Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 22: As many as 299 people are still missing while 124 have been traced by a special cell of the Government, which was set up after devastating floods killed over 290 people and left many others missing.
“Till late this evening, we have official reports of 299 people still missing even after more than a fortnight of worst ever floods and rains in Jammu and Kashmir though we have traced 124 missing persons including six members of a Rajasthan family and united them with their next of kin,” Amit Sharma, Nodal Officer of 24×7 Connect Centre of the State Government and Special Secretary Animal Husbandry, told the Excelsior.
He said the Connect Centre has recorded missing complaints of 423 persons after it was set up with helpline numbers flashed all over the country through media including social media. Out of 423 persons, 124 have been traced. The persons traced by the Centre included those hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, some tourists and labourers of other States, who had come to the State and were trapped in heavy floods and rains.
Official death toll in the floods stood at 290—215 in Jammu regions and 75 in Kashmir. Still, 299 persons were missing.
Meanwhile, six persons from Rajasthan were today traced and rescued by the Jammu and Kashmir Connect Centre.
“We have traced and facilitated rescue of four family members and two relatives of Rajasthan resident Jameel Ansari after a long search,” Shivani, a Government employee working at the J&K Connect Centre, said.
Shivani, who was patted by his seniors and top officials for her meticulous work to trace Ansari’s four members family — his wife, son, daughter and grandson — and two family friends, said, “I felt very relieved to trace them and facilitate their re-union with their families.”
Jameel’s family and their friends were traced to the village Panihal in Tral belt (Pulwama district) of South Kashmir 15 days after they went missing on September 7.
“I was disappointed many a times as there was no response from several quarters that meant for helping to trace the missing people, but I did not lose hope and continue to call officials and policemen one after another and finally got success…,” Shivani said.
She also thanked the efforts of Awantipura police station SHO Nazir Ahmed in tracing the missing family.
A Brazilian woman was traced and rescued by the Centre on Saturday. Similarly, a family of nine in Kashmir was traced and evacuated by the centre a couple of days back.
Amit Sharma said several officers including Madan Gopal Sharma, Manav Gupta, Rohit Sharma and Sanjay Vishisht were also doing commendable job in tracing the missing persons.
The 24×7 dedicated helpline under J&K Connect Centre was set up by the Government and it started working from September 16. The Centre has been set up on the pattern of one set up by the Uttarakhand Government during the Kedarnath tragedy.
A Secretary-level officer of Uttarakhand Government had come here on the directions of PMO to facilitate setting up of the centre for missing persons.
“The main purpose of J&K Connect Centre is to help find people who went missing after the floods,” Sharma said.
A team of officers and staffers is providing the helpline services round-the-clock. A Facebook page has also been created for the purpose. Apart from this, four dedicated telephone numbers — 18001807049 (toll-free), 18001807050 (toll-free) 0191-2471522 and 0191-2471922 — have been started.
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