Rs 4 lakh for kin of dead, Rs 30,000 for injured
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 15: A major tragedy struck tourist spot Siar Baba in Reasi where seven persons died and 33 others were injured when a boulder rolled down and hit people bathing in the waterfall, this afternoon.
All the injured persons have been admitted at Narayana Superspecialty Hospital Kakryal and condition of some of them was stated to be critical while Governor N N Vohra has ordered free medical treatment for all the injured as their evacuation was not advised by the doctors.
Maximum of the injured are from Jammu and they included seven children and 14 females.
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The incident took place around 3.30 pm at Siar Baba waterfall, around 10 kms from Reasi town, which is a major attraction for holiday makers, who had assembled there in a big number in view of Sunday today when the tragedy struck.
Five persons died on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries at the Narayana Superspecialty Hospital where all the injured were referred from the District Hospital, SSP Reasi, Tahir Sajad Bhat told the Excelsior.
Those who died on the spot, were identified as Lucky son of Pritam of Gangyal, Sachin Kumar son of Kuldeep of Janipur Jammu, Sunny Kumar, son of (unknown), Kamal Sharma, son of Om Parkash of Talab Tillo and Sunny Mehra (28) son of Vijay Kumar of Bantalab (Jammu). Priti Gupta, wife of Sanjeev Gupta of Jammu and Darshana Devi, daughter of (Unknown) of Arnas, succumbed to their injuries at the Narayana Hospital.
The State Government has announced Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 30,000 as initial relief for each of the injured.
Reports said that a loose rock rolled down through the waterfall from hillock and the debris fell on the people taking bath there resulting into the tragedy. Locals and Police launched the rescue operation and shifted the injured to District Hospital Reasi where five of them were declared as brought dead.
DySp Headquarters Nikhil Gogna alongwith Police party and CRPF men along with Medical and Quick Action team from 126 Bn rushed to the spot. They were also joined by a team of Army divers in the rescue operation.
Initially 13 persons with critical injuries were referred to the Narayana Superspecialty Hospital in view of their critical injuries and later the remaining injured were also shifted there as there were negligible medical care facilities at District Hospital Reasi.
A number of injured were shifted to Narayana hospital by the locals in their private vehicles as there was only one Ambulance and a doctor at DH Reasi. The situation at Reasi District Hospital can be gauged from the fact that even postmortem of the deceased was conducted in open as there was no adequate space in the mortuary room for the same.
Agitated over no care of injured and lack of medical facilities, locals held a strong protest demonstration in front of the District Hospital. They raised slogans against the Health Department and District administration. They also forced the CMO Reasi to flee, who reached there four hours after the incident.
On being informed about the mishap, Governor N N Vohra directed Dheeraj Gupta, CEO, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, to make immediate arrangements for all the injured persons being taken to the Shrine Board’s Super Speciality Hospital at Kakryal. The Governor also asked CEO to ensure that the cost of the entire treatment provided to the injured was borne by the Shrine Board.
Dheeraj Gupta along with Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma and IGP Dr S D Singh Jamwal also visited the Narayana Hospital and supervised all the medical arrangements for the injured.
Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh expressed his shock over the mishap and offered all required help. “In constant touch with DC Prasanna. Offered all help required. Injured shifted to Narayana Hospital. If required, shall even arrange to shift out of State,” he said in a tweet.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also expressed condolences to the family of dead. “Saddened by the tragic loss of lives in a landslides in Reasi. Concerned about all those injured. Heartening to see local residents play a critical role in the recovery operation,” she tweeted.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah and NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana have also expressed deep grief over the tragic incident and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved families. They have also wished speedy recovery to the injured.
Speaker, J&K Legislative Assembly Dr Nirmal Singh also expressed his grief over the incident and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The injured were identified as Sandeep (34), son of Devi Das of Dogra Hall Jammu, Mukesh Kumar (31), son of Jagan Nath of Dogra Hall Jammu, Amit Kumar (21), son of Satpal of Jammu, Dimple Gupta (31), son of Satpal of Talab Tillo Jammu, Suneni Gupta (25), daughter of Dimple Gupta of Talab Tillo, Bunty Kumar(32), son of Devi Dass of Dogra Hall Jammu, Harpreet Singh (29), son of Hardeep Singh of Gole Gujraja, Jammu, Ashok Kumar (20), son of Subash Kumar of Anawa, Uttar Pradesh, his five-year old son Akhilesh Kumar, Nepar Khakkar (34), son of Nazir Alam of Vijaypur, Samba, Vikas Gupta (34), son of Sandesh Kumar of Kanak Mandi Jammu, his wife Bhawna and four-year old daughter Meyer, Neeraj Gupta (44), son of Charanjeet Gupta of Sarwal Jammu, Nisha Devi (39), daughter of Sachin Kumar of Janipur Jammu, Bati Devi, daughter of Pritam Lal of Gangyal Jammu, Deep Kumar (19), son of Nisha Ram of Ward number 9, Reasi, Nirmala Devi (45), wife of Harbans Lal of Chowk Chabutra, Reasi, Ajay, son of Pankaj Rajof Vijaypur, Samba, Amit Kour (25), daughter of Rajinder Singh of Raghunath Bazar Jammu, Sukhvinder Kour ((35) daughter of Swarn Singh of Talab Tillo Jammu, Jappreet Kour (9), daughter Swarn Singh of Talab Tillo, Akhilesh, Surinder Kumar Sharma (53), son of B L Sharma of Jeevan Nagar Jammu, Raghav Gupta, son of Neeraj Gupta of Sarwal Jammu, Himakshi Gupta, daughter of Neeraj Gupta of Sarwal, Jagjit Kour, daughter of Subash Singh of Bathindi, Rakesh Kumar, son of Kunj Ram of Akhnoor, Krishna, son of Sunny Singh of GGM Science College, Canal Road Jammu. Akshra, Sonia, Tableen and Sunil.
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