Phnom Penh: In an updated report Monday, the World Bank said that it maintained its economic growth forecast for Cambodia at 5.5 per cent in 2023 and raised it to 6.1 per cent in 2024.

The Southeast Asian country’s growth is driven by garment export, tourism, agriculture, and construction and real estate, rpeorts Xinhua news agency.

Aaditya Mattoo, chief economist of the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific Region, said Cambodia’s economic outlook remained positive, boosted mainly by the recovery of the services sector, especially tourism and improvements in agricultural production.

“In 2024, the economy is expected to improve further, growing at 6.1 percent as goods exports are projected to also improve and gradually diversify,” he said during a video press conference on the launch of the East Asia and Pacific economic update report.

Mattoo said foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows will likely be boosted by the new law on investment and newly ratified free trade agreements.

Phulbani: A man allegedly killed his 92-year-old mother and then set her body on fire after a heated exchange of words in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, police said Monday.

The incident took place Sunday at Khajurisahi near Badimunda village in the district.

The deceased mother was identified as Manjula Nayak and the accused is Samir Kumar Nayak, aged about 45, said Kalyanmoyee Sendha, Inspector-in-charge, Tikabali police station.

According to the police, Samir was released from jail a week ago after undergoing imprisonment of about three years in connection to a crime.

He had a quarrel with Manjula over some domestic issues Saturday night while both were alone at their house. It was suspected that Samir killed his mother in a fit of anger by strangulating her and to eliminate the evidence, he set the body on fire inside the house. The villagers apprehended the accused and handed him over to the police, sources said.

“We have seized the skeleton of the lady and arrested the son who confessed the crime,” Sendha said.

A detailed investigation is on and the accused is being interrogated. He will be produced in court on Monday, the inspector said.

PTI

Cairo: A huge fire broke out early Monday in a police headquarters in northeastern Egypt, injuring at least 38 people, the health ministry said.

The blaze ripped through the multistory police headquarters in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, according to Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry.

He said 12 of the injured were treated at the site, while 26 others were taken to hospitals, all but two suffering from breathing difficulties. Seven of the injured were treated and discharged, he said.

It was not immediately clear how many police were in the building at the time of the blaze, which severely damaged the building according to local media.

Videos circulated on social media showed flames and black smoke pouring from the building.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. The state-run MENA news agency said firefighters managed to put out the fire.

Safety standards and fire regulations are poorly enforced in Egypt and have been linked to many deaths. In August 2022, a fire erupted in a packed Coptic Orthodox church during morning services in Cairo, killing 41 worshippers in one of the country’s deadliest fires in recent years.

There were more than 49,300 fires in Egypt in 2022 which resulted in 203 deaths and injuries to 855 people, according to the country’s official statistics agency.

Bhubaneswar: A 13-year-old boy drowned in a pond in Bhubaneswar’s Baramunda area Monday while he was bathing.

The victim identified as Om Prakash Pradhan, was a class-VIII student of a residential school of an orphanage in Khandagiri area.

The boy and his friends had gone to the pond near their school to bathe in the morning. He, however, slipped into deep water and drowned. His friends immediately called the locals for help.

Police and fire services teams reached the spot and fished out the victim’s body from the pond and sent it to a hospital in the state capital for post-mortem.

IANS

Mumbai: Actress Ileana D’Cruz is celebrating two months of her son Koa Phoenix Dolan by sharing an adorable picture with him on social media.

On Sunday, Ileana took to Instagram to share a selfie with her baby Koa, whom she welcomed on August 1.

In the selfie, Ileana is seen looking at the camera as she holds baby Koa in her arms.

In the caption she wrote: “2 months already.”

It was in August, when Ileana shared the news about her son’s arrival. She shared a glimpse of him and revealed his name.

Sharing the photo, Ileana wrote, “1 week of being your Mama.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ileana D’Cruz (@ileana_official)

The actress had announced her pregnancy in April this year and shared photographs of her partner, about whom she had been extremely tight-lipped about. She then revealed the love of her life – Michael Dolan.

On the work front, the actress will next be seen in ‘Unfair And Lovely’ with actor Randeep Hooda.

