Over 150 dead in J&K flood, rescue on

A large part of Srinagar is submerged with people waiting on their rooftops. People have lost contact with their family members and relatives with phone lines being snapped due to the flood situation. There has been no electricity in many areas including Srinagar for hours.

Areas like Pulwama, Anantnag and Shopian in south and central Kashmir are completely cut off with roads and bridges swept away. Many vital installations like the army cantonment, civil Secretariat, the high court and many hospitals in Srinagar are currently hit by the flood situation.

The state government ordered all schools and colleges to remain closed till September 12. Many people are now living in relief camps and temporary shelters, sources said. People have taken refuge at hospitals and other high rise buildings to escape the rising water level.

Armed Forces are carrying out flood relief and rescue operations in the entire State in heavy rains and extremely bad weather conditions.

At least 130 Army columns have been deployed rescuing more than 14800 people so far.

Fifty Army Medical Teams have also been deployed in along with these columns to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured and sick people. Air Force has deployed 16 Medium Lift Helicopters, 9 Light Helicopters and 7 Transport Aircraft for the rescue and flood relief operations.

Six NDRF Teams equipped with boats and other flood relief stores and equipment were airlifted by Air Force from Delhi, Bathinda, Pune and Ahmedabad to Srinagar and Avantipur.

An Air Force Rapid Action Medical Team was also flown in from Delhi by a C-17 aircraft for augmenting the medical support in Avantipur. An Army Engineer Task Force was airlifted from Adampur to Srinagar by a C-130J aircraft.

Arrangements have been made for airlifting 10,000 blankets and 3000 tents from stores of the Armed Forces at Kanpur to the affected areas. In addition, 85 Tons of medicines provided under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Red Cross are being airlifted from Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir by an IL-76 aircraft. In all 30 sorties were flown by Air Force transport aircraft and helicopters today airlifting about 110 Ton load and evacuating more than 160 civilians.

The relief efforts are being coordinated by HQ Northern Command in consultation with the Advance Air HQ in Udhampur. The situation is being reviewed and monitored regularly by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff at HQ IDS with Army and Air Force Operations Directorates. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced a special assistance of Rs. 1,000 crore for flood-affected Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Rs. 2 lakh compensation would be given to the kin of each dead and Rs. 50,000 each for those seriously injured owing to the crisis from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

The PM undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit belts dubbing the situation as a “national level disaster”. He assured that medical and other assistance would be provided on an urgent basis.

Modi said the army, air force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were cooperating with the state government to expedite relief operation in the flood-affected areas.

According to reports, the waters from the swollen Jhelum inundated Srinagar completely turning the capital city into a giant lake.

Landslides triggered by incessant rain damaged roads, dozens of bridges, buildings and crops in the Jammu region causing disruption to vehicular movement on the Jammu-Pathankot highway. Katra-bound trains were halted. Haj flights scheduled up to September 12 had been postponed as well, official sources said.