Environment     

Toll rises to 200 in flood in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Xinhua, September 10, 2014

• Nearly 200 people died in flood in Indian-controlled Kashmir while over 400,000 are being trapped by water in the area which came under the worst deluge in 60 years since last week, said officials.

  Rescue and relief operation is under way by the Indian military and civilian agencies, who have rescued move than 22,000 over the past few days by air lifting with choppers and ferrying with boats.

  The army bulldozers are running against time to reopen the roads leading to Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, and other towns cut off by landslides and ravaging water from swollen rivers.

  Rescue teams are on Tuesday focusing on the inundated city of Srinagar and South Kashmir belt, said Press Trust of India. Relief goods have also been also being dropped to marooned spots for days to people stranded by water.

  Soldiers and rescuers have been airdropped to Pancheri in Udhampur area near the Pakistan border where 30 people are missing after a landslide hit the area. Seven bodies and a limb of a person have been so far recovered there, said officials.

  The Indian Air Force made 30 sorties of IL-76 and AN 32 planes to Srinagar overnight Monday to Tuesday to carry men and relief material, boats cutters and other equipment, medicines and water bottles.

  The army has set up medical camps and are treating 230 to 300 people everyday.

  The flood has snapped Valley's telecommunication links with the rest of the country, making the whereabouts of thousands unclear.

  The state-run BSNL telecom company has launched an operation on a war-footing with Army and IAF to restore mobile services through satellite network and the telecom network is expected to be partially restored on Tuesday, said media reports.

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