NAGPUR: The untimely rains that brought relief to several parts of Vidarbha on Wednesday proved to be a bane for seven people of a family in Katol. All seven of them were burnt alive in the thatched house after lightning, which accompanied the rains, caused a short circuit, triggering sparks and the subsequent fire reducing the house to ashes. Sources say Ramesh Raut (40) lived in Godi Mohagaon village in Katol with his wife Kalawati (35) and three children Praful (15), Prashant (13) and Pradeep (11). On Wednesday night, Ramesh’s brother Haridas (32) and his daughter Durga (8) had come to visit. The fire is believed to have started at 2 am on early Thursday and by the time Rauts’ neighbours could realise, the house was engulfed in flames. Even the rains could not stop the fire and it burnt the entire house to mere cinders killing all seven. By then, the neighbours became active and while some were busy trying to douse the fire or contain it so that it does not spreads to other nearby thatched houses, others called in the local police. The cops arrived to the sight of charred remains in the area. Sources say that Raut and Kalawati were daily wagers and lived in the area for quite some time. Haridas, a resident of Zilpa village, had come to his brother’s house on Monday with his daughter probably to attend an invitation. Haridas’ wife and other daughter, who stayed back in Zilpa, were in a state of shock after hearing the news, sources say. The police are investigating and chances of foul play have been primarily ruled out. Incidentally, all four goats that the Rauts owned also perished in the fire.
Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo...
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