Washed away bodies of girl, youth recovered
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 19: With the recovery of one more body, the death toll in the cloudburst-hit village in Paddar area of Kishtwar district has reached 64, while the extensive rescue and relief operation continued at Chashoti village on 6th consecutive day today.
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The dead bodies of a youth and a minor girl, who were washed away in flooded Nallahs in Rajouri and Poonch districts on Monday, were also recovered today.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Pankaj Sharma said that one more dead body of a youth was recovered from the debris at Chashoti. He was later identified as Anmol Sharma (16 yrs) of Udhampur. He said two more limbs (A leg and an arm) were also recovered from the site. The semi-decomposed body was sighted downstream and subsequently recovered by the rescuers during noon amid intensified search operation with the improvement in the weather.
The DC said with this, the death toll mounted to 64 while two limbs one most probably of a female, have been sent to the mortuary of GMC Jammu for DNA profile. He said so far 5 limbs have been sent to GMC Jammu. “ We will not consider these as dead bodies, till the DNA profile is conducted,” the DC said.
He stated that Principal Secretary Home, Chandarker Bharti and IG Traffic, J&K Suleman Choudhary were supervising rescue operation today. He said the rescue and operation continues at the same pace and several NGOs including Sewa Bharti, Jammu and Kashmir, are rendering their services including food and other items to the victims and even to the people involved in the operation. He appreciated the role of local volunteers and the NGOs assisting the administration during this natural calamity.
Another senior official said that sniffer dogs helped recover a lower body part of a victim under the debris of a collapsed house but the officials said it is believed to be that of a person whose body was recovered on the first day of the tragedy.
“The rescue teams are working at multiple locations, especially the major impact spot near a Langar site, sifting through the rubble using heavy machinery, including earth movers and sniffer dogs. The dead included three CISF personnel and one Special Police Officer (SPO) of J&K Police,” he added.
“A total of 117 persons were rescued, while the number of missing persons has dropped to 39 after fresh revision of the list, the official said. Deputy Superintendent of Police, SDRF, Masoof Ahmad Mirza said the rescue and relief operation is going on at war footing and a team is being dispatched downstream to check the area.
“The rescue operation restarted this morning with the recovery of one more body. The impact area of the cloudburst is vast and so it is taking time. We have cleared a large area upstream and now we are sending a team downstream as well,” he added.
The flash-flood triggered by the cloudburst left a trail of destruction, flattening a makeshift market, a Langar site for the annual Machail Mata yatra, damaging 16 structures, three temples, four water mills, a 30-metre-long bridge, besides over a dozen vehicles.
The joint teams of Police Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), CISF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers are engaged in the rescue efforts.
The annual Machail Mata yatra, which began on July 25 and was scheduled to conclude on September 5, remained suspended for the sixth consecutive day today.
However, the authorities will allow a group of devotees carrying ‘Chharri’ from Jammu and is expected to reach the shrine on August 21 or 22.
Meanwhile, reports from Rajouri and Poonch said that the bodies of a 7-year-old girl and a 18-year-old youth, who were swept away in flash floods on Monday, were recovered in Rajouri and Poonch districts today.
Officials told Excelsior that operations were launched by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and locals to trace the minor girl and the man who were washed away in the rising waters of Suran River and Mubarakhpura Nallah in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
The body of Atif Shah was recovered today from Munawar Tawi in Kalhar-Dalogra area, around 15 km downstream from the incident site. The body was handed over to the family.
“A massive search operation by the SDRF, local administration, and police took place to find Shah, who was swept away while crossing a seasonal rivulet yesterday,” DySP SDRF Zabeen Akther said.
“The body of Asia Kouser ( 7), who was swept away by strong currents near Umrah Ban Dhok yesterday, was recovered from the Suran river in Shindra area of the district,” an official said.
Rains lashed several areas of the Jammu region intermittently but there were no fresh reports of damage to any structures.
Rescue efforts were underway in Bhainch in Poonch district, where 20 people are trapped due to flash floods, they said, adding that rain is continuing in the area.
A landslide in Niaka Panjgrian village of Rajouri has caused the closure of two roads, they said, adding that efforts are on to remove blockades.
With the landslide in Drati area of Mendhar today one Mohd Yousuf Khan was injured. He was shifted to SDH Mendhar.
Heavy rain on Monday triggered flash floods and landslides at several places, causing damage to multiple structures and roads in the Jammu region.
Three houses were washed away near the Betaar river banks. Flash floods also occurred in several parts of Poonch, damaging some houses and a school in Khanetar.
Traffic is plying normally on the inter-regional Mughal Road after a brief closure due to a landslide, they added.
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