Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Mar 4: In a major rescue operation launched last night by security forces in North Kashmir, around 200 people including women and children were rescued when their vehicles were trapped in snow avalanches on Kupwara-Tangdhar.
Around 16 passenger vehicles carrying 200 passengers were caught in snow avalanches on Kupwara-Tangdhar last evening after around 5 feet fresh snowfall at Sadhna Pass and its adjoining areas. Sources said there was two to three feet of fresh snowfall in upper reaches in North Kashmir, including Keran, Karnah, Machil, Neeru and Tangdhar yesterday.
Major Harshvardhan Singh, Officer Commanding 109 Road Construction Unit of BEACON who was leading the snow clearance operation told Excelsior that it was snowing heavily yesterday afternoon when Deputy Commissioner asked them to clear the road as one of the persons in Tangdhar who was injured in an accident has to be brought to Kupwara hospital for treatment.
Singh said that at 4 p. m. they started snow clearance operation on Kupwara-Tangdhar road where around 5 feet fresh snow had accumulated. He said that around 15 to 18 avalanches and snow slides hit the Kupwara-Tangdhar road between Sadhna top and TP, a stretch of 16 kilometers.
The BRO official said that as they started clearing the road around 10-12 Sumo had started from Kupwara towards Tangdhar and 8-10 Sumos from Tangdhar to Kupwara and they were caught in the stretch where avalanches struck.
Singh said that there was zero visibility and the BRO continued its snow clearance operation during which its bulldozer and a vehicle were hit by snow slides and were buried under it but the drivers managed to run for safety.
The BRO officer said that as they heard about 200 people being trapped on the road in snow slides and avalanches they pressed into service 5 bulldozer, one snow cutter, 2 earth movers and 60-70 BRO men into operation that continued till midnight and by then 120 persons including children and women were rescued and took to an Army camp at Sadhna Pass and BRO camp at TP.
Singh said that at Khoni Nallah eight vehicles were caught in 4 avalanches for the night. He said that they were in touch with the passengers throughout the night. He said that in the morning snow clearance operation was again started at 6:30 a.m. simultaneously from three points of Sadhna, TP and the place where the bulldozer was buried under avalanche. He said that all these people were rescued by 11:30 a.m. He said that by 5 p.m. road was cleared and the person who was injured in a road accident in Tangdhar reached Kupwara hospital by 5 p.m. today.
The BRO official said that Chief Engineer, Brigadier R K Sharma and Commander BEACON Col Murli Daran were monitoring the operation from TP since morning.
And Army spokesman Lt Col N N Joshi said here that late last evening, 19 vehicles and one Ambulance were stranded at Nasta Chhun Pass. “Unexpected heavy snowfall blizzard like conditions and four avalanches buried two Sumos on either side and blocked the pass”, he said.
The spokesman said that the Army unit located at Nasta Chhun Pass immediately launched its Avalanche Rescue Teams to render necessary assistance. “These teams safely guided 122 men, 28 women and 21 children to the Army post at Nasta Chhun Pass. The troops vacated their own quarters to provide comfort to those stranded. Necessary heating appliances were also provided for their comfort. Tea, snacks and Medical care was arranged for all. Gulam Hassan Bhat, 50 being critically ill was evacuated by Army personnel on a stretcher who then, moved from Tangdhar to Kupwara in civil ambulance escorted by the Army personnel. He was examined by the Army doctors before commencing his onward journey to Kupwara. This ambulance was also one of the stranded vehicles recovered”, the spokesman added.
“Meanwhile braving heavy snowfall, low temperatures and near zero visibility, the rescue teams continued the effort throughout the night without any break. To bolster this effort, additional troops were mobilized from nearby posts, who walked throughout the night without any break, in hostile weather conditions, reached Nasta Chhun Pass at midnight and joined the rescue team. At dawn, snow cutters and dozers of GREF were also pressed into action. All the stranded vehicles have been recovered by the Army, the pass has since been cleared and is opened to traffic”, the spokesman said.
A police spokesman said that in a night long rescue operation police, Army and civil administration rescued about 200 people who had got stranded due to bad weather and landslides on Kupwara-Karnah road last night near Sadnah top.
“The BEACON authorities worked hard for the clearance of the road. The rescue operation was supervised by the top Police/civil/Army officers”, the spokesman said.
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