???? Another day, another train derailment | ???? Wayanad under water after heavy downpour

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Market Watch

• Indian benchmark indices ended the day flat, with the Sensex up 99.56 points at 81,455 and the Nifty up 21.2 points at 24857.30.
• Among sectors, Nifty Consumer Durables gained the most while Nifty FMCG shed the most.

Several injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-CSMT express derail in Jharkhand

Eighteen coaches of the Howrah-CSMT Express passenger train derailed in Jharkhand early on Tuesday, injuring six people. The accident occurred around 3:45 AM near Badabamboo, about 80 km from Jamshedpur, in the Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway.

• At least 6 people lost their lives while up to 20 were injured. The accident disrupted rail services, leading to the cancellation of three trains: Howrah-Kantabanji Ispat Express, Kharagpur-Dhanbad Express, and Howrah-Barbil Express.

Why this matters: Train accidents in just June and July of this year have led to at least 17 deaths, leaving more than 100 injured. This is the fourth passenger train accident in 2024, and the sixth train derailment in July.

• This year the budget has allocated Rs 2.52 lakh crore for the Railways. As per the Economic Survey 2023-24, capex deployment in the railways has increased 77% over the past five years to Rs 2.62 lakh crore in FY24.

What they’re saying: The opposition has taken aim at the government, and at Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in particular, demanding his resignation.

• Jharkhand’s ruling JMM said “The entire responsibility for this (train accident) lies with your Railway Minister and the central government. Stop the Railway Minister from making reels and request him to focus on railways.”
• Trinamool Congress labeled train accidents as the “new normal” under the BJP-led Government at the Centre and accused the railway ministry of zero accountability.

Flashback: Major tragedies like the Balasore train accident, led to intervention by the Supreme Court, which demanded to know what the government was doing about the increase in train accidents and the status and efficacy of the indigenous 'Kavach' anti-collision system.

• The government has also faced flak for hyping the Vande Bharat trains, while completely ignoring the plight of citizens traveling on regular trains.

Yes, but: Despite these tragedies, data from the railway ministry shows that train mishaps have declined considerably over the years, reducing from 473 in 2000-01 to 135 in 2014-15, and further dropping to just 48 in 2022.

Clip du jour

This video shared by Elon Musk, along with the caption “They should mix up the propaganda more. This is way too obvious. Just like when they were parroting before the debate that Biden was “sharp as a tack”.

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Over 100 killed as massive landslides hit Kerala's Wayanad district; hundreds feared trapped

Massive landslides struck various hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala's Wayanad district early on July 30, 2024, causing widespread devastation and trapping hundreds of people.

What happened? The landslides began early in the morning around 3 AM on July 30, 2024, in the hilly areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district, Kerala. Heavy rainfall, which had been persistent for days, triggered the landslides.

• The initial landslides caused significant destruction, burying houses, shops, and vehicles under debris in areas like Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha. The Chaliyar River in Malappuram was also affected, with several bodies being recovered from the river.
• At least 100 people have been killed, while several remain missing as rescue operations led by the NDRF and Army are underway. A control room has been established by the Health Department, with emergency helpline numbers issued for assistance: 9656938689 and 8086010833.

Of note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of all possible help from the Centre, offering Rs 2 lakh to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

ICYMI

• ???? OpenAI is projected to lose up to $5 billion in 2023 due to the high costs of running AI products like ChatGPT.
• ???? Gulf nations have raised significant concerns regarding the behavior and skills of Pakistani expatriates, potentially impacting future employment opportunities for Pakistanis in these countries.
• ?????? Amid multiple security concerns along our borders, new satellite pictures now show Chinese troops moving vehicles across the now-completed Chinese bridge over Pangong Lake.
• ?? Brands using images of Indian Olympic medalists in congratulatory ads without sponsorship are receiving legal notices for infringing personality rights.
• ?? The men's triathlon event at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been postponed due to high levels of pollution in the Seine River.