13 killed in Amarnath cloudburst tragedy, three dozen missing
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Jul, 2022 12:37 PM
Srinagar, July 8 (IANS) At least 13 yatris were killed, five others injured and around three dozen missing after a cloudburst near the Amarnath cave shrine on Friday evening caused flash floods, officials said.
J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said 13 pilgrims were killed in the cloudburst that hit the area around 5.30 p.m.
At least three langars (community kitchens) and 25 Yatri tents were washed away in flash floods caused by the cloudburst. Sources said that around three dozen people are missing in this tragedy and efforts are on to locate them.
Rescue teams were immediately rushed to the spot, some using helicopter services. The rescue operation is still going on and the authorities are trying to ascertain the exact casualties or damage caused by the calamity. However, as darkness has engulfed the area, rescue operation are being impeded.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar had earlier told reporters that rescue operations by various agencies is underway, the situation is under control and the injured are being airlifted for treatment.
Officials said that following the cloudburst, water surged above/the sides of the cave after heavy rains at the upper reaches.
Earlier on Friday, the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was blocked by landslides and mud slush triggered by rain at many places, affecting passage of pilgrims to the two base camps in the Kashmir Valley.
The yatra was flagged off on June 30 after remaining suspended for two years due to the Covid pandemic, and so far, over one lakh devotees have completed the pilgrimage.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday informed the Assembly that the state will soon bring a resolution in the House to oppose the Centre's Agnipath scheme regarding the defence recruitment. Also, he said, a resolution on condemning the ban on Sidhu Moosewala's new song, SYL, on YouTube.
The Special Cell sought fourteen days police custody. The police move was opposed by advocate Deepak Tyagi who appeared for Kumar. The court after hearing the arguments allowed the police request and sent him to police custody.
In a statement released here, Sirsa said he had claimed from day one that the excise policy of Delhi and now of Punjab has been framed to benefit large contractors from whom the AAP wanted to get election funds to contest elections in time to come in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
Some of the accused arrested by the Punjab Police have revealed the name of Lawrence Bishnoi as the main culprit who hired them to execute the killing of Moosewala.
In the next five years, the Bhagwant Mann-led government, which is silent on its crucial poll promise of Rs 1,000 allowance for each woman over 18 years, will set up 16 medical colleges. With this, the total number of medical colleges will rise to 25.
During sustained interrogation, the accused persons revealed that they smuggled cigarettes via Cambodia. Earlier, they used to smuggle cigarettes via Dubai but due to heavy restrictions on the route, they changed the route to via Cambodia to bring cigarettes to India.
