Hope of finding Leh survivors dims, Pak help sought

Agencies
Bellevision Media Network

Leh, 09 August 2010: The hope of finding survivors in the flash floods that hit Leh three days back is receding. Over 150 people have already been confirmed dead even as relief and rescue efforts are going on at full swing. The Army, despite suffering grave losses, is spearheading the operations and has been searching for more than 500 people missing since the cloudburst.

 

Thirty three soldiers, who went missing after flash floods in Siachen, are feared to have been washed away to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Army has now turned to Pakistani authorities to help rescue the jawans. Those missing include three Junior Commission Officers from 15 Bihar infantry regiment. The Army says the soldiers are extremely well trained to negotiate extreme weather conditions but they have been untraceable for nearly 48 hours now.

 

 

The soldiers were deployed along the Line of Control near Siachen glacier. A senior Aarmy officer said that the jawans, who were manning a post near Turtok along the Line of Control (LoC), still remained untraced after they faced the fury of a swollen Shyok river on the same day when Leh was hit by flash floods following a devastating cloudburst on Friday.

 

The ITBP and GREF have repaired and restored the road from Choglumsar to Leh town which will help in faster supply of relief material to flash flood-affected areas, a senior ITBP officer said on Sunday. However, the road beyond Choglumsar is still damaged are efforts are on to repair and restore it.

 

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has re-started SMS services in Leh, that had been banned in the state a few months due to security reasons, to help in relief and rescue operations in the region devastated by cloudburst and flash floods. State government sources said that the step was taken as a goodwill gesture as it will not only help rescue personnel but also locals and tourists to communicate with their families. Air India on Sunday operated three special flights from Delhi to Leh bringing back 331 passengers stranded there.

 

Air India has also decided to operate four special flights on Delhi-Leh-Delhi sector on Monday, and one each additional flight on Jammu-Leh-Jammu sector and Srinagar-Leh-Srinagar sector. The flights will leave for Delhi at 5.25am, 5.30am, 8.15am and 9.15am on Monday and the fare will be Rs 9000 only, an Air India spokesperson said.

 

The Civil Aviation ministry had on Saturday asked Air India, Jet airways and Kingfisher airlines to operate three flights each to bring back the stranded passengers for Sunday. The Ministry had also asked them not to charge exorbitant fare following the complaint from the air travellers. The Kingfisher airline on Sunday operated two flights from Leh to Delhi and brought back 290 tourists. Kingfisher will operate four of its flights - one scheduled and three additional - from Leh to Delhi on Monday.