Bike ride kills 3

Calcutta, Aug. 31: Three helmet-less men riding a motorbike were killed after skidding off a speed-breaker and crashing into the road divider on Taratala Road on Sunday night.

Police said the accident occurred when the bike hit the bump at high speed. The dead have been identified as Somnath Biswas, 31, a resident of Jinjira Bazar, his brother Raju, 28, and neighbour Bholanath Sahu, 30.

Gas deaths

Sambalpur (PTI): Four workers were killed when gas leaked from the blast furnace of a private steel plant at Thelkolai, about 40km here, on Sunday. Sambalpur district magistrate P.K. Patnaik said the workers died after being exposed to the extremely hot gas, believed to be sulphur dioxide. Five workers sustained burn injuries and were hospitalised.

Bardhan ill

Begusarai (PTI): CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan was hospitalised on Sunday after being taken ill on the way to flood-hit Saharsa and Madhepura districts. Bardhan, 82, was admitted to Barauni Refinery Hospital after he complained of diarrhoea and shivering.

Insurance law

Mumbai (PTI): An insurance company is not liable to pay third-party damages to the driver of a vehicle it has insured, Bombay High Court has said. A third-party compensation is paid to a person injured by the insured vehicle.

Varsity fraud

Madurai (PTI): A study centre of the Madurai Kamaraj University has been issuing provisional degree certificates without authorisation, a university probe has found. An official said the recognition of some of the study centres would be cancelled.

LoC mishap

Jammu (PTI): An army porter died while fencing the border along the Line of Control in Poonch district when he fell on sharp iron rods, which pierced his body, official sources said. Rattan Kumar’s body has been sent to his home in Rajouri district, officials said.