The Hindu : National : Death toll may rise: Pranab

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Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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National

Death toll may rise: Pranab

By Luv Puri

JAMMU, FEB. 23. The Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, today put the death toll in the avalanches as 173 and added that the number may go up in the coming days. He said that till now even the Army had not been able to establish communication links with some inaccessible areas.

Talking to reporters here this evening after an aerial survey of the affected areas, Mr. Mukherjee said: "We have been able to confirm the death of only 173 persons in the State at the moment. But the number may increase as we have not been able to access the remote areas. Many people are missing at present."

Giving details of the operations by the armed forces, Mr. Mukherjee, said: "Many areas are not communicable and armed forces are trying to restore communication with the help of satellite phones. Many houses are still under snow so the army is providing alternate shelter in the form of tents to the affected people."

Highway cleared

He said, "the Jammu-Srinagar highway has almost been cleared and both poles of the Jawahar tunnel have also been opened to enable restoration of vehicular traffic if weather conditions permit. Institutional back up has moved in operations and whatever is needed is being provided."

The Centre would provide additional help in repairing damaged infrastructure and rehabilitation of the people.

The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, thanked the armed forces for saving lives and added that efforts were on in full swing to rescue the people from the inaccessible and risk prone areas.

Meanwhile, some State officials put the toll to be more than 300 as there is little hope of saving persons who are stated to be missing in remote areas.

In the rescue operations, over 500 persons have been saved. Nine persons, including six Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, were rescued today from this side of the Jawahar tunnel in Banihal area.

Later in the day, both the poles of the Jawahar tunnel were opened by the army thereby saving the lives of 250-odd soldiers and some civilians inside it.

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