Chennai: While there will be unanimity on not changing the repo rate from the current 6.5 per cent, there will be divergence within the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) as to the stance, said senior economists.

The six-member MPC will meet from Wednesday to Friday.

The decision of the MPC will be announced by Das Friday.

Senior economists have told IANS that the MPC will not change the repo rate nor it may resort to other means to control liquidity.

Whether the MPC’s decision will be unanimous or will there be divergent views is the question that hangs now.

“In our opinion, there will be no divergence of views on the rate pause decision, 6-0. But as earlier, there is likely to be one dissent on continuing the existing monetary stance, 5-1,” Suman Chowdhury, Chief Economist & Head – Research, Acuite Ratings told IANS.

“Looks like that unanimous on repo while stance on withdrawal of accommodation will be 5:1,” Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda told IANS.

“I believe the decision should be unanimous,” Sujan Hajra, Chief Economist & Executive Director at Anand Rathi, told IANS.

The MPC comprises of Dr. Shashanka Bhide, Honorary Senior Advisor, National Council of Applied Economic Research; Dr. Ashima Goyal, Emeritus Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai; Prof. Jayanth R. Varma, Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad; Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, Executive Director, RBI; Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra, Deputy Governor, RBI; and Chairman Shaktikanta Das, RBI Governor.

In the previous MPC meeting held from August 8-10, the members unanimously decided to retain the repo rate — the rate at which RBI lends to banks — at 6.5 per cent, while there was on divergent view on the withdrawal of accommodation stance.

At the August 2023 MPC meeting, Varma had said: “I vote for keeping the repo rate unchanged in this meeting. I am of the view that the current level of the repo rate is high enough to bring inflation below the upper tolerance band on a sustained basis and also glide it towards the middle of the band.

“Turning to the stance, my reservations remain the same as in the past. However, this would be the third successive meeting at which the repo rate has been left unchanged (assuming that the MPC decides to pause now). This disconnect between stance and action has completely hollowed out whatever meaning the stance might have originally had, and turned it into a harmless ritualism. So I am content with expressing reservations about the stance.”

IANS

Mumbai: Superstar Hrithik Roshan gave a major shout out to his girlfriend Saba Azad for her performance in the web series ‘Who’s Your Gynac?’, calling her ‘amazing’, and said she should be proud of this one.

“Who’s Your Gynac?” is the story that revolves around the life of the lead character of Dr Vidushi played by Saba, and the challenges that life throws at her as a new practising gynaecologist.

The show breaks down the journey of a fresher OB-GYN, who is trying to strike a balance both professionally and personally.

Taking to Instagram Stories, Hrithik supported her ladylove and shared a collage, which has pictures of Saba, and other star cast.

The actor penned a note along with it, which read as: “What an incredibly heartwarming show this is! Binge watched all episodes, just couldn’t stop. Great work guys! I hope there is more. Congratulations to the entire team!”

In another post, Hrithik wrote: “Every actor deserves applause. Thank you for the laughs and the tears… And Saba Azad, how amazing are you. You should be so proud of this one,” followed by a red heart emoji.

Replying to Hrithik’s post, Saba said: “Heyyyy… thanks Ro”, with a red heart emoji.

Earlier, talking about the show, Saba had said: “I think ‘Who’s Your Gynac?’ will touch a personal chord with every girl and woman and find a few allies in men through its story and characters.”

“The importance of healthcare cannot be underestimated and through my character, the very goofy yet loving Dr Vidushi, we want to deliver a message that will hopefully resonate with the audiences across all age-groups and men and women alike,” she added.

Produced and created by The Viral Fever (TVF), the show is streaming on Amazon mini TV.

Hrithik married Sussanne Khan December 20, 2000, and the couple got divorced in November 2014. The couple have two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan.

Hrithik and Saba are dating for more than a year now.

On the work front, Hrithik has aerial action drama Fighter. The movie also stars Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor.

New Delhi: Indian TV manufacturers Monday said that while the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup that starts from October 5 and the festive season are set to boost consumer electronics sales, challenges like ongoing supply chain issues may leave some buyers disappointed.

Looking back at past festive seasons, when big events like festivals and sports tournaments happen together, it drives up consumer electronics sales in the country.

