Bodies recovered after rescue operation
Excelsior Correspondent
KARGIL, Jan 29: Two girls were killed when an avalanche struck at village Tangole in Suru block, about 70 kilometres from here on Kargil-Zanskar National Highway in the Union Territory of Ladakh, this morning.
The girls were walking from one village to another when avalanche struck at Tangole and both of them went missing.
Ladakh Police and activists of Basij-e-Baqiyatullah organization immediately swung into action and launched rescue operation. However, both the girls were killed in the avalanche, official reports said.
Body of one of the victims was recovered in the afternoon while that of another was traced in the evening.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil Chairman Feroz Khan told the Excelsior that bodies of the girls killed in the avalanche have been handed over to the families after completion of legal formalities.
Khan lauded the police, local people and volunteers for carrying out swift rescue operation after avalanche. He said ex-gratia will be announced for both the families.
The victim girls have been identified as Kulsum Bi, 14, daughter of Manzoor Hussain and Bilquees Fatima, 23, daughter of Ghulam Mohammad, both residents of Tangole in Suru block of this district.
Police and other agencies were engaged in clearing debris from the avalanche site to clear the route completely.
There was panic in Tangole following avalanche. However, local police, people and volunteers braved all odds and launched rescue operation even without caring for their lives.
Pall of gloom fell over the village after bodies of the girls were recovered during the rescue operation. People consoled the grieved families.
Later, senior officers also visited the spot to supervise rescue operation.
There has been heavy snowfall in parts of Ladakh leading to dip in the temperatures which keeps hovering between minus 20 to 30 degrees celsius.
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