The Army on Friday retrieved bodies of three soldiers buried under a massive avalanche in Batalik sector of ladakh region even as the flood threat dissipated in Kashmir valley after improvement in weather conditions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and assured Centre’s help in mitigating the situation.
Defence sources said that highly-trained and well-equipped avalanche rescue teams carried out rescue operation in Batalik sector where five soldiers were buried under avalanche on Thursday afternoon. Two soldiers were rescued but three others could not be saved.
Confirming the death of three soldiers, a Defence spokesperson in Srinagar said that five soldiers were buried after a snow avalanche hit Batalik Sector in Kargil district. “Three soldiers lose their lives while two have been rescued,” he said.
Governor NN Vohra spoke to leh-based XIV corps commander lt General PJS Pannu and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.
The flood threat receded in Kashmir valley after improvement in weather conditions as water level in Jhelum River began going down. The vital Sinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed due to landslides and heavy rains on the third consecutive day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Mehbooba Mufti and assured help in dealing with the flood situation in the Valley.
“Spoke to J&K CM @MehboobaMufti on the flood situation in the State. Offered all possible support from Centre in dealing with the situation,” Modi tweeted. Home Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Mufti and Director General of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) regarding the flood situation. “Spoke to J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti & DG NDRF regarding the flood situation in Kashmir valley. They have apprised me of the situation in the State,” Singh said in a tweet.
“Centre is ready to provide all assistance to the J&K in flood mitigation. NDRF teams have already reached Srinagar for rescue and relief ops,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the people here in Kashmir Valley heaved a sigh of relief with a dip in the water level of the Jhelum easing flood concerns.
The water level at Sangam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district receded to 18.70-ft at 6 pm as against the 21.50-ft at 8am on Friday morning. The danger mark at Sangam is 23 ft, an official of the Flood Control Department said.
The water level in the Jhelum and its tributaries rose sharply following heavy rainfall on Tuesday, which had prompted authorities to issue a flood alert for south and central Kashmir.
Minor breaches were been reported in embankments of water bodies at some places but these have been plugged by officials of the Flood Control Department.
The body of a passenger, who drowned after the vehicle fell into a nallah on Thursday, was fished out from Hiller area of Kokernag in Anantnag district.
Several houses have been damaged across the valley. The authorities have closed schools and colleges till Monday due to the looming flood threat.
Reports said that scores of Kashmir bound passengers remained stranded in Udhampur as the highway between the two capital cities remained closed due to landslides. The MeT department said that due to presence of lot of moisture in atmosphere, chance of occasional rainfall is possible at some places in Kashmir Valley. However, MeT ruled out possibility of continuous rainfall, saying that there has been a significant improvement in weather. “Chances of flood are minimal and there is no need to panic. Rainfall may occur occasionally but that will not be continuous,” Sonam lotus, director MeT said.