OID‰‰†‰KOID‰‰†‰OID‰‰†‰MOID‰‰†‰C In celebration of peace and happiness on Buddha Jayanti New Delhi, Friday,May 16, 2003www.timesofindia.com Capital 30 pages* Invitation Price Rs. 1.50 International India Times Sport Claudia Schiffer, Rs 55 cr needed for Juventus thrash Real 3-month-old son INS Vikrant to reach to set up all-Italian unhurt in crash its final destination Champions’ final Page 14 Page 8 Page 19 WIN WITH THE TIMES Established 1838 Bennett, Coleman & Co., Ltd. Life is a gamble at terrible Fire on Frontier Mail kills 38 odds – if it was a bet, you Rajesh Bhambi wouldn’t take it. ● — Tom Stoppard Suspected: Stove NEWS DIGEST burst or short-circuit Weight-lifting team pulls out: ● India pull of the world junior No sabotage weightlifting championships be- cause of the 23 positive cases at the By Harpreet Kang & Raju William jnunior nationals in Chennai in Janu- TIMES NEWS NETWORK ary. According to federation officials this was done to send a warning Laddowal (Ludhiana): Thirty-eight people across the lifting community. P20 were charred to death and 14 others injured Kalam meets Staines’ widow: when the Mumbai-Amritsar Golden Temple President A P J Abdul Kalam met Express (Frontier Mail) caught fire near Gladys Staines, the widow of slain Ludhiana around 4 am on Thursday. Three Australian missionary Graham Stuart coaches were completely destroyed and an- Staines, in Baripada. other partially damaged in the fire that broke out around 4 am. Cheaper fuel The fire started in S-4 coach, 10 minutes after the train left the Ludhiana station. It Petrol Old New soon spread to S-3 and S-5 coaches. Delhi 31.50 30.40 While railway minister Nitish Kumar re- Mumbai 36.43 35.25 fused to comment on the cause of the fire, of- Kolkata 33.00 31.91 ficials maintained that passenger negli- Chennai 34.40 33.22 gence could be the possible reason behind Diesel the disaster. Kumar said the commissioner of railway Delhi 20.13 19.18 safety had initiated a probe. Assuring that Mumbai 25.50 24.38 the probe would be completed within a Kolkata 21.51 20.57 Chennai 22.43 21.38 month, he said: ‘‘We will have to wait to know the cause of fire.’’ He announced an Rs per litre (Effective today) ex gratia amount of Rs 1 lakh for the fami- Rescue work goes on after three coaches of Frontier Mail caught fire at Laddowal near Ludhiana on Thursday morning. More pictures on pages 3, 11 and 12 lies of each of the death. Hinting at passenger negligence, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said parts of a burnt stove and a hookah were Excuses on track, found in S-4 coach. Cancer patient loses all Railway board member (electrical) S C Gupta, too, contended that a stove-burst may By Nistula Hebbar call from Shaji. ‘‘He said, good company.They had all be behind the disaster. Substantiating his TIMES NEWS NETWORK I’m alone now, Betty and booked their seats through accountability off claim, he said the window sills near the the children are dead.’’ Bet- the institute and were trav- burnt stove were distorted due to the impact New Delhi: In a tragic ty’s brother, Father Jose, elling in the same coach,’’ By Rajesh Ramachandran wiring on the coaches may have of the explosion. twist of fate, 40-year-old left for Ludhiana to bring said Father Mathias. TIMES NEWS NETWORK got damaged, causing a short cir- Railway Board sources said there were no Army officer B Shaji, who cuit. The train had already trav- back the bodies of his sister Sister Alphonso’s body New Delhi: The blame game signs of sabotage. It could be a case of short- has been battling oral can- and nephews. was so badly charred that it elled over 30 hours in the scorch- has begun. circuit or sparking or leakage of some in- cer for the past few months, The family was close- wasn’t possible to ascertain ing heat before it caught fire. Most major accidents are put flammable objects being carried by passen- survived Thursday’s rail knit and Shaji’s illness her age. ‘‘The railway peo- The wiring is done on the roof down to sabotage by rail officials gers, they said. tragedy only to lose his wife brought them closer. ple called us for details,’’ and some reports suggest that eager to shift responsibility Bhagwant Singh, a soldier, said he saw Betty and sons Johnny and ‘‘Through the five months said Father Mathias. Five the roof was damaged. from the Railways to the state smoke coming out of the S-3 coach when he Tony in the accident. of chemotherapy, the fami- people from Delhi have What is puzzling officials is government. But now that Prime YOU SAID IT by Laxman pulled the chain. Armymen and other rail- Shaji and his family were ly concentrated on