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| Leh cloudbursts: Death toll mounts to 150, 26 army men among 600 still missing | | Survivors and dead have holes in faces as common injury | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 9: Virtually turned into the 'valley of death' after the devastating August 5 cloudbursts that led to the flattening of several villages and snapping of road and communication links, rescue operations today continued in full swing in the hitherto picturesque Leh and its surrounding areas.
As more bodies were dug out by rescue teams from underneath the rubble today, the death toll rose to 150 while 600 others, including 26 army personnel, outstation labourers and foreigners, were still missing.
Official sources told The Early Times that the traumatised survivors and the dead had holes in the faces and deep abrasions as common injuries. Almost all of them were caught in the mud.
Most of those pulled out from underneath the deep mud slushes and debris of the collapsed houses were outstation labourers and foreign tourists, the sources added, saying they were provided dressings and bandages were put on their cuts and bruises to prepare them for major surgeries.
As all BSNL equipment had been washed away in the flash floods, 35 satellite phones were desp... | |
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| ‘Manali road to open for Leh within 24 hrs’ | | | | Early Times Report
rajouri, Aug 9: As Leh has been disconnected from rest of the world for the last 5 days, Border Road Organisation has claimed to open Manali-Leh road within 24 hours while it will take 5 days to connect Leh with Srinagar.
Talking to reporters here on the sidelight of an inaugural ceremony of a Bridge in Rajouri, Lt. General M.C. Badhani, Director General, Border Roads Organisation said that they are working on both Manali -Leh and Srinagar-Leh routes on war footing and are going to connect the devastated city by road from Manali within 24 hours.
"We are going to open Manali-Leh road till Tuesday evening", Director General said . However added that it will take 5 days ... | |
| | | | Leh will take years to rebuild again | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 9: The devastation created by recent cloud burst and flash floods that lashed the Leh town in Ladakh region during night of 5 and 6 will take years together to rebuild the township and its surrounding villages again who are completely in rubble at present.
The authorities who have started the relief and rescue operations on war footing basis with army, paramilitary forces and various NGOs joining them in relief and rehabilitation measures the, authorities say that it will take years together to rebuild the Leh and the devastated villages to the position which it was before the cloud burst of August 5.
Though various State and Central Government ministers a... | |
| | | | 1 killed, 3 Machail yatris among 10 hurt in landslide | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 09: While they were taking tea at a dhaba at Masoo Sogi near Paddar in Kishtwar today, a landslide occured as a result of which a villager was killed while 10 others, at least three of them Machail Mata pilgrims, survived with critical injuries.
Police sources said some Machail Mata pilgrims and locals were taking tea at a dhaba at Masoo Sogi at about 4.15 pm when a mass of earth and rocks came sliding down the nearby hill and fell on the eatery.
Roshan Lal, son of Dhanna Ram of Machail, was killed on the spot while at least 10 others, including dhaba owner Sant Ram, sustained injuries.
The injured were admitted to a local hospital. Four of them were, h... | |
| | | | Cop held on rape charge | | | | EARLY TIMES
JAMMU: A cop was arrested by police for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman in Poonch today. Police sources said a woman today approached police with the complaint that cop Shakur Ahmad, who was present in her house at Poonch, had allegedly raped her. Acting on the complaint, police raided the woman's residence and apprehended the cop from there. A case had been registered against him, the sources added.... | |
| | | | Bid to loot | | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu: Burglars made a failed bid to loot a Punjab National Bank branch and its Automated Teller Machine (ATM) installed near bank premises.
According to sources, some miscreants made a vain attempt to rob PNB's Gangyal branch and its ATM during the intervening night of 8 and 9.
The matter came to light only when some employees of the bank on opening gate of the building during office hours noticed that the locks were open.
They immediately informed the concerned police station about the incident.
After police reached the spot, it found that entire bank was ransacked. Thieves also made attempts to unlock the lockers of the bank but could not achieve success.
