From Mahesh Babu to Allu Arjun, from Ram Charan to Vijay Deverakonda and Nani, several sourthern superstars offered condolences to the families affected by the unfortunate gas leak at LG Polymers in RR Venkatapuram village of Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning.

At least 10 casualties have been reported at the time of publishing, while hundreds were rushed for treatment to hospitals after complaining of breathing difficulties and burning sensation in the eyes. Reacting to the shocking news, Mahesh Babu tweeted: "Heartwrenching to hear the news of #VizagGasLeak, more so during these challenging times... Heartfelt condolences and strength to the bereaved families in this hour of need. Wishing a speedy recovery to those affected. My prayers for you... Stay safe VIZAG."

Heartwrenching to hear the news of #VizagGasLeak, more so during these challenging times... Heartfelt condolences and strength to the bereaved families in this hour of need. Wishing a speedy recovery to those affected. My prayers for you... Stay safe VIZAG.

— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) May 7, 2020

Allu Arjun too prayed for the safety and well being of the victims. "It's really heart breaking to see Vizag, which one of the most special places in my life, in such a state. I am deeply saddened by this horrific accident. Condolences to families who have lost their lives and hoping for a speedy recovery for the rest," he wrote.

It’s really heart breaking to see Vizag which one of the most special places in my life in such a state. I am deeply saddened by this horrific accident. Condolences to families who have lost their lives and hoping for a speedy recovery for the rest .

— Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) May 7, 2020

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli, who is known for helming the "Bahubali" franchise, is extremely disturbed by the visuals from the Vizag Gas Leak.

"Praying for the recovery of those admitted to the hospital. Heartfelt condolences to those who lost their near and dear ones," Rajmouli added.

Deeply disturbed by the visuals from the #VizagGasLeak. Praying for the recovery of those admitted to the hospital. Heartfelt condolences to those who lost their near and dear ones.

— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) May 7, 2020

Actor Ram Charan is also heartbroken. "Heart breaking to see the visuals of #VizagGasLeak. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who are no more. I hope all necessary measures are taken to make sure the affected people recover at the earliest. My thoughts and prayers with the people of Vizag," he grieved.

Heart breaking to see the visuals of #VizagGasLeak. My heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who are no more. I hope all necessary measures are taken to make sure the affected people recover at the earliest. My thoughts and prayers with the people of Vizag. 🙏🏼🙏🏼

— Ram Charan (@AlwaysRamCharan) May 7, 2020

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

A gas leak at a chemical plant in RR Venkatapuram village in Visakhapatnam on Thursday left 11 people dead and several hundred hospitalised. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited hospitals where the victims have been admitted and he announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the deceased in the Visakhapatnam gas leak.

The chief minister also announced Rs 10 lakh each to those undergoing treatment on ventilator support, Rs 1 lakh for those who have been hospitalised due to the incident and Rs 25,000 to those who took treatment as out-patients after developing health complications due to inhalation of the styrene vapour.

The chief minister also announced a committee to probe into the mishap and said the government would talk to the LG Polymers management seeking job for the kin of the deceased in any of its businesses.

At the review meeting, the Collector informed the Chief Minister that the gas spread was limited to a 1.5 to 2 km area from the epicentre of the leak and that the locals were evacuated to safety.

After the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting where he discussed at length the measures being taken for the safety of the affected people as well as for securing the site affected by the disaster at Vizag. After chairing the high-level meeting on the Vizag gas leak tragedy, PM Modi also spoke to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and assured all the required aid and assistance from the Centre to tackle the situation.

While addressing a press conference, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that the chances of the long-term impact of styrene gas, which leaked from a gas plant in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam are less. Clearing the air about the impact of the gas leak, Dr Randeep said, The chances of long-term impact are less because this compound metabolises and leaves the body quickly. This is an acute exposure rather than a chronic exposure. But we will have to follow up and see. As of now, the data doesn't suggest a significant long-term effect," reports ANI.