“We’re estimating an impressive 35-40 per cent surge in sales of big-screen TVs. People are excited because they can watch the matches in high quality (FHD and 4K). This World Cup is going to be a huge deal in India, especially because some matches will be free on streaming platforms,” Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO of Blaupunkt TV, Germany-based electronics brand, told IANS.

But it’s not all smooth sailing as “there are some challenges we’re keeping an eye on,” he mentioned.

“Things like supply chain issues and how people’s preferences might change could affect what products are available and what people want to buy,” added Marwah, who heads Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd (SPPL) that also manufactures other popular brands like Thomson.

Some smartphone companies are also in the TV business now in the country but there have been some service problems at their end.

According to Videotex, a smart TV manufacturer for Realme, Toshiba, Lloyd, Vise, BPL, Hyundai and over 15 leading brands of India, they have observed a substantial surge in the demand for smart TVs.

“TV manufacturers in India have proactively increased their stock levels, reflecting the heightened consumer interest. It appears that Indian consumers now have greater affordability, leading to a preference for larger-screen TVs for an enhanced content viewing experience,” said Arjun Bajaj, Director, Videotex.

Furthermore, the availability of diverse financing options has significantly bolstered consumer demand. While 32-inch TVs were traditionally the most sought-after, their demand has decreased, with consumers now favouring larger sizes in 4K.

Also read: Justin Trudeau trying to crush free speech: Musk

“Despite the consistent rise in Open Cell prices, a critical component of smart TVs, we have managed to maintain competitive pricing thanks to our robust supplier relationships, brand partnerships and supply chain planning,” said Bajaj.

Being a strategic partner to manufacture webOS-operated smart TVs (operating system by LG), the company dominates over 85 per cent market share among the licence manufacturers of webOS Hub TVs.

After a rocky first three quarters this year, online sellers, especially small ones, expect at least a 15 per cent jump in festive sales year-on-year, with the median growth figure of 26 per cent sales increase expected, according to market research firm Redseer.

Driven by about 140 million shoppers, India is likely to witness Rs 90,000 crore worth online gross merchandise value (GMV) in the festive month this year — up 18-20 per cent from last year’s festive month sales.

According to Marwah, Thomson this year aims to be the number 1 online selling smart TV brand.

“With two major smartphone brands existing in the Indian market, Thomson will be aggressive and will try to capture maximum market share,” he added.

IANS

Hangzhou: Sutirtha Mukherjee and Auhika Mukherjee’s giant-slaying run ended with a bronze medal at the Asian Games after the Indian duo lost the closely-fought women’s doubles semifinal 3-4 to Korea here Monday.

Sutirtha and Ayhika brought the match on even-keel after trailing 2-3 but the Koreans Sugyong Pak and Suyog Cha outgunned the Indians in the decider, winning 7-11 11-8 7-11 11-8 11-9 5-11 11-2 in 60 minutes.

The match ended when Sutirtha’s forehand crashed on the net.

Sutirtha and Ayhika had shocked the reigning world champion Chinese pair of Chen Meng and Yidi Wang in the quarterfinals.

With this defeat in the women’s doubles, India’s table tennis campaign ended at the Games. This is the only TT medal that India won at this edition of the Games.

Mumbai: Superstar Akshay Kumar Monday announced his new feature film, Sky Force, which will chronicle the “untold true story of India’s first and deadliest air strike”.

The 56-year-old actor took to X and shared an announcement teaser of the movie on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, revered freedom fighters and stalwarts of India, both of whom were born October 2.

“Today, on the day of Gandhi-Shastri Jayanti, the whole country is saying – ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan’. No better day than today to announce the incredible story of #SkyForce : Our untold story of India’s first and deadliest airstrike. Give it love, please. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat,” Kumar wrote on the microblogging site.

आज गांधी-शास्त्री जयंती के दिन सारा देश कह रहा है – जय जवान, जय किसान, जय विज्ञान, जय अनुसंधान. No better day than today to announce the incredible story of #SkyForce: Our untold story of India's first and deadliest airstrike.

