenge for what the Safavid militias are doing in Iraq and Sham (the Levant), killing and torturing and displacing Sunnis, it said.It used a pejorative term for Iraq's Shiite majority, linking it to the Safavid empire that once ruled predominantly Shiite Iran.

US concerned by 'provocative' Russian troop movements: Kerry

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Saturday about provocative Russian troop movements along Ukraine's border, a US official said.In a morning call with his counterpart, Kerry also urged full Russian support for efforts to free a mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe held hostage by pro-Moscow militants in the flashpoint city of Slavyansk.The top US diplomat expressed continued concern that Russia's provocative troop movements on Ukraine's border, its support for separatists and its inflammatory rhetoric are undermining stability, security and unity in Ukraine, the senior State Department official said.He also urged Russian support without preconditions for the efforts of the OSCE and the Government of Ukraine to liberate the Vienna Document inspectors and their Ukrainian guides who are being held hostage by pro-Russian separatists in Slovyansk.Kerry's comments came as the Group of Seven top economies and the European Union signaled they would step up economic pressure on Moscow early next week amid fears Russia was preparing an invasion of eastern Ukraine.Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk meanwhile claimed Russia violated his country's airspace seven times overnight with an aim to provoke it into starting a war.But Moscow denied any transgression by its warplanes, with Lavrov calling for urgent measures to de-escalate the crisis that has plunged East-West relations to their lowest point since the Cold War.

Morsi supporters in Egypt get up to 88 years for rioting

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CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian court sentenced 13 supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi Saturday to prison terms ranging from five to 88 years for rioting, a judicial source said.They were accused of rioting, sabotage and public order offences in the southern towns of Samalut and Minya during protests against a bloody crackdown in Cairo on August 14 when hundreds of people were killed, the source said.They are able to appeal the verdicts.On March 24, 529 Morsi supporters were sentenced to death on the second day of their trial in Minya province in the largest mass death sentencing in Egypt's modern history.The sentences caused an international outcry.On Monday, the same court is due to pass sentence on Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohamed Badie and 700 other Morsi supporters.Rights group Amnesty International says more than 1,400 Morsi supporters have been killed since the army ousted him last July 3.Another 15,000 have been arrested as the military-installed interim authorities crack down on the Brotherhood after designating it a terrorist group and blaming it for the wave of violence sweeping the country.

Death toll in Afghan floods tops 100: officials

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MAZAR-I-SHARIF (AFP) - The death toll from flash floods in northern Afghanistan rose to more than 100 on Saturday with many others still missing, officials said, as helicopters carried trapped villagers to safety.The national disaster management authority told AFP that 58 people were killed in Jowzjan province, 32 in Faryab, six in Sar-e-Pul and six others in Badghis as floods struck a large swath of rural communities.OCHA, the United Nations humanitarian affairs office, said it had reports from provincial officials of 123 people killed, with Jowzjan province alone suffering 80 deaths and 6,000 displaced people.It said clean water, medical supplies, food and shelter were needed immediately as relief efforts got under way after days of torrential rain.The floodwaters swept through villages, engulfing thousands of homes and leaving many people seeking safety on the roofs of their mud-brick houses.Unfortunately, we have over 100 people killed and dozens of others missing due to flash floods in four northern provinces, Mohammad Sadeq Sediqqi, of the national disaster management authority, told AFP.The Afghan defence ministry sent two helicopters to Jowzjan, where the aircraft rescued more than 1,000 people and carried them to higher ground.Officials in Faryab province said nearly 2,000 houses were washed away and more than 8,000 cattle were killed by the floods.Authorities said food and other emergency supplies were being distributed, as well as cash hand-outs.President Hamid Karzai in a statement said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and property, and ordered relief work to be stepped up.Flooding often occurs during the spring rainy season in northern Afghanistan, with flimsy mud houses offering little protection against rising water levels.Two weeks ago, a landslide triggered by heavy rains and a small earthquake swept through two villages in the northern province of Takhar, killing four people and destroying around 100 houses.In the last major flooding in Afghanistan, 40 people died in August in flash floods in eastern and southeastern provinces and some districts of the capital Kabul.

