News Analysis India

Tag: Amarnath cloudburst

  • IAF evacuates 34 injured Amarnath pilgrims to Srinagar; L-G visits Nunwan base camp

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The Indian Air Force (IAF) evacuated 34 injured pilgrims from the medical facility at the Amarnath yatra base camp to a hospital here on Sunday.

    “An additional 34 injured pilgrims were evacuated by IAF Mi-17 V5 and Cheetal helicopters on Sunday,” a defence spokesperson said here.

    He said the IAF choppers also airlifted 20 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, along with six canines, from Srinagar to take part in the search operation to trace the missing people believed to be stuck under debris.

    Flash floods triggered by heavy rain struck near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas on Friday, leaving at least 15 people dead and more than 30 missing.

    Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited the Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam to oversee efforts for the resumption of Amarnath yatra which has been suspended in the aftermath of the flash floods on July 8, officials said.

    A flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the cave shrine on Friday afternoon has led to the death of least 16 people.

    Around 40 people are still missing.

    Sinha will camp overnight at Nunwan to oversee rescue and relief operations and efforts being made to resume the yatra as soon as possible, an official spokesperson said.

    Sinha also interacted with yatris staying there and reviewed arrangements at healthcare facilities and ‘langars’, the official added.

    Interacting with the pilgrims, Sinha observed that providing better facilities to them is the government’s top priority.

    He said dedicated measures are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims.

    The Lt Governor lauded the efforts and swift action of the Army, CAPFs, NDRF and civil administration during the rescue and relief operation for saving precious lives.

    Earlier, during the meeting with officials at the Nunwan Base camp, Sinha was briefed about the rescue and relief operations, debris clearance, deployment of machinery and manpower, and camp-wise breakdown of pilgrims, besides arrangements and efforts put in to facilitate the pilgrims, the official added.

  • Amarnath cloudburst: Army engages high-tech equipment to rescue pilgrims

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: In one of the major peacetime rescue operations, the Indian Army has deployed men and machinery including the latest equipment to rescue the Amarnath pilgrims who were injured in the flash flood triggered by heavy rain, an Army official said here on Saturday.

    The rescue team rushed to the site as soon as they got the information about casualties in the cloudburst that occurred on Friday evening, the official said.

    He said an infantry battalion led by a Colonel along with Quick Reaction Teams, an additional company of personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles Sector and a team from special forces reached the holy cave along with specialized rescue equipment to undertake the operation.

    “Through the night, the senior Army officers of the infantry battalion and Rashtriya Rifles oversaw and coordinated rescue operations from the cave and Nilgrar. Medical resources at the cave and at Nilgrar were activated and additional resources deployed,” the official said.

    He said nine surveillance detachments with hand-held thermal imagers, night vision devices and other gadgets were deployed for the search operations.

    “Two advanced light helicopters (ALHs) were moved for casualty evacuation at the holy cave. However, owing to bad weather, night landing at the cave was unsuccessful. Two Through Wall Radars and two Search And Rescue dog squads were also moved to the cave for the rescue operation,” he added.

    Giving details of the evacuations, the official said the search, rescue and medical effort continued at daybreak.

    “At 6.45 am, the first ALH landed at the site to commence evacuation of the injured. A total of 15 bodies and 63 injured yatris have been taken out. Both Army and Civilian helicopters are carrying out relentless sorties to evacuate the injured and the dead,” he said.

    “A total of 28 patients have been evacuated from the cave to advanced dressing station Nilagrar. After stabilising, 11 have further been moved to SKIMS Srinagar in civil helicopters for treatment,” he added.

    The bodies have been moved from the cave to Nilagrar while stranded yatris are being escorted by the Indian Army personnel up to Baltal, since the track is slushy and slippery.

    “Simultaneously search was also commenced at daybreak at Amarnath Nar at Sangam for any possible casualties,” the official said.

    Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen ADS Aujla and Major General Sanjiv Singh Slaria, GOC of counter insurgency Kilo Force visited the Holy Cave early on Saturday to review the rescue and medical efforts being undertaken by the Indian Army.

    The GOC Chinar Corps also interacted with the yatris and locals and assured of all possible help from the Army.

  • ‘Amarnath flash floods may be due to highly localised rain event, not cloudburst’: IMD

    According to weather scientists, the shrine reported 31 mm of rainfall between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Friday, which is quite low to be categorised as a cloudburst.