Give it love, please. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat. … pic.twitter.com/qrxQrVqVNB

— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) October 2, 2023

Sky Force will present the “untold true story that captures the bravery, the emotion, the patriotism of all those men in uniform involved in India’s first and deadliest airstrike at a time against Pakistan, against all odds”, the makers said in a press note.

The film, backed by Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, will be released in theatres October 2, 2024.

Sandeep Kelwani and Abhishek Kapur will co-direct the project, which will also mark the acting debut of Veer Pahariya.

Filmmaker Amar Kaushik, known for movies Stree, Bala and Bhediya, will serve as creative producer on the film.

Mumbai: Tejas, headlined by Kangana Ranaut, is set to be released in theatres October 27,  the makers announced Monday.

The movie, written and directed by Sarvesh Mewara, features Ranaut in the role of an Indian Air Force pilot.

Production house RSVP Movies shared the release date and teaser of the film on its official page on X.

“Jab bhi baat desh ki aayegi, woh saari hadein paar kar jaayegi! #TeaserOutToday #Tejas In cinemas on 27th oct,” the post read.

Jab bhi baat desh ki aayegi, woh saari hadein paar kar jaayegi! #TeaserOutToday#Tejas In cinemas on 27th oct@KanganaTeam @sarveshmewara1 @RonnieScrewvala @anshul14chauhan @varunmitra19 @AshishVid @TheVishakNair #ShaswatSachdev @rangoliranaut #ZainabBurmawalla #PashanJal… pic.twitter.com/8tWXoLM6Co

— RSVP (@RSVPMovies) October 2, 2023

According to the makers, Tejas revolves around Ranaut’s Tejas Gill, who aims “to instil a deep sense of pride in the valiant soldiers who tirelessly defend our nation, confronting numerous challenges along the way”.

The film was previously scheduled to arrive in cinemas October 20.

Mumbai: Pakistani star Mahira Khan, who starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 Indian film Raees, has tied the knot with her long-time businessman boyfriend Salim Karim.

Mahira got married over the weekend and this is her second marriage. It was in 2007, when she got married to her first husband Ali Askari. However, the two parted ways in 2015. They share a 13-year-old son, Azlan.

A video shared by Mahira’s manager Maliha Rehman, shows the actress in a stunning ivory pastel lehenga. She is seen in a veil with a long train. As she reaches her groom, who looks very emotional, he lifts it up and looks at her to-be wife with lots of love and hugged her.

“Love and prayers for #MahiraKhan and #SalimKarim, seen in this beautiful little video from their wedding. May their life ahead be filled with happiness,” Maliha wrote as the caption for the video.

 

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A post shared by Maliha Rehman (@maliharehman1)

Mahira Hafeez Khan started her career as a VJ in 2006.

The actress is best known for portraying the role of Khirad Hussain in the romantic-drama ‘Humsafar’. She made her big screen debut opposite Atif Aslam in the romance ‘BoL’. She has also acted in successful Pakistani films Bin Roye, Ho Mann Jahaan and Superstar. She made her debut as a producer with sports web series ‘Baarwan Khiladi’.

Hangzhou: The Indian Speed Skating team, consisting of Sanjana Bathula, Karthika Jagadeeswaran, Heeral Sadhu, and Aarathy Kasturi Raj, clinched a bronze medal after clocking an impressive 4:34.861 in the finals of the 3000 m relay, at the Asian Games, here Monday.

The Indian quartet completed the race in 4 minutes and 34.861 seconds, earning them third place. The gold medal went to Chinese Taipei with a time of 4 minutes and 19.447 seconds, while South Korea claimed silver with a time of 4 minutes and 21.146 seconds.

Meanwhile, the Indian men’s quarter of Aryanpal Singh Ghuman, Anandkumar Velkumar, Siddhant Kamble, and Vikram Ingale bagged another bronze medal by clocking in at 4:10.128 in the men’s team relay.

Chinese Taipei (4:05.692) and South Korea (4:05.702) were in first and second positions respectively.

More details awaited.

Harare: An Indian billionaire, with vast gold, diamonds and coal mining interests in Zimbabwe, and his son were among six individuals who tragically lost their lives in a plane crash in the southern African nation.