Tennis: Sharapova to meet Ivanovic in Stuttgart final

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STUTTGART (AFP) - Defending champion Maria Sharapova moved to within one victory of her third straight Stuttgart title after a 6-1, 6-2 win over Italy's Sara Errani in Saturday's semi-final.Sharapova, who won the title in 2012 and 2013, needed just under an hour to see off clay-court specialist Errani in what was a repeat of the 2012 French Open final which the Russian also won.The further you go in the tournament, the harder it gets, and I really wanted to step up and produce a good performance, Sharapova said, who claimed her 12th straight win in Stuttgart.The first tournament on clay is always tough -- it's important to improve with each match and I think I've done that this week.I know how good Sara is on the surface and I was extra ready to perform against her.She has a lot of experience and really knows how to play, so I had to take care of things on my side of the net.Sharapova, 27, raced into a 3-0 lead winning eight of the first 10 points and took the first set in just 27 minutes with some powerful ground strokes.The Russian picked up where she left off in Friday's 6-4, 6-3 quarter-final win over world-number three Agnieszka Radwanska and converted six of her eight break points against Errani.The 26-year-old Italian was never allowed to find her rhythm as Sharapova dominated the second set.The Russian, who has never won a tournament three times running, will face former number one Ana Ivanovic in Sunday's final after her 6-3, 7-5 victory over Jelena Jankovic in an all-Serbian semi-final.Sharapova leads the series 7-2, with Ivanovic, ranked 12th in the world, having lost twice last year on clay to the Russian -- in the Stuttgart quarter-finals and Madrid semi-finals.

Tennis: Giraldo, Nishikori to contest Barcelona Open final

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MADRID (AFP) - Colombian Santiago Giraldo beat Rafael Nadal's conqueror Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-3 at the Barcelona Open on Saturday to reach just his second ever ATP final.Almagro had described his win over Nadal, an eight-time champion in Barcelona, on Friday as possibly a turning point in his career.However, the Spaniard was unable to find the same form against the world number 65 as one break in the 11th game was enough to give Giraldo the first set.The second set was a tale of missed opportunities for Almagro as he could only convert one of five break points and was broken twice himself as Giraldo sealed victory in an hour and 26 minutes.Japan's Kei Nishikori will be Giraldo's opponent in the final as he continued his fine form this season with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Latvian Ernests Gulbis.Nishikori, playing for the first time on clay under new coach and former French Open champion Michael Chang, was dominant on serve throughout and never faced a break point on his way to sealing victory.I was very happy to see lots of Japanese people congratulating me after the match, said the world number 17.I love coming to Spain to play. There have not been any easy matches. I am playing great and I am particularly pleased with my serve and forehand against (Marin) Cilic (in the quarter-finals) and today.

Football: Four-star United launch Giggs era in style

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata scored two goals apiece as the temporary reign of Ryan Giggs as manager of Manchester United began with a convincing 4-0 win against Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday.The scoreline represented United's largest home league win of the season as the soon-to-be deposed English champions did their best to put the disappointments of their time under David Moyes, sacked as manager on Tuesday, behind them.United great Giggs was granted a predictably warm and passionate welcome by home fans who had become increasingly disillusioned by the direction their club was heading under Moyes. But, well before Rooney shot United ahead from the penalty spot four minutes before the interval, Old Trafford had become far more subdued after a fairly underwhelming start to the game -- and the new manager's reign -- by their team. Indeed, the biggest cheer in the early stages came when Giggs, promoted from player-coach to caretaker charge for the final four games of the season, strode from the dugout to the touchline to remonstrate with referee Lee Probert about the award of a throw-in to the visitors. And by the time Rooney scored from a penalty, awarded for Steven Whittaker's tug on Danny Welbeck as he attempted to connect with Phil Jones's tricky cross, the most newsworthy incident had been provided by a plane, funded by Maltese fans of other clubs, which trailed a banner sarcastically thanking Moyes for his work at Old Trafford. In keeping with Giggs's promise that his team would make a fast start, Welbeck and Antonio Valencia were active early in attempting to place Norwich under pressure.And the caretaker manager had made a powerful statement pre-match when Moyes's two big signings Mata and Marouane Fellaini were left out of his starting line-up, the latter not even handed a place on the bench, as part of six changes made from the side beaten by Everton -- Moyes's former club -- in the Scot's last game as United boss. Initially, there was no major improvement in the form of United, whose defeat by Everton ended all hope of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy was not tested until the 13th minute when he put a drive from Welbeck behind for a corner. The England international also saved well, late in the half, from a Valencia drive and the visitors could claim, with some justification, they were unfortunate not to be a goal up by that stage. Robert Snodgrass's counter-attack ended with Jonny Howson bundling the ball over the line only for Probert to disallow the 'goal' for a push by Ricky van Wolfswinkel on Jones. Norwich, who ended the match just a point above the relegation zone, desperately needed to level at 1-1 if they were going to get anything out of this fixture.However, only three minutes after the restart, they conceded to United and Rooney once more. There seemed little danger when Shinji Kagawa pushed the ball wide to Rooney on the left wing but, with visiting defenders inexplicably backing away from the forward, he was able to carry the ball to a central position from which he curled past Ruddy from 20 yards, falling over as he did so. Snodgrass's free-kick was then ably punched clear by David de Gea. But that was brief respite for Norwich, who failed to chase down a loose ball and allowed Valencia to pass back to Jones whose low, dangerous centre was converted from six yards by United substitute Mata. Mata was similarly positioned, six yards out, in the 73rd minute to stoop and head in a Valencia shot after the winger had connected with Patrice Evra's left-wing cross. Johan Elmander shot just wide, Bradley Johnson was denied by De Gea and Martin Olsson struck the bar in a late, but futile, fightback from the visitors.

