People in Hong Kong have started panic-buying insect killers and hiring pest control services as fears over bedbugs in the city grow, South China Morning Post reported. Last week, a photo was widely circulated online in which bedbugs were seen on an Airport Express train. Later, after a deep cleaning process, no such insects were found on the train. However, the viral picture triggered paranoia among residents regarding a potential influx of bedbug infestation from South Korea, France, and Britain.

Notably, bedbugs are small, oval-shaped parasitic, nocturnal bloodsuckers and their bites can cause rashes. These blood-sucking pests have been given the name bedbugs because they have a habit of nesting in mattresses. They come out at night to feed on human blood.

Mr. Francisco Pazos, owner and head technician at pest control company Nobedbugs-HK, said the firm has an ”unbelievable” amount of work, having ”done a month’s work in the last three days”.

He told SCMP: ”Hong Kong is like Disneyland for bedbugs… because it is so dense, there are lots of places for them to lay eggs but also move from person to person.”

E-commerce platform Shopline has also seen a 172 times increase in sales of pest control and bedbug-killing products

Last week, Hong Kong authorities distributed bedbug warning leaflets to passengers at the airport amid rising reports of bedbug infestations in South Korea, France, and the UK. 

A Hong Kong government spokesperson said in a statement: ”Although information shows that bedbugs will not spread diseases, bedbug bites may cause skin allergy and itchiness and make people feel unwell. The government therefore takes swift actions to minimise the chance of transmission of bedbugs from overseas to the local community.”

However, an expert said infestations of the insects could be avoided with good hygiene and simple precautions.

Last month, France’s capital Paris also battled an invasion of bedbugs, just 10 months before the 2024 Summer Olympics. The tiny pests were first spotted in hotels and rental apartments across the city during the summer. Moviegoers also reported spotting these bugs in theatres while some passengers caught them crawling around on seats in high-speed trains and Paris Metro. 

Bedbugs had disappeared from daily life in France in the 1950s, but their resurgence is mostly due to high population density and more mass transit.

Two men on a bike snatched gold chains worth Rs 1.8 lakh of a 75-year-old woman in Maharashtra’s Thane district, an official said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Tuesday morning when the woman and two of her relatives, who are in their 60s, were trying to flag an auto to visit the Murlidhar temple in the area, said the station house officer of Bhiwandi City police station.

Two men came on a bike and the pillion rider snatched two gold chains worth nearly Rs 1.8 lakh from the woman before speeding away. It happened in split seconds, he said, quoting the complaint.

A probe is underway but no arrests have been made yet, he added. 

Schools are shut in Chennai today due to heavy rainfall across Tamil Nadu. Institutions in adjoining Thiruvallur district and Puducherry, a Union territory, too have declared rain holiday.

The weather department has forecast more showers in six districts including Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, and Villupuram.

Velankanni in Nagapattjnam witnessed a whopping 17 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, while Cuddalore, Puducherry, Chengalpattu, and Chennai too experienced significant downpours.

Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea as a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a depression.

Tamil Nadu has received 221 mm of rain since October 1, which is 17% below the normal average. The ongoing Northeast Monsoon is crucial for the state’s drinking water and irrigation needs.

In response to the impending crisis, Chief Minister M K Stalin has deployed ministers to oversee preparedness in Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, and Nagapattinam districts. Senior bureaucrats have also been assigned to monitor the situation in 13 other districts.

Concerned citizens can reach out to the control room over phone at 1070 and 1077, or through WhatsApp at 9445869848.

Mr Stalin visited the control room and reviewed the preparedness and engaged with the district collectors of areas experiencing heavy rain.

Many water bodies including reservoirs are filling up fast while the low-lying areas are inundated in Cuddalore. Large tracts of standing paddy crop remain submerged in the delta region. Farmers are worried of major crop losses if there is no respite from the rainfall that allows a window for drainage.

Chennai, however, did not face any major waterlogging, thanks to the newly built stormwater drains. Although there are stretches of unfinished work, Greater Chennai Corporation officials say that they are monitoring these hotspots for quick intervention.