Harpal Randhawa, the owner of RioZim, an integrated mining and metallurgical company, was flying from capital Harare to the Murowa diamond mine in southwestern Zimbabwe when the plane crashed on September 29, state-run Sunday Times newspaper reported.

The light aircraft, which reportedly belonged to RioZim, crashed in the Zvamahande area of Mashava, killing all six onboard — four foreigners and two Zimbabweans, police said.

The mid-air crash is suspected to have been caused by a mechanical fault.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports a plane crash which occurred on September 29 between 7.30 a.m. and 8 a.m., where six people are confirmed dead,” police said.

They said that the “white and red Zcam aircraft had left Harare for the mine at 6 a.m. and crashed about 6 km from Mashava”.

RioZim, which was previously part of the British-Australian mining group Rio Tinto, confirmed the crash and said it was working with relevant authorities to gather more information.

Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), told local media that they were still in the process of collecting additional details.

Randhawa is also the founder of the $4 billion private equity firm GEM Holdings.

Journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono said he is “deeply saddened” by the passing of Randhawa.

“He was very generous with life advice, and very humble for the wealthy man that he was. Through him I met many people in the business, diplomatic, and political worlds,” Chin’ono, who met Randhawa in 2017 via a mutual friend, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Rest in Peace, your works and love for Zimbabwe will be your lasting legacy”.

New Delhi:  In a major breakthrough, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested Shahnawaz, a.k.a Shafi Uzzama, who was on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) list of most-wanted terrorists, top police sources said Monday.

The sources said that the police have also detained some other people.

“Few other members of the module detained. Module was planning to carry out terror incidents in North India, taking instructions from foreign-based handlers,” said a senior police official.

“Incriminating material recovered including materials suspected to be used for IED fabrication,” said the official.

The NIA had previously offered a reward of Rs 3 lakh for the capture of Mohammad Shahnawaz Alam, a.k.a Uzzama or Abdullah, due to his involvement in the Pune IS case.

Shahnawaz, who works as an engineer, is a resident of Delhi and had managed to escape from police custody in Pune. Subsequently, he had been living in the national capital.

On September 30, the NIA had initiated a rigorous search operation to locate three individuals with suspected links to the Islamic State in Central Delhi.

Sources reveal that the NIA’s mission focused on locating Uzzama, Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali, and Abdullah Fayaz Shaikh, all of whom are sought in connection with the Pune IS module case.

More details awaited.

New Delhi: Ambassadors of the US and France Monday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 154th birth anniversary.

“On Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, I’m deeply moved by his enduring legacy. His message of non-violence remains a beacon of hope for equality and justice worldwide.

“#Gandhi’s profound influence on Dr. Martin Luther King and the U.S. civil rights movement reminds us of the power of his ideals,” US ambassador Eric Garcetti posted on X.

On Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, I'm deeply moved by his enduring legacy. His message of non-violence remains a beacon of hope for equality and justice worldwide. #Gandhi's profound influence on Dr. Martin Luther King and the U.S. civil rights movement reminds us of the power of his… pic.twitter.com/wA6kcjN88H

— U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) October 2, 2023

The French embassy also paid tributes to the Father of the Nation.

“On #GandhiJayanti, Ambassador-designate Thierry Mathou and everyone at the Embassy pay tribute to the Mahatma and the values of peace, tolerance and non-violence that he staunchly upheld.

“Gandhiji is deeply admired in France, as reflected in statues in Strasbourg and Vauréal,” the embassy posted on X.

On #GandhiJayanti, Ambassador-designate Thierry Mathou and everyone at the Embassy pay tribute to the Mahatma and the values of peace, tolerance and non-violence that he staunchly upheld.

Gandhiji is deeply admired in France, as reflected in statues in Strasbourg and Vauréal. pic.twitter.com/YKsTPTZmtv

— French Embassy in India (@FranceinIndia) October 2, 2023

Madrid: A fire broke out in a nightclub in the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring several others, authorities said.

The fire started around 6 a.m. In the popular Teatre nightclub and quickly tore through the venue, according to Spain’s state news agency EFE.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

A video shared by Murcia’s fire service showed firefighters trying to control flames inside the nightclub. Police and emergency services worked to secure the interior of the club to avoid a possible collapse and were trying to locate and identify the bodies.