Football: Ronaldo double eases Madrid past Osasuna

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid maintained their bid for an historic treble as two stunning strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo helped them to a comfortable 4-0 win over Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.The World Player of the Year opened the scoring early on with a dipping effort from the edge of the area and repeated the trick just after half-time with another rasping drive that found the top corner.Sergio Ramos added a third shortly after and Dani Carvajal rounded off the scoring seven minutes from time with a looping header to move Real back to within three points of La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid with four games remaining.Real's focus now turns to trying to reach a first Champions League final in 12 years when they travel to face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg.Ronaldo was starting his first league game for nearly a month due to knee and hamstring injuries as coach Carlo Ancelotti made six changes to the side that started Wednesday's 1-0 win over Bayern.Gareth Bale was left out of the squad as he continues to recover from flu, whilst Xabi Alonso, Pepe and Karim Benzema were all rested.Ronaldo took just six minutes to make his mark when he collected the ball wide on the left and cut inside to fire a wonderful dipping effort past the helpless Andres Fernandez in the away goal.Ramos and Ronaldo then saw efforts fly just off target as Madrid completely dominated before Ramos ought to have done better when he volleyed Ronaldo's clever free-kick over when unmarked inside the area.Fernandez did well to make low saves from Marcelo and Luka Modric just before half-time to keep the visitors in the game.And indeed Osasuna even had a chance to equalise early in the second-half when Emiliano Armenteros' acrobatic volley went just wide.However, Ronaldo put the game to bed in fine style six minutes into the second half as he found the top corner from a similar angle from where he opened the scoring to register his 47th goal of the season.Ramos finally got his name on the scoresheet just before the hour mark as he broke forward from central defence to meet Angel di Maria's in-swinging cross with a solid header to bury the ball in the bottom corner.Ronaldo, Modric and Di Maria were then withdrawn by Ancelotti to keep them fresh for the return against Bayern.And it was one of the substitutes, Carvajal, who scored the fourth as he timed his run from deep to meet Isco's cross perfectly before adding a simple headed finish.

