M S Nazki
Jammu, Aug 24 : Eight women among 19 persons who went missing following a cloudburst and subsequent flash floods in Honzar Dachan village in Kishtwar district remained untraced on 28th day of searches, officials said on Tuesday.
The calamity in the remote village of the Kishtwar occurred on intervening night of July 27 and 28.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh earlier this month had an aerial survey of the village. He also chaired a high-level meeting during which, among others, he stressed the need for intensifying the rescue operation to trace the missing persons.
Authorities had pressed several teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with “sophisticated equipment” along with other rescuers from police, Army and local volunteers, the officials said. However, NDRF, SRDF and other teams except police have withdrawn since.
Success has been eluding the search teams after seven bodies were recovered and seventeen persons rescued in injured condition after the calamity.
The missing persons include Saja Begum (60) wife of Ghulam Mohidin, Khursheed Ahmed (31) son of Mohammad Iqbal, Fida Hussain (26) son of Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Sharif (40) son of Ghulam Rasool, Almina Tasbassum (22) daughter of Mohammad Iqbal, Mata Begum (45) wife of Lala Tantry, Ghulam Mohammad (70) son of Ghulam Rasool, Fazal Hussain (18) son of Rustom Ali Chopan, Tariq Hussain (50) son of Nazir Ahmed, Zarina Begum (40) wife of Tariq Hussain, Mata Begum (45) wife of Ghulam Rasool, Fatima Begum (56) wife of Ghulam Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed (45) son of Rustum Ali, Begum (45) wife of Abdul Rehman, Sharifa Begum (38) wife of Ghulam Mohammad, Shakir Hussain (22) son of Ghulam Ahmed, Ghulam Ahmed (65) son of Abdul Aziz, Zubaida Banoo (25) daughter of Ghulam Ahmed and Khalid son of Haji Gami.
Sources said that rescue operation was closed this evening by police and would be resumed tomorrow. (GNS)