beating been identified among the speed with which the fire Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee way officials rushed to the spot and delinked on their way to Ludhiana, the odds on death,’’ added those killed. Surinder spread from one coach to anoth- the three coaches. happy at the prospect of a Father Mathias. ‘‘When Singh, travelling in S4, has has suggested — from his Man- er, gutting three and affecting a Twelve fire tenders were pressed into holiday away from hospi- Betty and the children also been identified. ali retreat — that the fire could fourth. service but it took two hours before the fire tals. ‘‘Shaji was undergoing came here last week to say According to the North- have been caused by a cigarette Normally, coaches are built was brought under control. treatment at the Military goodbye, they looked happy. ern Railway,around 52 peo- or a short circuit, the Railways with fire retardant substances The fire had spread to S-6 coach, too, but it Hospital in Delhi and a part Shaji had responded well to ple have boarded a special may confirm this version. and even the positive and nega- was brought under control well in time. of his chemotherapy was the treatment,’’ he said. train to the site. MTNL em- Already, Northern Railway tive electrical points are isolated Ambulances shifted injured passengers to over. The family was going For the staff at the Don ployee Balwinder Singh officials — on whose territory to prevent short circuiting. But the Christian Medical College and the to Ludhiana to pick up Bosco Polytechnic, it has Sethi was one of the first on the accident occurred — are in this case, the fire engulfed the Dayanand Medical College in Ludhiana. their old furniture,’’ said been a multiple tragedy.Sis- board. Three members of blaming the passengers by coaches in minutes. Residents of nearby villages of Majh Fag- Father Mathias Vellap- ter Alphonso, a nun at the his family are reportedly claiming that the fire spread Of course, the wind blowing gowal, Barewal and Laddowal helped in the pallil, director, Don Bosco nearby Sacred Heart order on one of the four ill-fated from a burst stove. strongly on a train travelling at rescue operations. They even arranged tea Polytechnic Institute. was also killed. ‘‘Sister coaches of the train. The train had left Ludhiana 90 kmph had a role to play. and food for the shocked passengers. It was after morning Alphonso travelled on Says Father Mathias, station at 3.45 am and passen- According to senior Railways Law says pay Rs 4 lakh, Rlys evasive: Page 11 mass at the institute that Thursday thinking Betty ‘‘We will hold a prayer gers normally do not cook in the officials linked to safety, only Coach-makers baffled: Page 12 Father James received a and the children would be meeting on Friday.” wee hours. two per cent of rail accidents are Sacred Space: Prayers for Protection Rail Bhawan officials feel caused by fire. Ah, elections must be round the corner! For the past 50 years I have seen them coming here like this! Rupee turns dollar dreams real indiatimes.com POLL By N Vidyasagar Yesterday’s results: Do you think TIMES NEWS NETWORK Cashing in on currency converting LoC into International Border will solve the Kashmir issue? New Delhi: As the rupee flexes its Rs.19.6 lakh: Cost of a year’s 50 Value of one US 48.9 muscle vis-a-vis the dollar, Indian college education in the US in ’02 dollar in rupees 45.5 Yes 38% No 62% consumers are reaping the bene- since liberalisation fits. A stronger rupee — at 47 to a Rs.17 lakh: Cost if the dollar • The poll reflects the opinions of Net users who chose 42.1 to participate, and not necessarily of the general public. dollar, buying a dollar in rupees falls to, say, Rs 45 in 2003 has become cheaper — has made 40 47.10 Today’s question: Even after so many in The problems accidents, do you think the Indian international travel, studying May'03 Railways has failed to put up an effective abroad, consumer services and 33.4 • Only the dollar is down, the euro and sterling are getting stronger disaster management plan? products more affordable as com- 24.4 pared to last year. 30 Cast your vote on • You get less rupees for dollar www.indiatimes.com or SMS ‘Poll’ to 8888 For the first time since liberali- payments coming in from the US sation, consumers are enjoying a 1991 '95 '98 2000 '02 '03 • Exports less competitive strengthening rupee. A year ago, it would cost you Rs 49 to buy a dollar — today you pay a little over Rs 47, Financial planners are now ad- Holidays abroad have never been an appreciation of nearly 3 per vising people to go in for medical as affordable.’’ cent.