Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 28: Leaders of various political parties have expressed their deep shock and grief over the cloudburst in Dacchan area of Kishtwar district in which seven people have lost their lives while over a dozen are reportedly missing.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) president, Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Dr Farooq Abdullah and vice president, Omar Abdullah today expressed profound grief and sorrow over the death of seven persons in a cloudburst that hit Kishtwar’s Honzar hamlet of Dacchan Tehsil.
While expressing grief over the unfortunate incident, Dr Farooq said, “I am deeply saddened over the loss of lives due to the flash floods caused by a cloudburst in Dacchan Kishtwar. I express my condolences with the bereaved families, whose loved ones were devoured in the catastrophe. My thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time. I hope the underway rescue operation bears positive results,” he said.
While expressing grief over the incident, Omar Abdullah prayed that those missing are recovered safe and sound. “My deepest sympathies are with the bereaved families. I share the grief of those whose loved ones have lost their precious lives in the mishap. May those whose valuable lives were devoured in the mishap find peace in the hereafter,” he said.
General secretary, NC, Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar, additional GS, Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, provincial president, Devender Singh Rana, Sajad Ahmed Kitcloo, Khalid Najeeb Suharwhardhy, Sajad Shaheen, and Aijaz Jan have also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the catastrophe. The functionaries prayed for positive results in the underway rescue operation.
Meantime Party’s Senior Leader G R Naaz has expressed grief over the losses to people due to the cloudburst and subsequent flash floods in Aloosa, Halmatpura, and Chichinar hamlets of district Bandipora.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief and former, Minister, G A Mir expressed his deep shock and grief over the casualties due to cloud burst in Dacchan area of Kishtwar today. He also prayed for safe recovery of missing persons and conveyed his deepest condolences to bereaved families.
The PCC chief urged the Government to speed up the work to trace out the missing persons.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Minister, Bali Bhagat has urged the Government to immediately gear up its men and machinery to assess the losses caused to infrastructure including roads, bridges, houses, besides loss of human lives and livestock due to the incessant rains and flash floods.
In a statement issued to media here, today, Bali Bhagat expressed shock and grief over the tragic deaths triggered by cloudburst this morning resulting in flash floods in Honzar locality of Dacchan in Kishtwar in which many deaths have been confirmed. Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being of the missing persons, he demanded that all possible assistance must be immediately provided by the administration to the people affected by this tragedy.
Demanding a financial assistance cum compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each to the next of kin (NoK) of those who lost their lives in today’s cloud burst and flash floods in Dacchan, the senior BJP leader appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to constitute a high power committee to assess the exact losses caused there in order to provide compensation to those affected besides initiating measures for restoration of damaged roads on war footing basis.
Apni Party president, Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari also expressed shock and grief over the fatalities caused by the cloudburst that triggered heavy flash floods in Kishtwar village.
In a statement issued here, Bukhari expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls. “The reports pouring from Kishtwar villages like Honzar and Dacchan are very grim. The administration must do its best to trace out the missing immediately as possible besides shifting the inhabitants of the flood affected locals to safer places”, he added.
He also urged the administration to airlift the injured for treatment and evacuate the old aged , women and children to the safer places in the first phase of its flood rehabilitation plans.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee has also expressed deep shock over the huge loss of precious lives and injuries to several persons in cloudburst in Dacchan area of Kishtwar today.
The party chief spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma said that there are reports of 26 people have lost their lives while 12 others were injured in Honzar nallah in Dacchan Kishtwar today. He said 21 persons are still stated missing and rescue operations are going on.
He prayed for departed souls and recovery of injured and demanded adequate ex-gratia relief to the affected families.
Sanjay Parihar vice chairman, Sarthal Devi Trust Kishtwar has also expressed his profound shock and grief over the Dacchan tragedy and expressed his sympathies with bereaved families. He demanded adequate compensation for the affected families with intensification of rescue and relief measures to trace out the missing persons.
Kishtwar Civil Society member, Shamsher Singh Bhandari and Senior Citizens Council, president Roshan Lal Parihar have also expressed their shock and grief over the Dacchan tragedy and expressed their sympathies with bereaved families. They demanded adequate compensation for affected people with speeding up of rescue operations to trace out the missing.
Apni Party provincial vice president, Jammu Syed Asgar Ali has urged the administration to sanction immediate financial aid to the victim families of Dacchan cloudburst.
In a statement Ali said that rescue operations should be expedited by involving the army and SDRF so that the missing persons can be traced immediately and affected families be shifted to safer places.
Follow our WhatsApp channel