Para-tertiary butyl catechol or PTBC, a chemical made in Gujarat's Vapi, is currently being used in Visakhapatnam to neutralise the effect of the gas leak, said an official from the Gujarat government. Ashwani Kumar, secretary in the Gujarat chief minister's office, said that the chemical will be sent to Visakhapatnam on an urgent basis.

A press release from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the official machinery swung into action immediately after the incident and evacuated people from the area after rushing those who fell ill to nearby hospitals where they are being treated for respiratory and other ailments.

Smokes rise from an LG Polymers plant following a gas leak incident in Visakhapatnam on May 7, 2020. At least eight people have been killed and several hundred hospitalised after a gas leak at a chemicals plant on the east coast of India, police said on May 7. Pic: AFP

Panic-stricken people rushed out of their homes, only to collapse. Several cattle and livestock also succumbed to the poisonous gas pervading the air. In scenes reminiscent of the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984, the streets and hospitals of Visakhapatnam were filled with people in panic, scared to breathe and unable to fathom the silent tragedy that struck them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to say that he spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA about the situation.

Spoke to officials of MHA and NDMA regarding the situation in Visakhapatnam, which is being monitored closely.

I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being in Visakhapatnam.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 7, 2020

Home Minister Amit Shah took to the micro-blogging site to say the incident is disturbing. He wrote, "The incident in Vizag is disturbing. Have spoken to the NDMA officials and concerned authorities. We are continuously and closely monitoring the situation. I pray for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam."

The incident in Vizag is disturbing.

Have spoken to the NDMA officials and concerned authorities. We are continuously and closely monitoring the situation.

I pray for the well-being of the people of Visakhapatnam.

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 7, 2020

Chandrababu Naidu also expressed his condolences to the ones affected in the tragedy.

Been in touch with TDP MLA Ganababu who is personally overseeing the rescue ops since early morning. My heartfelt condolences go to all those who have lost their loved ones and those affected by this terrible tragedy #VizagGasLeak #Visakhapatnam pic.twitter.com/3knevzeemM

— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) May 7, 2020

"Chief Minister is closely monitoring the situation and has instructed the district machinery to take immediate steps and provide all help," said Andhra Pradesh CMO.

The Chief Minister enquired about the gas leak incident and directed the district officials to take every possible step to save lives and bring the situation under control.

The gas leakage took place at LG Polymers industry in RR Venkatapuram village here on Thursday, said Tirupathi Rao, District Medical & Health Officer (DMHO).

(with inputs from agencies)

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Thursday said it played a vital role in controlling the gas leakage and rescue operations during the styrene gas leakage in LG Polymers in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

The central paramilitary force, in a statement, said the CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam along with one foam tender immediately rushed to the spot and joined the operation with local authorities and the state fire service.

"On Thursday, styrene gas leakage occurred in LG Polymers plant, Gopalapatnam, Visakhapatnam (AP). On receiving information from local police, personnel of CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam rushed to the spot and joined the operation," the CISF said in a statement.

It said gas affected 20 people were rescued and rushed to hospital.

"Additional Breathing Apparatus Sets, spare cylinders were sent to the spot for rescue operations by CISF Unit VSP Visakhapatnam. Later at about 9.45 a.m. as per the request of local authorities, the hydraulic platform with additional CISF Fire Service Wing personnel was sent to the spot to join the operation to stop the gas leakage."

It said the CISF Fire Service Wing personnel with foam tender actively participated in the joint operation with local authorities and state fire service to stop the gas leakage.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Four top Republican senators have urged President Donald Trump to suspend all new guest worker visas for 60 days and certain categories of new guest worker visas, including the H-1B, for at least a year or until unemployment figures return to normal levels in the US amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic, which has so far claimed 76,000 lives and infected over 1,256,000 in the US, has ravaged the labour market, and 1 in 5 American workers have filed for first-time unemployment benefits since mid-March, when the lockdown hit businesses across the country, the world's largest economy.

1/5th workforce out of work

The letter to president Trump, dated May 7, has been signed by Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Chuck Grassley and Josh Hawley. "More than 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment coverage just since mid-March, and approximately one-fifth of the American workforce is currently out of work. "This is a stunning difference compared with the historically-low nationwide unemployment rate of just 3.5 per cent in February this year," the senators said in their letter.

