At least two Maoists were gunned down in an intense encounter with security forces in the Kistaram police station area of Sukma district, Chhattisgarh, officials said on Saturday.

A joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Cobra battalion had launched a search operation following Intelligence reports of Maoist activity in the region.

The encounter, which began early this morning, is still going on intermittently, with clashes between the Maoists and security forces continuing through the day.

An intensive search operation is underway, with forces combing both the encounter site and the surrounding areas to locate any remaining Maoist insurgents.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai, while commenting on the ongoing encounter, expressed confidence in the continuous efforts of the state’s security forces.

At least 60 students of Shri Chandpur Primary School in Harnaut block fell ill on Friday after consuming a mid-day meal.

The students complained of stomach-ache and vomiting around two hours after consuming the mead day meal.

The students suspect that the boiled eggs served during lunch may have caused the illness.

Upon receiving the information, local health officials rushed to the school and transported the affected students to Kalyan Vigha Referral Hospital.

The operation to rescue eight trapped persons in a partially collapsed tunnel continued in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, said a top official on Friday while denying reports that rescue teams found dead bodies.

Nagarkurnool district Collector Badavath Santosh told the media that the news on some channels about bodies being found is fake.

He urged the media not to broadcast any such news without confirmation as it creates panic.

Asked about reports that scanning of the tunnel by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology revealed certain points where human bodies may be found, he said the rescue operation was continuing as per the findings of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).

Around 25 of the 57 workers engulfed by the snow as a massive avalanche struck Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday remain to be rescued as a multi-agency operation struggles in the harsh climate and terrain to extricate them, officials said.

According to reports, 57 workers were engaged in road construction near Mana village, close to the India-Tibet border, when the avalanche occurred. While 32 have been rescued and rushed to an army camp in critical condition, efforts are underway to locate and bring out the remaining workers.

Rescue operations are being carried out by multiple agencies, including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Army.

Four Bhopal residents, returning home from the recently concluded Kumbh Mela, met a tragic end on the Kanpur-Sagar Highway on Friday in a collision which even left experienced rescue teams shaken.

The incident occurred at Bara Nala near Srinagar village of Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh.

A truck, barrelling down the road at breakneck speed, smashed head-on into their car, dragging the wreckage for over 50 meters, police sources said.

In a tragic incident, a woman in Kerala's Kottayam and two of her girl children committed suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train near their home at the district's Ettumanoor area early on Friday, officials said.

The incident, which occurred around 5.30 a.m., came to light after the loco pilot of the Nilambur bound Kottayam–Nilambur Express alerted the local railway authorities and the police.

The loco pilot said that saw three people on the tracks and sounded the horn several times but they did not move away.

A police team arrived at the spot and identified the deceased by visuals from a nearby CCTV.

In a shocking incident, an auto-rickshaw was crushed between two Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses in Bengaluru, resulting in the deaths of two people traveling in the vehicle on Friday.

The deceased have been identified as 50-year-old Vijay Kumar, the auto driver, and 70-year-old passenger Vishnu Bhatia. The incident occurred at Sita Circle near Hosakerehalli Cross in Bengaluru.

Police said that the accident took place when a BMTC bus driver suddenly applied the brakes. The auto driver lost control and crashed into the BMTC bus in front of him. Meanwhile, another BMTC bus coming from behind collided with the auto, crushing it between the two buses.

The famous Baba Khatu Shyam fair begins in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday with 'darshan' from 5 p.m. onwards. The fair, which will continue till March 11, is expected to attract lakhs of devotees from across the country.

This year, the temple premises have been adorned like the Vaishno Devi temple. At the Singh Gate, a depiction of Barbarik (grandson of Bhim and son of Ghatotkacha) offering his head to Shri Krishna has been created. Additionally, the temple will feature red cloth-tied coconuts and bells, similar to those seen at the Vaishno Devi temple.

The Baba Shyam's court has been decorated with 65 varieties of flowers sourced from eight countries.

A massive avalanche in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday left at least 42 workers, engaged in road construction near Mana village close to the India-Tibet border, trapped under thick layers of snow, officials said.

According to reports, 57 workers were present at the site when the avalanche occurred, but 15 have been rescued and rushed to an army camp near Mana in critical condition.

Rescue operations are underway with multiple agencies, including the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), working in coordination.

The incident occurred approximately 3 km ahead of the Badrinath Dham, near a BRO camp, where the workers were engaged in clearing snow from the road for army movement.

Despite swift mobilisation, heavy snowfall has hampered rescue efforts. Three to four ambulances have been dispatched to the site, but they have been delayed due to treacherous road conditions. Authorities are making efforts to clear blocked routes to ensure the timely evacuation of those trapped.

Rajasthan Director General (DG) of Cyber Crime, Hemant Priyadarshi, on Thursday issued an advisory warning citizens to stay cautious and avoid falling victim to cybercriminals who are scamming people by sending fake SMS and links under the name of India Post.

He said that fraudsters send SMS messages claiming that a parcel could not be delivered due to an incorrect address. "The message includes a fraudulent link, directing users to update their address," he said.

He added that, however, clicking the link leads to a counterfeit website that closely resembles the official India Post portal.