Officials said the death toll could increase.

The city council declared three days of mourning with flags flown at half-staff on public buildings throughout the region of Murcia.

San Francisco: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Monday slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to crush free speech in his country, saying this is “shameful”.

He reacted after the Canadian government made it compulsory for online streaming platforms to register with the government for “regulatory controls”.

Author-Journalist Glenn Greenwald posted on X: “The Canadian government, armed with one of the world’s most repressive online censorship schemes, announces that all online streaming services that offer podcasts must formally register with the government to permit regulatory controls”.

The Canadian government, armed with one of the world's most repressive online censorship schemes, announces that all "online streaming services that offer podcasts" must formally register with the government to permit regulatory controls:https://t.co/wHOloLgnY2 pic.twitter.com/6noTYceVsg

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 1, 2023

Musk reacted: “Trudeau is trying to crush free speech in Canada. Shameful.”

Trudeau is trying to crush free speech in Canada. Shameful. https://t.co/oHFFvyBGxu

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2023

When one of his followers posted that Trudeau should change his name to “Falsedeau”, the tech billionaire reacted with a crying face emoji.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that India’s diplomatic row with Canada was discussed in his meeting with top US officials — Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan — and he gave them both an exhaustive account of India’s case, which included its assessment of “a very permissive Canadian attitude towards terrorists”.

The US has been supportive of Canada’s allegation that India was behind the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June.

The US has publicly and privately urged India to cooperate with the investigation.

New Delhi has dismissed the allegations as “absurd” but has said that if Canada has anything, it would take a look at it.

But Ottawa has not provided any evidence to India or presented it publicly.

Ciudad Madero: The roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico during a Mass Sunday, killing at least nine people and injuring around 50, authorities said as searchers probed in the wreckage late into the night looking for survivors and other victims.

Approximately 30 parishioners were believed to have been trapped in the rubble when the roof caved in, officials said. Searchers crawled under the roof slabs and officials brought in dogs to help search for possible survivors.

The Tamaulipas state police said about 100 people were in the church at the time of the collapse.

The state security spokesman’s office said late Sunday that nine people had been confirmed dead from the collapse, which it described as likely being caused by “a structural failure.”

Tamaulipas state police said units of the National Guard, the state police and state civil defense office and the Red Cross were involved in the operation.

The Mexican Council of Bishops issued a statement saying that “we join in prayer at the tragic loss of life and those injured.”

Bishop José Armando Alvarez of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tampico said the roof caved in while parishioners were receiving communion at the Santa Cruz church in the Gulf coast city of Ciudad Madero, next to the port city of Tampico.

The diocese later posted a list of about 50 people who had been hospitalized as a result of the accident. They included a 4-month-old baby, three children 5-year-olds and two 9-year-olds. There was no immediate information on their conditions.

“From underneath the rubble, thanks to Divine Providence and the work of the rescue teams, people have been pulled out alive!” Alvarez’s diocese wrote in a statement posted on it social media accounts. “Let’s keep praying!”

He also called on anyone who had wood to donate to bring it to the church, apparently to shore up the roof while rescue teams crawled inside.

Photos published by local media showed what appeared to be a concrete and brick structure, with parts of the roof fallen almost to the ground. Security camera footage from about a block away showed the unusual, gabled roof simply collapsed downward.

Walls did not appear to have been blown outward, nor was there any indication of an explosion, or anything other than simple structural failure.

The roof appeared to be made of relatively thin poured concrete, and photos distributed by state authorities showed the roof slab resting on the top of pews in some parts of the church. That left open the possibility there were air spaces for any survivors.

“At this time, the necessary work is being performed to extract the people who are still under the ruble,” Alvarez said in a taped message. “Today we are living through a very difficult moment.”

Video distributed by the state civil defense office showed the outer edges of the roof propped up by short wooden blocks.

It also showed initial efforts to lift off parts of the collapsed roof closer to the ground, in the center of the church, with a crane. But the office said the efforts to lift roof sections were abandoned because of the danger that a chunk of the now-crumbling slab might fall back and endanger any survivors.

