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.
The CBI had registered a case on April 13, 2016 on the request of Chandigarh Administration and had taken over the investigation of the FIR earlier registered at Police Station, Sector-26, Chandigarh.
Bishnoi, who was brought from New Delhi after procuring the transit remand from Patiala House court, was produced in a Mansa court in Punjab at around 4 a.m. amid high-level security after his medical check-up.
The police have also recovered an illegal weapon and live cartridge from the criminal. The accused has been identified as Aakash, a native of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.
The Punjab Police informed Delhi Police that the location of one of the phone numbers was traced to Delhi, and that the accused were changing their locations frequently. Acting on the tip-off, Delhi Police followed the leads obtained through technical surveillance and digital footprints.
SSP Mohali, Vivek Sheel Soni said, the two accused identified as Gagandeep Singh alias Gaagi and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi are residents of Dabbwali in Sirsa district of Haryana.