Klitschko KOs Leapai in 5th

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OBERHAUSEN (AP) - Wladimir Klitschko toyed with Alex Leapai and knocked him out in the fifth round to retain his four heavyweight belts on Saturday.Klitschko, taller with a longer reach, controlled the fight at will, scoring with left jabs and straight rights with hardly any opposition from the Samoan-born Australian.Leapai went down when he was hit with a left-right combination. He got up but Klitschko put him away for good with 58 seconds left in the fifth.Glory to Ukraine, Klitschko said after his one-sided win.Klitschko recorded his 53rd KO in 62 wins, with three defeats. Leapai dropped to 30-5, with three draws. In his 25th world championship fight, Klitschko retained his WBA and IBF heavyweight belts, plus the minor WBO and IBO versions.Leapai, the first Australian challenger in 106 years, never had a chance. The only time he ever got close to the bigger Ukrainian was just before getting floored in the fifth.He took an eight count in the first round, although he claimed to have slipped.Leapai's only chance was to try to get inside, but Klitschko easily stopped him with his effective jab. Leapai appeared to finally hit Klitschko in the fifth but the champion replied with a barrage and put the Australian down. Leapai got up but was clearly shaken, and Klitschko finished him off with a huge right to the jaw.It wasn't easy, my head was in Ukraine and what is going on there. I hope there is no war and people dying. I am proud of my people, Klitschko said.Klitschko's elder brother, Vitali, who has retired from boxing to run for political office in Kiev and who has been one of the leading opposition figures in Ukraine, was in Wladimir's corner as usual. Vitali's wife, Natalia, sang the Ukraine national anthem before the fight.It was textbook fighting by Wladimir. He did not make a mistake, Vitali said.Leapai, a delivery truck driver, said it was time to go back to the gym.I tried to take the fight to him and it didn't work. I am all right, I was waiting for my opportunity but he is a champion and a great fighter, Leapai said.

Motorcycling: Masterly Marquez storms to Argentina pole

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TERMAS DE RIO HONDO (AFP) - Reigning world champion Marc Marquez clinched his third pole position of the season and 12th of his career when he qualified fastest for Sunday's Argentina MotoGP, the first in the South American country for 15 years.The Spaniard, who has won both races so far this season in Doha and Austin, was 0.742sec quicker on his Honda than 2010 and 2012 world champion Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha.Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was third in qualifying to complete the front row.I didn't think I would go so quickly today, said Marquez, who has also been fastest in the three practice sessions.On Sunday, we will have to see what the temperature is like and the state of the tyres will be very important as it is a very long race, said 21-year-old Marquez.Aleix Espargaro, on a Yamaha, Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso and nine-time champion Valentino Rossi, on the second factory Yamaha, fill the second row for Sunday's race.Bradley Smith, on a Yamaha, leads the third row, ahead of Andrea Iannone on a Ducati and Germany's Stefan Bradl on a Honda. Bradl survived a big highside but still looked shaken by the crash at the end of the session.Alvaro Bautista, Pol Espargaro and Nicky Hayden will start from the fourth row.Australia's Jack Miller claimed pole position for the Moto3 race as he sets his sights on a third successive win this season.Miller, on a KTM, continued his blistering form ahead of Sunday's third round clocking the fastest lap in qualifying with 1min 49.200sec.Spain's Efren Vazquez and Danny Kent of Great Britain were second and third fastest respectively at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.It was Miller's second career pole to add to his maiden pole position achieved at the Grand Prix of the Americas two weeks ago.Miller leads the Moto3 championship with 50 points ahead of Vazquez, on 32, and Italy's Romano Fenati, who has 24.Spain's Esteve Rabat will start from pole position in the Moto2 race on his Kalex ahead of French Suter rider Johann Zarco with just a fraction of a second separating the two men.Belgium's Xavier Simeon, on a Suter, completes the front row.

Saudi reports five new MERS deaths, taking toll to 92

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RIYADH (AFP) - The Saudi health ministry on Saturday announced five new deaths from the MERS coronavirus, taking the countrys death toll to 92.A statement released overnight added that 14 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome were detected in the kingdom, bringing the total to 313 since the virus first emerged there in September 2012.Among the five who died were two elderly Palestinians and a Bangladeshi woman in her 40s, the statement said. The two other victims were Saudis.Public concern over the spread of MERS mounted last week after the resignation of at least four doctors at Jeddahs King Fahd Hospital who refused to treat patients for fear of infection.On Thursday King Abdullah visited the Red Sea city and commercial hub in a bid to reassure the public amid fears the virus had mutated to make it more transmissible from person to person.National Guard Minister Prince Mitab said his father King Abdullah went to Jeddah to reassure the public and to prove that the exaggerated and false rumours about coronavirus are not true.The MERS situation is reassuring and it has not reached the level of an epidemic, he said.That did not stop the king from dismissing health minister Abdullah al-Rabiah on Monday without an official explanation.Labour Minister Adel Fakieh, who has taken over as acting health minister, has promised transparency and to promptly provide the media and society with the information needed.The World Health Organisation announced Wednesday that it had offered to send international experts to Saudi Arabia to investigate any evolving risk associated with the transmission pattern of the virus.MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus which erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died.