The video described how officials had reverted to manual rescue efforts, apparently sending rescuers under the slab with wood props or hydraulic jacks to reach those trapped underneath. Specially trained dogs also were sent into the rubble to detect survivors.

The civil defense office said the dogs did not initially appear to detect signs of survivors, so an older method was implemented that had been used in past earthquakes: sending rescue teams into the rubble to shout and listen for signs of any response.

Building collapses are common in Mexico during earthquakes, but the National Seismological Service did not report any seismic activity strong enough to cause such damage at the time of the collapse. Nor was there any immediate indication of an explosion.

Ciudad Madero is about 310 miles (500 kilometers) south of Brownsville, Texas. Tamaulipas is known for drug cartel violence, but Ciudad Madero is in the southern part of the state near neighbouring Veracruz state and has been less touched by the violence.

Keonjhar: Newly inaugurated Dharanidhar Medical College and Hospital (DDMCH) at Kabitra near Keonjhar town has failed to be of any use to the patients as it is yet to become fully operational months after its inauguration. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the newly-built medical college and hospital, February 13. The medical college and the 385-bed hospital were built at a cost of Rs 400 crore on 44.40 acre of land at Kabitra. Residents of Keonjhar town felt relieved after the establishment of DDMCH. However, it has failed to serve the purpose for which it was established, locals alleged.

Patients and their attendants continue to throng the district headquarters hospital (DHH) premises as the newly inaugurated hospital is yet to become fully functional inside the medical college campus. Patients are having a harrowing time as they continue to throng the DHH for treatment. Many of them unaware of the non-functioning of the DDMCH have to take rounds of its campus before finally converging at the DHH. Studies of the medical students are going on inside the campus while the hospital unit continues to function from the DHH premises in Keonjhar town even as over seven months have passed after its inauguration.

Notably, thousands of patients from Keonjhar and neighbouring Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, and Bhadrak districts as well as from neighbouring Jharkhand are dependent on the DHH in Keonjhar town. This has resulted in overcrowding of the DHH and patients have to wait for hours to get treatment. Things have come to such a pass that the main gate of the DHH often gets blocked due to the rush of patients and their kin. Patients wishing to book slots for check-ups with a super-specialist doctor usually have to stand in queue from the previous night in order to get a ticket.

Moreover, they have to jostle with others in the crowd as the ticket counter lies close to the medicine counter. Patients from outside the state are the worst sufferers. Reports said that the DHH is visited by over 2,000 outdoor patients and 250 indoor patients on a daily basis. The hospital has 21 clinical and non-clinical departments where doctors of the DHH and the DDMCH, including super specialist doctors appointed under DMF funds, provide treatment to the patients.

However, owing to lack of space and absence of a reception counter the patients have to wait for long hours for their turn by sitting or sleeping on the floor in unhealthy conditions. Various outfits have demanded more ticket and medicine counters in the hospital to make the DDMCH fully functional. Patients often complain of not getting free medicines and tests under Niramaya scheme.

As a result, they have to buy medicines and get their tests done outside by spending more from their pockets. Patients are subjected to exploitation while the medicine shop owners, private clinics, and nursing home owners rake in moolah fleecing the poor patients, social activist Dillip Sahu said. Moreover, the DHH has no ICU facility for emergency patients.

People said that the buildings in the DDMCH will soon get damaged if they are not put to use for a long time. A senior citizen Alekh Chandra Patra of Gambharia area in Keonjhar town said that he had been to the DHH for check up with a doctor but had to return home after witnessing a huge crowd outside the outdoor ward. An attendant Navin Palai said that he had been to the DHH to get one of his kin treated, Tuesday. He noticed people jostling and shoving each other to meet the doctor and informed the hospital authorities. The district administration and hospital authorities should intervene and shift the hospital unit of DDMCH to the newly built campus, he said. When contacted, hospital superintendent Dr Mahendra Nayak said he is aware of the problems and efforts are being made to shift the hospital unit to the medical college campus by December.

However, the shifting may get delayed as several employees are yet to be appointed and medical equipment is not yet available at the newly built medical college and hospital, he added.