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 Probe Team Formed, Rs 14-Lakh Aid Announced The number of deaths in the Mundathikode fireworks storage facility explosion in Kerala’s Thrissur district has risen to 13, with 15 injured persons still undergoing treatment, five of them in critical condition, officials said on Wednesday. Two of the injured remain on ventilator support. Ten patients are currently in intensive care units across hospitals, while one injured person is being treated at a private hospital. Doctors from Palakkad and Ernakulam medical colleges have joined treatment efforts. Authorities said only three of the people who died have been officially identified so far. Severe burn injuries have made identification difficult. Seven intact bodies and multiple body parts have been recovered from the site. DNA testing is being carried out to confirm identities, with teams from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute assisting the process. The number of deaths in the Mundathikode fireworks storage facility explosion in Kerala’s Thrissur district has risen to 13, with 15 injured persons still undergoing treatment, five of them in critical condition, officials said on Wednesday. Two of the injured remain on ventilator support. Ten patients are currently in intensive care units across hospitals, while one injured person is being treated at a private hospital. Doctors from Palakkad and Ernakulam medical colleges have joined treatment efforts. Authorities said only three of the people who died have been officially identified so far. Severe burn injuries have made identification difficult. Seven intact bodies and multiple body parts have been recovered from the site. DNA testing is being carried out to confirm identities, with teams from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute assisting the process. Search operations are continuing at the blast site with the help of cadaver dogs. Two additional body parts were recovered from paddy fields about 200 metres away from the explosion spot. Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan said postmortem procedures have been completed on five bodies and 11 body parts so far, while examinations of additional remains are pending. Control rooms have been opened at four locations to coordinate relief efforts. The Kerala government has declared the incident a state-specific calamity and announced Rs 14 lakh compensation for the families of those killed and Rs 2 lakh as immediate relief for the injured. The entire cost of treatment will be borne by the state. An emergency allocation of Rs 50 lakh has also been sanctioned for the Thrissur district administration. A judicial inquiry led by Justice CN Ramachandran has been ordered. Kerala State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar said a Special Investigation Team has been constituted under the Thrissur City Police Commissioner to probe the explosion. “The entire focus yesterday was on rescue operations. A comprehensive probe is underway to find out the exact cause for the mishap. By this evening, we will be able to ascertain what caused the blast,” he said. He added that investigators were examining all possible angles. “It is too early to ascertain whether there was any sabotage behind the incident, but all angles, including forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts, will be examined,” the police chief said. Switch To Beeps Mode The number of deaths in the Mundathikode fireworks storage facility explosion in Kerala’s Thrissur district has risen to 13, with 15 injured persons still undergoing treatment, five of them in critical condition, officials said on Wednesday. Two of the injured remain on ventilator support. Ten patients are currently in intensive care units across hospitals, while one injured person is being treated at a private hospital. Doctors from Palakkad and Ernakulam medical colleges have joined treatment efforts. Authorities said only three of the people who died have been officially identified so far. Severe burn injuries have made identification difficult. Seven intact bodies and multiple body parts have been recovered from the site. DNA testing is being carried out to confirm identities, with teams from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute assisting the process. Search operations are continuing at the blast site with the help of cadaver dogs. Two additional body parts were recovered from paddy fields about 200 metres away from the explosion spot. Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan said postmortem procedures have been completed on five bodies and 11 body parts so far, while examinations of additional remains are pending. Control rooms have been opened at four locations to coordinate relief efforts. The Kerala government has declared the incident a state-specific calamity and announced Rs 14 lakh compensation for the families of those killed and Rs 2 lakh as immediate relief for the injured. The entire cost of treatment will be borne by the state. An emergency allocation of Rs 50 lakh has also been sanctioned for the Thrissur district administration. A judicial inquiry led by Justice CN Ramachandran has been ordered. Kerala State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar said a Special Investigation Team has been constituted under the Thrissur City Police Commissioner to probe the explosion. “The entire focus yesterday was on rescue operations. A comprehensive probe is underway to find out the exact cause for the mishap. By this evening, we will be able to ascertain what caused the blast,” he said. He added that investigators were examining all possible angles. “It is too early to ascertain whether there was any sabotage behind the incident, but all angles, including forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts, will be examined,” the police chief said. Officials said around 32 people were confirmed to have been present at the site at the time of the explosion, though the possibility of more persons being there cannot be ruled out. Union Minister Suresh Gopi, District Collector Shikha Surendran, ADGP H Venkatesh and Thrissur City Police Commissioner Nakul R Deshmukh visited the site and reviewed rescue and investigation efforts. A decision on the conduct of this year’s Thrissur Pooram festivities is expected after a meeting scheduled for Thursday.

