Cloudbursts ravage Leh: Death toll reaches 130

BanguIzai SG

LEH: With the recovery of more bodies,the toll in the cloudburst here today climbed to 130 even as 600 more are fearedwashed away in the calamity that was followed by torrential rains and flashfloods devastating this Himalayan town in Ladakh region.

Sourcesfear that the death toll could cross over 500 as several far flung villages wereyet to be accessed by rescue teams in this high-altitude terrain.

"We have recovered 130 bodies so far and at least 370 are injured.The number of missing is yet to be ascertained," State Police Chief KuldeepKhoda said, adding the toll may go up.

A small village beforeChoglumsur, which bore the brunt of the incessant rains, was completely wipedout as rescue workers were looking for survivors in the mud slush and debris.

Over 200 people were still reported to be missing from the worst-hitvillage Choglumsar, 13 kms from here.

A contractor told senior stateadministration officials that 150 labourers employed by him were missing fromShyong village where he had lodged them. The colony was set up along Indus riverand the officials feared that many huts would have been washed away in the flashfloods.

The Army has been asked to give an account of local andoutstation labourers.

Authorities said that the Army had sufferedlosses in Turtuk area. Some of the villages along the Chang La pass, world'ssecond highest motorable road, were also believed to have been washed away inthe torrential rains.

Union minister Farooq Abdullah reached thearea this morning from Kashmir. Later two of his cabinet colleagues - GhulamNabi Azad and Prithviraj Chavan - also reached here after making an earlierunsuccessful attempt to land.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hadyesterday visited the affected areas and made an on-the-spot assessment of thesituation.

Army spokesman Colonel J S Brar said that rescueoperations which had slowed down due to heavy rains have picked up again.

"Two commercial planes have landed...A relief plane is about toreach," he said.

Police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) andcivil administration are collectively involved in the rescue operation.

"Police and ITBP have established camps in the affected area. Civiladministration is helping to its maximum," Brar said.

"Among theinjured, 300 have been treated...The other injured are treated in army hospital.The 31 Army jawans missing haven't still been located. We found a body," hesaid.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hadyesterday expressed grief over the tragedy.

An ex-gratia relief ofRs one lakh each was announced by the Prime Minister to next of kin of each ofthe deceased.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavancalled the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and expressed grief over the loss oflives in the Leh cloudburst.

Chavan rang up Omar and offered allpossible help from Maharashtra. Abdullah thanked Chavan for the gesture, an official in Mumbai said.

BanguIzai SG

2010-08-07 17:20:00

Maharashtra is ready to offer any kind of aid or assistance for providing succour to the victims of the flash floods in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said here Saturday.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan spoke to his Jammu and Kashmir counterpart Omar Abdullah this afternoon and made the offer of help as per their requirements.

Abdullah said that his administration was in the process of calculating the losses and would seek help as and when required, but expressed appreciation at Chavan's offer.

Chavan also expressed his grief over the tragedy and loss of lives on behalf of the people of the state.

The Maharashtra government has also set up helpline numbers to help people whose near and dear ones have lost their lives or are reported missing in Leh following the disaster.

The numbers are:

Mumbai: 022-22027990/22854168.

New Delhi: 011-23384353/23387285.

Cell: 0-98688-68286.

BanguIzai SG

Abdullah thanked Chavan for the gesture, he added.

Over 110 people were killed in Leh and a few hundred more are feared washed away in a cloudburst followed by torrential rains and flash floods that devastated this Himalayan town in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.