Health
Seemapuri building collapse: Death toll rises to 4
New Delhi: One more body was recovered from the debris of a four-storey residential building that collapsed near Idgah Machhli Mandi in Delhi's New Seemapuri area on Thursday morning, raising the death toll to four. Rescue operations continue at the incident site. This comes after three people, including two children, were declared dead and eight others injured in the building collapse. The eight injured persons were rescued and shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, Tahirpur, for further medical treatment. They have been identified as Momin Mirja (56), a three-year-old boy, Abdul Rehman (28), Devruddin (28), Salma (50), Chote (34), Sakina (35) and Samad (30). Of the deceased reported earlier, one was a girl aged around 12 years, whose identity is yet to be ascertained. Another deceased was identified as Gulafsa, 21, who was approximately four months pregnant. The identity and details of the third deceased child were yet to be ascertained. Live Events Rescue machinery has been deployed at the site to assist in the operation. Ambulances, Delhi Fire Service personnel, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials and personnel from other agencies are present at the spot. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shahdara Rajendra Prasad Meena said the collapsed structure was a four-storey building and that the rescue operation was underway. "We received information at 3:40 PM. This is a four-storey building, which is 25 square yards in area. So far, 7 people have been rescued. They are out of danger. The rescue operation is ongoing... All agencies are present at the scene; ambulances and Delhi Fire Service staff are deployed. MCD officials, DM, and everyone are present at the scene," Meena said. Senior Fire Officer Manish Kumar said some people were believed to be trapped underneath the debris and that rescue teams were working at the site. "Our control room received information at 3:30 PM... It is being said that some people are trapped underneath. Rescue operations are ongoing," he added. North East DM Ajay Kumar said the four-storey building collapsed at around 3:15 PM and that there could still be people trapped under the debris. "Around 3:15 PM, a four-story building located right at the corner collapsed. It covered an area of approximately 22 to 25 square yards. Witnesses present at the scene reported that the adjacent building was undergoing demolition work-possibly using machinery that caused vibrations-which impacted this building, causing it to collapse. There were about seven or eight people inside the building at the time... Rescue operations are currently underway. We have deployed machinery and personnel from the NDRF, DDMA, and MCD, along with other agencies. So far, we have rescued eight injured individuals and admitted them to the hospitals. One woman was declared dead on arrival... There may still be two to three people trapped inside..." Ajay Kumar said. The incident comes a month after a building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan area on September 6, in which seven people lost their lives. Rescue operations are continuing at the Seemapuri site as multiple agencies work to locate and evacuate people who may still be trapped under the debris. According to the CMO, rescue and relief operations are underway at the site of the tragic building collapse in Seemapuri. Teams of Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, MCD, CATS and NDRF were immediately deployed at the site. — CMODelhi (@CMODelhi) Every effort is being made to safely rescue those trapped under the debris and provide prompt medical care to the injured. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed all concerned agencies and officers to maintain close coordination, expedite rescue efforts and ensure all necessary assistance and care for those affected. "The situation is being continuously monitored," she said. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also said relief and rescue operations were underway following the building collapse incident in Seemapuri. In a post on X, Sirsa said teams from the Delhi Fire Services, Delhi Police, DDMA, MCD, CATS and NDRF were engaged in rescue operations at the site. He said continuous efforts were being made to safely rescue those trapped and provide immediate medical assistance to the injured. — mssirsa (@mssirsa) He added that, acting on the instructions of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the administration was closely monitoring the situation and making efforts to provide all possible assistance to the affected families. "Acting on the instructions of the Honorable Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, the administration is closely monitoring the situation, and efforts are underway to provide all possible assistance to the affected families. I pray to Waheguru for the speedy recovery of all those injured in this terrible accident," the post read. Sirsa also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the incident. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Economic Times·4 hours ago·4 min read
Health
The plague is back? It never really left
The plague, the rare bacterial infection infamously known for killing tens of millions in 14th-century Europe, never went away. It is now easily treated with antibiotics. Since the 1990s, most human cases have been reported in Africa, especially Congo and Madagascar, according to the World Health Organization. There are an average of about seven human cases per year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mostly in rural areas of the American West. A worker at a plague research institute in Siberia recently died of pneumonia. The case has raised alarm in Russia after unconfirmed media reports suggested she might have died of pneumonic plague. Russian authorities say testing showed no evidence of plague, but the research institute has been quarantined. "People think the plague is gone, it was something that occurred 500 years ago. It's not. It's here amongst us," said Simon Clarke of the University of Reading in the U.K. "Unless you get rid of those wild animals, which of course is not possible, then you're not going to get rid of the bacteria." Live Events Surprised to hear the plague is still around? Here's what to know. Plague can attack lymph nodes, lungs and blood People in Siberia have been dying of plague for at least 5,500 years. The earliest evidence of a form of the disease was found in teeth from ancient hunter-gatherers north of the region's Lake Baikal. Pneumonic plague and the more well-known bubonic plague - also called the Black Death - are caused by the same bacteria, called Yersinia pestis. The bacteria spread naturally among rodents like prairie dogs and rats. Fleas that jump from infected animals and bite people can spread the disease. The bubonic plague is the most common form of the infection. It causes painfully swollen lymph nodes that are most commonly found in the groin, armpit and neck, called buboes. Other symptoms include sudden high fever and chills, headaches, and pain in the abdomen, legs and arms, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There are two other forms of the plague: pneumonic plague, which can be caused by inhaling the bacteria, infects the lungs, while septicemic plague is an infection in the bloodstream. Both are fatal if not treated early, according to the World Health Organization. Bubonic plague will often develop into the other two forms of plague if untreated. Plague can spread through fleas or bodily fluids Other than bites from infected fleas, people can also get plague by touching infected bodily fluids, so health experts recommend taking extra care when handling dead or sick animals. The plague can also spread through the respiratory droplets of someone who has pneumonic plague. "If you cough, you can spread it to another person, but that doesn't travel very far," said Dr. Glenn Wortmann, MedStar Washington Hospital Center. "So you really need to be in face-to-face contact with that person to get pneumonic plague." That's why "the chance of this spreading widely in Russia and then extending here to the U.S. will not happen," he said. Antibiotics can treat plague The plague was never eradicated, but we've gotten better at preventing its spread and treating it in humans. When treated early with antibiotics, the plague can be cured. The key is to get to a doctor fast - otherwise the plague can be deadly. There is a vaccine, but the WHO only recommends it for people who are at high risk of infection, like laboratory and healthcare workers. There isn't strong evidence that vaccines can work against the pneumonic form. There's no plague vaccine available in the U.S. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
Economic Times·4 hours ago·3 min read