CEC hails West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for highest ever voter turnout since independence While Tamil Nadu recorded 84.69% polling percentage, West Bengal (Phase-I) registered 91.78% Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar hailed the voters of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday (April 23, 2026) for recording the highest ever polling percentage since independence. While Tamil Nadu recorded 84.69% polling percentage, West Bengal (Phase-I) registered 91.78%. Previously, the highest poll participation in Tamil Nadu was 78.29% in 2011, and in the same year West Bengal recorded 84.72%.  | Photo Credit: Moorthy M. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar hailed the voters of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday (April 23, 2026) for recording the highest ever polling percentage since independence. West Bengal Phase 1 polling highlights – April 23, 2026 While Tamil Nadu recorded 84.69% polling percentage, West Bengal (Phase-I) registered 91.78%. Previously, the highest poll participation in Tamil Nadu was 78.29% in 2011, and in the same year West Bengal recorded 84.72%. CEC Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. S. S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, kept a close watch on the polling via live webcasting which was available in 100% of polling stations in both states, the ECI said. Over 85% voter turnout in Tamil Nadu – Polling day highlights “Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence — ECI salutes every voter in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Kumar said. Several new voter-friendly initiatives were implemented, including easily identifiable colour photos of candidates on EVM ballot papers, Mobile Deposit Facility (MDF), newly designed Voter Information Slips (VIS) for easy readability, and a limit of 1,200 voters per polling station. Wheelchairs and volunteers, as well as transport to polling stations, were made available to the PwD voters, the ECI statement said.

PM Modi, Amit Shah says no State will be discriminated against in delimitation exercise; Hegseth says U.S. forces ready for combat if Iran deal fails, and more PM Modi says no state will be discriminated against in delimitation exercise Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 16, 2026) asserted that no State — big or small, north or south, east or west — will be discriminated against in the delimitation of constituencies linked with the implementation of women quota law and warned that those who oppose this reform will not be forgiven by the women of the country. PM Modi also stressed that the proportion of Lok Sabha seats in any State will not come down as a result of the delimitation exercise. The Bills were introduced after a fiery 40-minute debate, during which the Opposition pressed for a division of votes to introduce the Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill. U.S. forces ready to restart combat if Iran doesn’t agree a deal, says Hegseth U.S. forces in ‌West Asia are postured to ​restart combat operations ⁠if Iran doesn’t agree to a peace deal, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told a ‌Pentagon briefing on Thursday (April 16, 2026). “You, Iran, can choose a ‌prosperous future, a golden ‌bridge, and ⁠we hope that you ⁠do for the people of Iran,” he said. “But if Iran chooses poorly, ​then they will ‌have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.” Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for Washington’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war for weeks. PM Modi says no state will be discriminated against in delimitation exercise Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 16, 2026) asserted that no State — big or small, north or south, east or west — will be discriminated against in the delimitation of constituencies linked with the implementation of women quota law and warned that those who oppose this reform will not be forgiven by the women of the country. PM Modi also stressed that the proportion of Lok Sabha seats in any State will not come down as a result of the delimitation exercise. The Bills were introduced after a fiery 40-minute debate, during which the Opposition pressed for a division of votes to introduce the Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill. U.S. forces ready to restart combat if Iran doesn’t agree a deal, says Hegseth U.S. forces in ‌West Asia are postured to ​restart combat operations ⁠if Iran doesn’t agree to a peace deal, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told a ‌Pentagon briefing on Thursday (April 16, 2026). “You, Iran, can choose a ‌prosperous future, a golden ‌bridge, and ⁠we hope that you ⁠do for the people of Iran,” he said. “But if Iran chooses poorly, ​then they will ‌have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.” Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for Washington’s efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war for weeks. https://buy.tinypass.com/checkout/offer/show?displayMode=inline&containerSelector=%23artmeterpv&templateId=OT1NPNUW7I8P&templateVariantId=OTVLWU4IF6FE6&offerId=OFUQSXLDD65A&formNameByTermId=%7B%7D&hideCompletedFields=true&showCloseButton=false&checkoutFlowId=CFLEWKLYGCWQ&experienceActionId=showOfferK462SYOYJFYR5102&offerType=purchase&experienceId=EXG46G3JW53C&activeMeters=%5B%7B%22meterName%22%3A%22LTS%3C50%25%22%2C%22views%22%3A1%2C%22viewsLeft%22%3A99998%2C%22maxViews%22%3A99999%2C%22totalViews%22%3A1%7D%5D&companyName=sanjay%20cable%20network&sessions=&widget=offer&iframeId=offer-0-qdpfO&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehindu.com%2Fnews%2Ftop-news-of-the-day-april-16-2026%2Farticle70868854.ece&parentDualScreenLeft=0&parentDualScreenTop=0&parentWidth=1536&parentHeight=730&parentOuterHeight=816&aid=DC3REpZYpu&zone=Web&customVariables=%7B%7D&browserId=mm2zo0ieo649ilx2&userState=anon&pianoIdUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fid.tinypass.com%2Fid%2F&pianoIdStage=&userProvider=piano_id&userToken=&customCookies=%7B%22_pc_thgpremiumexp%22%3A%22false%22%7D&hasLoginRequiredCallback=true&initMode=context&requestUserAuthForLinkedTerm=true&initTime=2273.100000023842&logType=offerShow&isConsentManagerEnabled=false&width=732.2625122070312&_qh=36a08866c7 Military conflict cannot resolve problems: PM Modi on West Asia, Ukraine after talks with Austria Chancellor Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (April 16, 2026) called for the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. “Today, the entire world is passing through a very serious and tense situation,” PM Modi said, adding that the impact of this tense situation is being felt by all of us. The Prime Minister said India and Austria are in agreement that military conflict cannot resolve problems. “We support stable, sustainable, and lasting peace in Ukraine and West Asia,” he said.