Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 24: An oil tanker was washed away in flooded Jhajjar Kotli Nallah while its cleaner was rescued by the police and SDRF team during this morning.
Official sources said that a tanker No. JK04B/6469, was parked down side the old Jhajjar Kotli bridge on Jammu-Udhampur Road by its driver and cleaner after washing it in the nallah last evening. They were returning from Kashmir after loading the fuel. Both after taking meals, slept in the tanker just closer to nallah where they washed the tanker. While driver was sleeping atop the tanker on Tool box, the cleaner-Danish Ahmed, son of Abdul Hamid (17), resident of Chambalbas (Banihal), was sleeping on the long seat inside the driver’s cabin. Both are said to be brothers.
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There was rain in the upper reaches of Trikuta hills and Katra-Panthal area during wee hours and the water level in Jhajjar Kotli Nallah started rising. Unaware of the danger, both the brothers were fast asleep in the tanker. With the flash flood, the tanker started washing away and the elder brother ( driver), fell down into the water. By struggling, he came out at the bank about 300 mts downstream while his cleaner got trapped. The tanker after washing away at some distance got trapped in the rocks downstream. The cleaner mounted on the tanker to save his life. His brother started crying for help on the highway..
The police party led by SHO Jhajjar Kotli, Insp Vikram and locals of the area reached there at around 7.30 am. The SDRF team from Jammu was summoned to the site. With the help of a rope some divers managed to reach closer to the tanker after water level started receding. Danish was later rescued at around 10.30 am. He had received minor injuries.
Meanwhile, an official spokesman said that due to bad weather, the helicopter service to Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine from Katra base camp remained suspended while Yatra via new track was stopped due to threat of land slides by the Shrine Board authorities today.
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