Bodies of all 11 people missing in Kupwara avalanches recovered

Srinagar: Bodies of all 11 people, including a woman and her 11-month-old baby, who went missing after two snow avalanches hit border area of Tangdhar in the frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara on Friday evening, have been recovered after over 20-hour-long operation.
A cab was swept away by an avalanche at Sadhna top, while another avalanche hit a BEACON officer on Friday between 1515 hrs to 1530 hrs.
Meanwhile, rescue teams of police and Army joined by locals were able to rescue three persons, including a minor boy, after the avalanche swept away a vehicle at Sadhna top on Friday.
Official sources tonight told UNI that with the recovery of the bodies of a woman and her 11-month-old baby, who was tightly held to her chest, this evening, the total number of people killed in two snow avalanches has reached to 11 in Tangdhar sector.
”The body of a Beacon officer Havaldar MP Singh was recovered last night after the rescue operations were launched,” Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Khalid Jehangir told UNI.
Official sources said rescue teams managed to rescue three persons – a child, an elderly person and driver of the vehicle from under the snow on Friday.
“The rescued persons were shifted to hospital,” they added.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed grief and sorrow over the burying alive of 11 persons in the avalanche at the Sadhna Top. The Chief Minister has conveyed her sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for solace to the departed souls.
Meanwhile, Minister for Disaster Management, Relief Rehabilitation & Reconstruction and Floriculture, Javaid Mustafa Mir on Saturday announced compensation under SDRF of Rs four lakhs each to the Next of Kin (NoK) of those killed in a snow avalanche near Sadhna top on Friday. Mr Mir also announced a compensation of Rs 12,600 each to the injured persons.
Locals protested against the authorities, demanding construction of a tunnel to avoid frequent accident on the Kupwara-Tangdhar road, particularly at Sadhna top.
”We remain cut off for most period of the year due to snowfall,” they said, adding every year about 35 to 40 people lose their lives due to accidents at the same place.
The Minister expressed deepest condolences with the bereaved families and assured every possible support to them by the state government.
He also directed to provide better medical facilities to all the injured persons.
Minister for Tourism, Tassaduq Hussain Mufti also expressed his grief over the death of 11 people, who were buried alive in the snow avalanche.
Conveying sympathies with the bereaved families, Mr Mufti prayed for peace to the departed souls.