English club side all out for three

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LONDON (AFP) - Englands cricketers may have suffered the embarrassment of a World Twenty20 defeat by the Netherlands and a 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia but even they were never bowled out for three as happened to one club side on Saturday.Wirral, from north-west England, were dismissed for just three away to Haslington in a Cheshire League Third Division match -- with extras the top-scorer courtesy of two leg-byes.There were 10 ducks in the Wirral innings, with No 11 Connor Hodson, supposedly their worst batsman, the only member of the visitors side to score a run off the bat.That Wirral managed three was something of an achievement after they were reduced to none for eight.Ben Istead took six wickets for one run and Tom Gledhill four for none in an innings that lasted fewer than 10 overs.Haslington won the match by 105 runs after making only 108 themselves before, as the Stoke Sentinel newspaper reported, the real drama unfolded after the tea interval.Wirrals official Twitter feed saw them issue pleas to several ex-England players, including former captain Michael Vaughan and popular television pundit David Lloyd for a few hours coaching under the hashtag of weneedit.

Govt completes homework for health insurance scheme

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal government completed home work for health insurance scheme on Saturday. Recommendation has been made to roll out the scheme in three districts of each province and will be started from urban areas, Dunya News reported.The Ministry of National Health has prepared several recommendations upon direction of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. According to reports, the recommendation favours families whose daily income is $2 or less as such families will be registered on priority basis.As per the scheme, federal government will bear expenses of prominent hospital and intensive care, whereas the expenses that incur in common medical centers will be borne by the provincial governments.Ministry of National Health has summoned a high level meeting on April 28 to further deliberate on the recommendation. Health insurance scheme will need approval from national and provincial assemblies.

Geo News's behaviour 'irresponsible': Khursheed Shah

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SUKKUR (Dunya News) -- The opposition leader in the National Assembly (NA), Khursheed Shah on Saturday criticised Geo Television for allegedly defaming national institution Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in the broadcast following the attack on prominent journalist Hamid Mir, Dunya News reported.While talking to media in Sukkur, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said that whatever Geo did was wrong and one man’s allegations are no justification to malign the whole defence institution.PEMRA issued Show Caused notice to Geo News:PEMRA sent a Show Cause notice to Geo News on April 23, seeking response within 14 days, Dunya News obtained a copy of the notice on Thursday.According to the notice, Geo TV’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is required to appear in person for explanation at PEMRA headquarters on May 6.The Show Cause notice issued from Deputy General Manager PEMRA Muhammad Tahir said that PEMRA received two petitions against Geo News; one from Defence Ministry, while the other from Director General (DG) Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The petitions said that Geo News started leveling allegations against ISI and superior officials following attack on anchorperson Hamir Mir.The notice also says that the petitions allege that working on enemy’s agenda has been a routine for Geo News. The petitioners also supplied transcript and video recordings of the offending broadcast.The Show Cause notice says that the evidence supplied indeed violated PEMRA rules, directing Geo to immediately halt such content and to submit explanation within 14 days.The context of the notice requires explanation as to why Geo News’s license should not be revoked and why a penalty not be imposed as per sections 29 and 30 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002.PEMRA also summoned Geo TV’s CEO to appear at PEMRA headquarters on May 6. The notice warns that if a response is not filed within the due date, a unilateral action will be taken. It is also mentioned that the notice was issued after approval of the concerned authorities.

Karachi violence claims three lives

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – At least three people were killed in separate firing incidents in the city.According to police and rescue sources, the firing incidents took place in Orangi Zia Colony and Natha Khan Goth where two people were killed.Their bodies were shifted to hospitals for legal formalities.Meanwhile, at least four people were injured in a hand grenade attacks in Lyari on Saturday, officials said.According to local police, unidentified men hurled hand grenade near Gabol Park, injuring four people. Rescue teams rushed to the scene soon after the incident took place and injured were shifted to Civil hospital.
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