"To protect unemployed Americans in the early stages of economic recovery, we urge you to suspend all non-immigrant guest worker visas for the next 60 days," the senators said.

'Suspend EB-5 visa too'

"That suspension should, at a minimum, include H-2B visas (non-agricultural seasonal workers), H-1B visas (specialty occupation workers) and the Optional Practical Training programme (extension of foreign student visas after graduation). We also urge you to suspend the EB-5 immigrant visa programme, effective immediately," the lawmakers wrote. The H-1B work visa for foreign technology professionals is highly popular among Indians and a large number of Indians also opt for the EB-5 investors visa.

Worst monthly record

The US unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record. The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy.

The collapse of the job market has occurred with stunning speed. The government's report Friday noted that many people who lost jobs in April but didn't look for another one weren't even counted in the unemployment rate. The impact of those losses was reflected in the drop in the proportion of working-age Americans who have jobs: Just 51.3%, the lowest on record.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

[Source: Research & Innovation] ‘For Europe to come out stronger after the Corona crisis, we need to already direct our investments towards game-changing innovations that create a sustainable and human centric digital future’, according to the vision statement of the European Innovation Council Advisory Board published today.

21 June 2017, Paris: Co-organised by the International Network for Pensions, Aging, and Retirement Research (INPARR), the OECD and IOPS, this seminar provided a window into the latest thinking and research that sheds light on where pension plans and designs are headed in the future and challenges to their future sustainability and efficiency.

Tie-up aims to allow people with mobile wallets to pay for international online services

It seems the demand for Safaricom’s M-Pesa payment product never eases. Since its 2007 launch in Kenya, the fintech app has commanded over 70% of the mobile money market in that country. When COVID-19 hit the East African nation of 53 million in March, the Kenyan Central Bank turned to M-Pesa as a public health […]

Credit cards have become all but ubiquitous for consumer transactions, and it isn’t hard to see why. By intermediating payments, networks like Visa allow buyers and sellers to exchange money for goods and services without knowing the financial risk profile of the counter-party. Rather than applying for credit at every merchant you shop at, you […]

1. Trump admin working to temporarily ban work-based visas: Report  The Newsopedia
2. US lawmakers want H-1B visas and foreign students internship suspended to protect American jobs  Times of India
3. US likely to temporarily ban work-based visas like H-1B due to rise in unemployment  Zee News
4. 5 US lawmakers ask Trump to suspend new H-1B visas  The Tribune India
5. COVID-19 impact | Anxious H-1B visa holders don't know what is next in store  Moneycontrol
6. View Full coverage on Google News

In a new interview, the RuPaul's Drag Race judge, 51, claimed she was left disappointed when she met the singer, 32, during a promotional tour in Australia.

The Russian National Tourist Office reiterated on social media on Thursday morning that the embassy was now making an exception to their usual process and issuing visas within one working day.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon insisted it is vital that immigration from the EU is allowed to carry on after Brexit, saying the economy needs workers.

Boris Johnson lashed out after the SNP leader said immigration from the EU must continue north of the border because the economy needs workers.

Backpackers are being invited to help Australian farmers and communities rebuild after devastating bushfires, with visa changes designed to encourage them to join the effort.

There are around 1,000 foreign qualified nurses in Australia who are unable to work in Australian hospitals because of sanctions on working holiday visas.

The Home Secretary announced last month that 2,800 medics will have 12 months added to visas. But the Health Committee heard today many workers doing 'essential' tasks would not be covered.

A source has claimed that Michelle Visage took her elimination from Strictly Come Dancing this weekend incredibly badly - reportedly storming off in a rage.

The RuPaul's Drag Race star, 51, and the professional dancer, 29, became the latest couple to be eliminated from the series on Sunday with Giovanni saying he 'loved every single second'.

Michelle Visage and James Jordan engaged in a war of words on Twitter on Monday.

