Kishtwar Cloudburst: Rescue operation “almost closed”, says Admin

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Jammu, Aug 26: A month after cloudburst and subsequent flash floods in Honzar Dachan village in Kishtwar district, there is no trace of 19 persons including eight women who went missing in the calamity. The Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Ashok Sharma on Thursday said the rescue operation stands “almost closed.”
“The rescue operation stands almost closed,” Sharma told GNS. So far the missing have not been officially declared dead either.
“A team of police and revenue department has been already constituted with regard to the calamity. The report is awaited,” he said, adding, “further action as per mandate of law would be taken in due course of time,” he added.
The calamity in the remote village of the Kishtwar occurred on intervening night of July 27 and 28.
Immediately authorities had pressed several teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with “sophisticated equipment” along with other rescuers from police, Army and local volunteers, the officials said. However, NDRF, SRDF and other teams except police withdrew since within few days.
Success eluded rescuers after seven bodies were recovered and seventeen persons were rescued in injured condition immediately after the calamity.
The missing persons include Saja Begum (60) wife of Ghulam Mohidin, Khursheed Ahmed (31) son of Mohammad Iqbal, Fida Hussain (26) son of Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Sharif (40) son of Ghulam Rasool, Almina Tasbassum (22) daughter of Mohammad Iqbal, Mata Begum (45) wife of Lala Tantry, Ghulam Mohammad (70) son of Ghulam Rasool, Fazal Hussain (18) son of Rustom Ali Chopan, Tariq Hussain (50) son of Nazir Ahmed, Zarina Begum (40) wife of Tariq Hussain, Mata Begum (45) wife of Ghulam Rasool, Fatima Begum (56) wife of Ghulam Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed (45) son of Rustum Ali, Begum (45) wife of Abdul Rehman, Sharifa Begum (38) wife of Ghulam Mohammad, Shakir Hussain (22) son of Ghulam Ahmed, Ghulam Ahmed (65) son of Abdul Aziz, Zubaida Banoo (25) daughter of Ghulam Ahmed and Khalid son of Haji Gami. (GNS)