400 rescued after landslides
The Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police have, in a joint swift operation, rescued over 400 tourists trapped along Khardung-la (pass), the highest motorable road in the world, which was hit by multiple landslides on Friday.
The road at a height of 18,300 feet has been a major attraction for the domestic and foreign tourists to Ladakh and Himachal hills. One can see all the way south over the Indus valley to the seemingly endless peaks and ridges of Zanskar range, and north to the giants of the Saser massif. Of over 400 civilians, mainly tourists, trapped in the landslide hit stretches of the road. Around 120 trapped people were suffering from acute high altitude sickness and had to be administered oxygen, reports said.
Confirming it, a spokesperson at Army’s Northern Command said the inclement weather accompanied by snowfall on June 8 triggered massive multiple landslides on the Leh-Khardung la-Khalsar axis on a 10 km stretch between South Pullu-Khardung la and North Pullu trapping over 400 civilians, including women and children and 150 vehicles.
“The Army personnel swung into action and worked tirelessly throughout the night to clear the slides and rescue the tourists using both manual and mechanical means,” the spokesperson Lt. Col. Rajesh Kalia said. He added the Army provided shelter, warm clothing and food to the stranded tourists, established a makeshift medical aid post to provide basic medical assistance and administered oxygen to over 120 tourists suffering from acute mountain sickness.
“The rescue operation lasted whole night and timely action by the Army personnel ably supported by the state police led to safe evacuation of all tourists and no one suffered any injury,” he said.
***
DELHI TRANSFER ‘TAUNT’ led to IM murder?
GAUTAM S. MENGLE
MUMBAI, JUNE 9
The Pune police believes that the warrant to transfer terror accused Qateel Siqqidui to a Delhi prison might have become his death warrant.
According to police sources, Siddiqui and his killers — Sharad Mohol and Anand Bhalerao — had become embroiled in a heated argument on Friday morning, during which Siddiqui used his transfer warrant to taunt them. The taunt is believed to have triggered his murder, the police said.
“According to pi, Siddiqui told Mohol and Bhalerao that they had been issuing empty threats to hurt him ever since he got to Yerawada but had not done anything. He went on to say that with his transfer warrant being issued, he would walk out of Yerawada in a few days, after which they would not be able to touch him. The taunt seems to have brought the animosity between them to a boiling point,” said an officer .
Post new comment