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India cautiously starts to open up as virus cases decline Posted: 06 Jun 2021 11:27 PM PDT Businesses in two of India's largest cities were reopening Monday as part of a phased easing of lockdown measures in several states now that the number of new coronavirus infections in the country is on a steady decline. India's capital allowed businesses and shops to reopen with limited hours and the Delhi Metro, which serves New Delhi and adjoining areas, also resumed operations at 50% capacity. Last week, authorities in the capital allowed some manufacturing and construction activity to resume. "Now the corona situation is under control. The economy must be brought back on track," New Delhi's chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, told reporters on Sunday. The strict lockdown measures had been in place since April at the start of a devastating surge in infections that lasted well into May and overwhelmed health care facilities in many parts of the country. Some health experts fear the restrictions are being eased too soon and there are concerns that the virus is still spreading unchecked through India's villages where testing and medical care are limited. Kejriwal warned that any new surge in infections could be more severe and said the administration will build new oxygen-production facilities and expand the capacity of intensive-care units. In the coastal state of Maharashtra, home to the financial hub of Mumbai, and one of the worse hit states, malls, movie theaters, restaurants and offices reopened in districts where the positivity rate has fallen below 5%. The state's huge rail network will, however, remain closed for the public. Other Indian cities also started to gradually lift the lockdown rules. After registering a peak of more than 400,000 new cases a day in May, new infections and deaths have declined and the government hopes the reopening could resuscitate an economy that grew at only a 1.6% annual rate in the January-March quarter On Monday, new infections fell to their lowest point in two months. The 100,636 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India's total to nearly 29 million, second only behind the United States. The Health Ministry said 2,427 more people died in the past 24 hours, driving the overall toll to 349,186. Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to speed up vaccinations. India has administered just over 222 million jabs so far and less than 5% of the country has been fully vaccinated. (AP) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Officials: 2 trains collide in southern Pakistan, killing 35 Posted: 06 Jun 2021 08:58 PM PDT MULTAN, Pakistan — Two express trains collided in southern Pakistan early on Monday, killing at least 35 passengers, authorities said, as rescuers and villagers worked to pull injured people and more bodies from the wreckage. Between 15 to 20 passengers are still trapped in the wreckage of the Millat Express train and authorities were trying to arrange heavy machinery to rescue those people who are crying for help, said Umar Tufail, a police chief in Ghotki district in Sindh province, where the collision occurred before dawn. The Millat Express derailed and the Sir Syed Express train hit it soon afterward, said Usman Abdullah, a deputy commissioner in Ghotki. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the derailment and the subsequent collision. "Right now the challenge for us is to quickly rescue those passengers who are still trapped in the wreckage," he said. Azam Swati, minister for railways, told The Associated Press that so far 35 people had died and dozens of others were injured. "I am on my way to the Ghotki district where the tragic train accident happened today," he said. Swati said engineers and experts were trying to determine what caused the collision. He said all aspects will be examined, including the possibility of sabotage. "We are not sure about the cause of the train accident at this stage," he said. According to railway officials, about 1,100 passengers were on board the two trains, and arrangements were being made to assist the survivors. According to a military statement, troops were also participating in the relief and rescue at the scene. It said military doctors and ambulances were also dispatched from a nearby city and a team of military engineers was sent to Ghotki by helicopter. According to local media, some of the passengers were traveling by the Millat Express train to attend a wedding party but it was unclear whether they were among the dead or injured. TV footage showed ambulances transporting injured passengers to hospitals. According to Pakistani TV stations, heavy machinery had not reached the scene about four hours after the crash. Pakistan's prime minister expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy. Imran Khan said on Twitter that he had asked the railway minister to supervise the rescue work and also ordered a probe into the crash. Officials at Pakistan railways said they had ordered an investigation and rescue work was still in progress. Aijaz Ahmed, the driver of the train that collided with the derailed train told Pakistan's Geo News TV that on seeing the derailed train cars, he tried his best to avoid the accident by braking but failed. He did not explain how he survived. Officials said at least 50 passengers had been transported to the hospital, where some of the passengers were listed in critical condition. Malik Aslam, a local villager, told Pakistan's Geo News TV that about 100 people were injured and he counted at least 30 bodies of passengers during the rescue and recovery work. Train accidents are common in Pakistan, where successive governments have paid little attention to improving the poorly maintained signal system and aging tracks. In 1990, a packed passenger plowed into a standing freight train in southern Pakistan, killing 210 people in the worst rail disaster in Pakistan's history. (AP) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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