She the My Kitchen Rules contestant known for her cosmetically enhanced face.

R&S VISA for Windows, Mac OS and Linux

Gogglebox Australia star Symon Lovett was begging airlines and hotels to refund him on Monday, after failing to get the correct American visa on time.

Incoming Harvard University freshman Ismail B. Ajjawi, a 17-year-old Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon, had his visa revoked hours after landing in the U.S. on Friday evening.

About 130 fleeing the Bahamas were forced off a ferry before it left for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sunday evening. They were left stunned and confused after initially only they needing a passport.

President Donald Trump said 'everybody needs totally proper documentation,' when fleeing the Bahamas, hours after a ferry kicked off those lacking a proper visa to enter the U.S.

Chris Brown is scheduled to play in three concerts in Australia this year, but may not be able to play the Vector Arena show he has booked for December 18th in Auckland.

It appears American singer Chris Brown might be unable to perform at his scheduled Australian concert dates after comments made by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has weighed in on the controversy surrounding R'n'B singer Chris Brown's Australian visa application on Monday night's Q&A program.

Taking to Twitter to address the issue for the first time since he was barred from the country at the weekend, the hitmaker explained that he is 'not the pink elephant in the room anymore'.

Chris Brown forced to cancel his upcoming One Hell Of A Nite Australia and New Zealand tour after he failed to receive a visa due to his past conviction for domestic violence related offences.

The Holiday Guru is always on call to answer your questions. This week how to see The Goldfinch painting in the Netherlands and a query about a city guide to Dubrovnik are on the agenda...

The Government vowed in March last year that translators who helped British soldiers in the fight against the Taliban could bring their loved ones to join them in the UK.

RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and Giovanni Pernice will be channelling Madonna's Vogue as they perform a couples' choice.

One couple turned up at Heathrow Airport for their flight to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania via Toronto - but were refused boarding for not having a transit visa for Canada.

I fell for a sales pitch from Easytrade.biz, and now am unable to withdraw any money. I have filled in several withdrawal forms, but it never happenes.

The 30-year-old, who has struggled for form at United, is in negotiations with Inter Milan over a season-long loan deal from Old Trafford. He reportedly had to visit the US embassy in the capital.

Anthony Joshua's next potential opponent Kubrat Pulev has been deported from the United States to Bulgaria due to a visa issue according to The Athletic. Pulev was boarding a flight.

Australian visas are being adverstised 'for sale' to rich foreigners at a time when Sydney is on water restrictions and migration growth is straining infrastructure.

The European Commission says that interchange fees, where the merchant's bank pays a charge to the cardholder's bank, result in higher prices for consumers.

Visa's scheme marks the first time all the UK's banks will pay small stores to offer cashback. Beccy Soper (pictured), of Beccy's Greengrocers in Stockbridge, Hampshire, said: 'It's a win-win'.

I fell for a sales pitch from Easytrade.biz, and now am unable to withdraw any money. I have filled in several withdrawal forms, but it never happenes.

Read full story for latest details.

A total of 26 Bangladeshis, who were in Assam on tourist visas and had been held in Dhubri for violating their visa conitions, have been sent to judicial custody.

Around 500kg of specialized chemical to neutralize the effect of chemical leakage from LG Polymer plant at Gopalapatnam on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, was airlifted from Daman in an Indian Coast Guard plane on Thursday afternoon.

The company also said that all necessary measures were being used to keep the temperatures under control. Styrene gas had leaked from a tank at the plant.

An H-4 visa is issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the immediate family members of the H-1B visa-holders, most of whom are Indian IT professionals.

LG Chem said in a statement that the gas emitted in the leak can cause nausea and dizziness when inhaled. It said it was seeking to ensure casualties received treatment quickly.

For flights between India and Singapore, the charge is Rs 18,000-20,000 per passenger, and it is Rs 50,000 per person for India-UK flights.

Top Republican senators urged US President Donald Trump on Thursday to suspend all new guest worker visas for 60 days and certain categories of new guest worker visas, including H-1B, for at least a year or until unemployment figures return to normal levels.