Members of NGO Banihal also helped in the rescue operation. (Images: News18)
The landslide blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway — the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country — at Kishtwari Pather, Banihal
Four people were killed after a landslide hit their truck leading to its fall into a deep abyss near the Wagan area in Jammu’s Ramban district. The vehicle — registered in Jammu and Kashmir — was hit early on Tuesday.
The truck was on its way to Srinagar from Jammu, a police official said, adding that, a rescue operation was immediately launched by local volunteers and police. The bodies of all four passengers of the truck were retrieved from the crumpled remains of the truck.
“A truck carrying four passengers fell into a gorge following a landslide in the area (J&K’s Ramban district). All four passengers died on the spot,” a volunteer of NGO Banihal said. The NGO’s members were amongst those who helped in the search and rescue operation.
The deceased identified — by the officials — as truck driver Mohd Afzal Garoo (42) and his brother Altaf Garoo (36) from Kulgam, Irfan Ahmed (33) and his brother Showkat Ahmed (29) from Anantnag. Other than the four deceased, six cattles that were being transported in the truck for domestic use also were killed.
The landslide blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway — the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country — at Kishtwari Pather, Banihal. The Ramban deputy commissioner said that traffic has been stopped from both ends and efforts are being made to get the route cleared for traffic.
Previously in July, six labourers were trapped after a landslide hit an under-construction building in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district.
While the six of them were rescued, one other person was missing in the incident. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Udhampur) Joginder Singh Jasrotia said that a rescue operation was on to locate the missing person, who was believed to ne trapped under the debris of the landslide.
Police officials said a group of labourers were busy in construction work at Kallar near vegetable market when they came under the landslide around 11.45 am. A rescue operation was launched immediately and six labourers were rescued, while the search is on for a missing labourer, the officials said.
During the monsoon season in July, a massive landslide hit Irshalwadi village of Maharashtra’s Raigad district saw a death toll of 57 people following which rescue operations were called off. On the last resuming of search and rescue operation — when no one was recovered — the NDRF called off the operation.
According to News18 sources, the areas of Irshalwadi and Nanivali village were made out of reach for everyone except the rescue team as it was hampering the search operations. The state government announced strict measures asking people to not visit the landslide spot.
