At least seven workers were killed and 13 injured following a landslide that sent water and debris gushing into a tunnel under construction in north India, officials said Friday.

The incident occurred late Thursday in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where workers were constructing a tunnel for a state-run hydropower project.

At least three workers are still missing, while 19 were rescued from the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation site, the State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.

Videos shared by local authorities showed rescue workers equipped with head-mounted torches using makeshift rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel.

Uttarakhand has been battered by heavy monsoon rains in recent days.

Accidents on large construction sites are common in India, but ecologists say excessive development projects have led to more disasters in the fragile Himalayan areas.

Last month, 20 people working in a tunnel for another state-run hydroelectric project were killed in the remote northeastern state of Sikkim.

In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days inside a tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand.

Hundreds of people have been killed in floods and landslides across the country since the start of the annual monsoon season in June.

Experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing the frequency, severity, and impact of the disasters.

AFP

Source: punchng.com

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The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union has honoured the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, with the ‘Golden Era Pillar of Critical and Strategic Intelligence for National Development Award’, as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary

RATTAWU conferred the award on Ajayi on Thursday at his office, when the National President of the group, Emeka Kalu, led members to a media/security-critical engagement and strategic partnership meeting for national development in Abuja.

Kalu praised the appointment of Ajayi in 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, describing it as putting “a round peg in a round hole.”

He added that the award was an initiative of the union designed to recognise individuals and institutions that had made outstanding contributions to national development, security, democracy, culture and the growth of Nigeria.

He said, “Your appointment by Mr President demonstrates the importance of placing capable Nigerians with integrity and professional competence in strategic positions of national responsibility.

“The role of the DSS in protecting Nigeria’s national interests, gathering critical intelligence and supporting national security cannot be overemphasised.

“Particularly now that this country is confronted with complex security and emerging technological challenges, appointments like yours are the best ever done by Mr President.

“That is why this union decided to honour you with the Golden Era Pillar of Critical and Strategic Intelligence for National Development Award.”

Responding, the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, expressed appreciation to the leadership of RATTAWU for the honour.

Ajayi described the recognition as a significant gesture that would further encourage him and the service to remain committed to their responsibilities to the nation.

Source: punchng.com

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The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026, at 5.00 pm West Africa Time.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the Presidency, on Wednesday, announced that the public submission would close by 5 pm on Thursday, August 13.

In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, the group said the extension was intended to ensure that interested individuals, institutions and organisations have adequate opportunity to make substantive contributions to the proposed legislation.

“The Presidential Working Group is committed to ensuring that the process of developing the National Policing Bill benefits from broad consultation and the informed perspectives of Nigerians and relevant stakeholders,” the statement read.

The proposed legislation is intended to provide the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework necessary for an effective policing architecture that responds to Nigeria’s evolving security needs, while providing appropriate safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.

“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” the statement said.

The former lawmaker said legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and interested members of the public are encouraged to take advantage of the extended window to submit their memoranda and position papers, exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, on or before the new deadline.

According to him, developing an effective policing framework required careful consideration of a number of critical issues, including sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.

“These considerations underscore the importance of robust stakeholder engagement in developing a framework that is effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the peculiar security needs of communities across the federation,” he added.

He noted that at the conclusion of its assignment, the Presidential Working Group will present a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.

The Presidential Working Group appreciated stakeholders who had already made submissions and encouraged others intending to participate in the process to take advantage of the extension.

The National Policing Bill portal went live on August 3, 2026, when Gbajabiamila first announced the public consultation window during a press briefing on the reform, at the time indicating that submissions would close after roughly two weeks.

The Working Group is expected to present the completed Executive Bill package to President Bola Tinubu for review on September 3, 2026.

Source: punchng.com

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