Seven Kashmiris feared dead in landslide tragedy in Himachal Pradesh

Srinagar, Sep 4 Officials said here on Thursday that at least seven Kashmiris are feared dead after a massive landslide hit Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.

Officials said that the rescue operation is on in the landslide-hit area of the Kullu district.

“All the feared dead Kashmiris are residents of Tulail in the Valley’s Bandipora district, who were working as labourers in Himachal,” officials said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed grief over the tragic landslide in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, which has claimed several lives, including residents of J&K.

“The Chief Minister’s Office is in touch with the local administration in Kullu, and all possible assistance is being extended,” the office of J&K CM said on X.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said a landslide in Kullu led to the collapse of two houses, leaving around 12-13 persons feared trapped.

“An NDRF team carried out collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR) operations, during which three injured persons were rescued and one body was recovered. Search and rescue operations are continuing to trace the remaining trapped victims,” the NDRF posted on X.

Further details were awaited as rescue operations were on.

Himachal Pradesh and J&K have been in the throes of the worst flood disaster for some time.

In J&K, 67 persons were killed and over 100 were injured in a cloudburst at Chashoti village of Kishtwar district on August 14. Most of the killed and injured people in Chashoti village cloudburst were pilgrims of the Machail Mata Yatra.

On August 26, at least 35 pilgrims of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine were killed in the Trikuta Hills of Reasi district by a landslide.

The landslide occurred when the Yatra was suspended and most of the pilgrims had returned to Katra base camp. Many pilgrims had, however, taken shelter at a place on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. It was this shelter space which was hit by the landslide. J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the constitution of a committee headed by the additional chief secretary to investigate the exact reasons that led to the landslide tragedy on the route of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

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