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Snowfall aftermath: 11 died, Hundreds of structures damaged
Published on
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
6:00 pm
//
Kashmir
,
News Ticker
Valley cut off from the
rest of the world
Srinagar: At least 10
people including two army personnel have died in Jammu and Kashmir due to
unprecedented snowfall while property worth crores of rupees has been damaged.
Almost whole of Kashmir Valley is reeling under darkness for the second
consecutive day while snow accumulated streets and roads and water logging is
giving nightmare to the people of Valley.
The power supply
to the capital city as well as to the entire Kashmir valley has been completely
shut down from Tuesday afternoon and all the related services — including
drinking water supply, essential supplies, sewerage and drainage and other
civic services — have collapsed.
According to CNS,
an avalanche hit Balsareen near Dudhkuchan some 20 kilometres from Damal
Hanjipora area of South Kashmir on Wednesday.
Reports said that
several houses were damaged due to avalanche while 15 people were trapped.
Sources said that the bodies of three persons were recovered that were buried
under snow. They according to sources have been identified as Talib Hussain,
Abdul Rashid and Altaf Hussain.
Nine persons were
injured who were shifted to local hospital for treatment. The injured have been
identified as Siraj-u-Din Gorsi, Khadija Banoo, Manzoor Gorsi, Fatima Banoo,
Latif Gorsi, Shoki Jan, Gulzara Akhtar, Bashir Ahmed and Aisha Akhtar.
On Tuesday,
authorities had extended the high danger avalanche warning to more areas in the
higher reaches and asked the people not to venture on steep slopes for the next
24 hours.
Reports said that
due to avalanche at Balsareen Kulgam least 82 cattle buried alive under snow.
A police
spokesman said 14 Gujjar families comprising 65 persons were shifted from
Waltengo Nard area of Qazigund in Kulgam district to safer places due to threat
of avalanches.
“On the basis of
information from SASE, State Disaster Management Authority has issued a fresh
high danger avalanche warning for hilly areas of Uri, Tangdhar, Ramban, Doda,
Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal,
Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and Kargil,” an official spokesman said. He said
people living in these snowbound areas have been requested to take precautions
and not to venture on steep slopes in the next 24 hours.
Reports said that
at least two Army personnel lost their lives after an avalanche hit their camp
in Kargil sector of Ladakh region. Police identified the deceased Army jawans
as , Naik Vijay Prasad and Dharmindra Singh of 82 field regiment. Police
further said that three Nepali labourers were killed when an avalanche hit a
stone quarry at Kaksar in Kargil.
Police said that
a 48-year-old woman died after her tin shed collapsed due to heavy snowfall at
Mimigam village in Qazigund area. A woman was critically injured in Shaheed
Ganj area of Srinagar city when the roof of a shed collapsed.
Official sources
said that in South Kashmir’s Kansu hamlet of Shopian town, an elderly woman
died after her house collapsed under the weight of snow.Two other family
members were rescued. Superintendent of Police Shopian, Showkat Hussain while
confirming the death said that roof collapse resulted in her death.
The heavy
snowfall disrupted life in whole Valley. All services including mobile internet
services, rail services, and air traffic was affected. Whole Kashmir Valley
reeled under darkness for the consecutive second day while the authorities said
that the restoration work was in process. They said that both the power
transmission lines connecting Jammu and northern grid to Srinagar shut down due
to heavy snowfall. The snowfall damaged transmission and distribution networks
since Monday.
Reports said that
in South Kashmir’s Shopian town scores of residential houses were damaged due
to recent snowfall. Reports of damage and destruction have been reported from
Imam Sahab, Kellar, Wagam, Meemandar Shopian while in North Kashmir’s Sopore
town different sheds of Colour Coated Seed industry were completely damaged.
At least six
residential houses were completely damaged in different parts of Kulgam
district. These houses belonged to Nazir Shiekh and Ghulam Ahmed Khan residents
of Guddar, Ghulam Mohi-u-Din (Banghal), Nazir Malik (Aadpora), Abdul Majid
Magray (CR Pora), Mushtaq Ahmed and Wali Muhammad Wagey residents of Akhal
Kulgam.
In South
Kashmir’s Samboora area of Pampore town three houses, a garage and car was
damaged due to snowfall. The Snatro vehicle (JK01T-3441) belonging to one Javid
Ahmed Lone was damaged under the weight of snow. The residential houses of
Abdul Rashid Bhat, Manzoor Ahmed Bhat and Muhammad Rajab Mantoo were also
damaged in Nehama Pampore.
Government Middle
School Hanjivera, Pattan was damaged when it came under a heavy chinar. Locals
praised Army soldiers for clearing all the roads from Pattan to Narbal area.
The shrine of
Said-u-Din (RA) was heavily damaged when it came under a Chinar. Reports said
that in Mujhgund area various residential houses were damaged.
Deputy
Commissioner Bandipora, Shah Faisal said that Power Development Department
suffered heavy losses as most of the electric wires and poles have been
uprooted. “Three residential houses were completely damaged in Gurez sector
while in Khotran area one Government Middle School was damaged. As per
information available with me, 13 houses have been damaged in the district,” he
said adding that power and drinking water supply has been restored in the
district.
People from South
Kashmir’s Pulwama town alleged that administration was caught napping from last
two days. “There is no electricity and trees that have been uprooted at many
places have not been lifted yet,” one of the residents Mukhtiyar Ahmed Bhat of
Pulwama said adding that a family had to pay Rs 5000 to a JCB driver to clear
the road near Ghusso to reach the district hospital as his wife Tasleema Bano
was suffering from labour pain.
Deputy
Commissioner Baramullah, Farooq Ahmed Lone said that more than 100 structures
have been damaged at different places including Uri, Boniyar, Tangmarg and
upper reaches of Rafiabad. He said that in Sopore town the sheds of JK
Industries were collapsed.
Deputy
Commissioner Anantnag, Saughat Biswas said that at least 250 structures have
been damaged in the district. “All the roads have been cleared while power
supply has been restored in different parts of the town,” he said.
Deputy
Commissioner Budgam Khurshid Ahmed said that a lady died in the district after
the roof of a shed collapsed. He said that at least 600 structures have been
damaged due to heavy snowfall. DC Budgam further said that orchards and fruit
tree have also suffered extensive damage.
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