India - Bus Accident Kills 40

A bus loaded with dozens of farm laborers were crowded into this overcrowded truck. All of a sudden it plunged into a river in northern India. At least 40 of the farm laborers were killed and a great many more were hurt. The workers were just returning home from the fields near the village of Ghoomsa in Bihar state, when the accident happened late Saturday. At least 80 people were believed to have been crammed into the back of the truck when the driver lost control.

Stampede Kills 145 in India

This happened at a remote mountaintop temple in northern India. Thousands of pilgrims were there during celebrations to honor a Hindu goddess. Suddenly they stampeded on Sunday and dozens of people fell to their deaths and many more were trampled. The police said 145 were killed in all. I guess there had been rumors of a landslide that started the panic. Pilgrims began running down the narrow path leading from the peak and ran into others coming up. It was a horrible incident all around. So sad.

UN Envoy Set to Return to Burma

The UN special envoy on Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, will return to Burma for more talks in the first week of November. While speaking in Delhi, he said the Burmese government had agreed to bring forward the date of his visit. Also he said he was encouraged by promises from India to try to help resolve its neighbor's political crisis. India, which has close ties with Burma, opposes using sanctions in response to the military's suppression of pro-democracy protests last month.

Indian Cinema Hit by Deadly Blast

A blast in a cinema in the northern Indian state of Punjab has killed six people and injured at least 30 others. Hundreds of people were packed into the multiplex theater in the town of Ludhiana, watching a romance. Eyewitnesses said there was a stampede as people tried to flee the cinema following the suspected bomb attack. India has been on nationwide alert since an attack last Thursday on a famous Muslim shrine in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, killed two people.

Indian Retail Chain is Closing Stores

There is an Indian retailing firm operating Western-style supermarket stores in Communist-run West Bengal state after a spate of attacks. Reliance retail stores have been attacked by supporters of left-wing parties in the past 2 weeks. They said the stores have been shut down temporarily to protect the firm's properties and its employees. Last week, the company's stores in Uttar Pradesh state were also attacked.