Thieve... | |
| | | | Asiya surprised by minority's tears over insecurity | | 'They (Hindus, Sikhs) will have to be part of Quit J&K Movement' | | | Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Aug 9: Dukhtaraan-e-Millat chairperson and radical separatist leader, Asiya Andrabi, today said that the non-Muslim minorities were free to join or not to join Kashmir's "freedom struggle" but she made it clear that they will have to observe shutdown over the separatists' calls and become a part of the current 'Quit Jammu & Kashmir Movement'.
Disappointed over reports that two delegations of the Hindus and the Sikhs had called on the Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and "wept bitterly" over the sense of their insecurity, Dukhtaraan chief said that it had hurt the sentiments of the majority community in Kashmir.
"Delegations of ... | |
| | | | Coalition govt's performance to come | | | | Early Times Report
new delhi, Aug 9: The leaders of various political parties from J&K have started converging in New Delhi for the crucial All Party meeting with Prime Minister scheduled for tomorrow in the evening. The meeting intended to elicit the views of these parties on possible measures to diffuse the turbulent situation in Kashmir valley will also discuss vital issues of governance and steps to improve the same .
Sources say even as the political leaders representing different hues will give their suggestions on what they deem proper under circumstances to diffuse the crisis, the functioning of the coalition government led by chief minister Omar Abdullah is likely to come under ... | |
| | | | India-Pakistan dialogue: Role of J&K people | | | | RUSTAM
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 9: The position on the ground also overrules the possibility of the people of Jammu and Kashmir playing any role whatsoever in the India-Pakistan talks. The Kashmiri leadership does quite often talk of Srinagar-New Delhi Axis, Srinagar-Islamabad axis and New Delhi-Islamabad axis. It does say again and again that Jammu and Kashmir is a trilateral issue and the people of Kashmir are a party to the dispute. These formulations have no legal sanctity behind them. Nor do the Valley leadership have the mandate to speak on behalf of all the people of the state. It is not a secret that the people of Jammu and Ladakh, who occupy the state's nearly 89 per cent ge... | |
| | | | Delhi based activist suggests | | Tale of 3 CMs | | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Aug 9: Omar Abdullah is the third Chief Minister to rule the state since 2002. All of them have evoked ridicule and criticism but the incumbent Chief Minister, according to a New Delhi based human rights defender deserves Nishaan-e-Kashmir for "triggering the on-going bloody agitation."
The activist, Gautam Navlakha believes Omar Abdullah mishandled the situation and gave the separatists a chance to get the people on streets yet again. "In Kashmir blood acts like fuel. When a person gets killed, it creates a stir in the entire Valley", he said.
The state apparatus, Navlakha said, is fully aware of this harsh reality. "The security agencies, therefore, shou... | |
| | | | Austerity instructions thrown to wind? | | | | Rahul Gandhi, who has been taking care of Youth Congress across the country, for quite some time has given instructions particularly to the Youth leaders to adopt austerity measures , a norm which he implements for himself too while visit to different places. The austerity instructions are mainly focused on travel by ordinary class or at the most third AC railway facility, besides stay at a place which incurs minimum expenditure. Both these austerity instructions were thrown to wind allegedly by Amrinder Singh Raja who arrived in Jammu today. Instead of staying in guest house or circuit house, sources alleged he chose to stay in KC Residency, a luxury hotel of the city. Now, this he might h... | |
| | | | Factionalism percolates down to PYC level | | 'Sloganeering drama' at PCC headquarters | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 9: Marred by factionalism, the headquarters of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee today witnessed 'great drama' of one up man ship between the supporters of Prof Saif-u-Din Soz and Ghulam Nabi Azad. When the two groups, this time of the level of PYC tried to outsmart each other by raising the pitch of slogans in favour of respective leaders, the senior functionaries of PCC had to intervene, apparently in order to avoid any clashes. As the supporters of JKPCC Chief Prof Soz outnumbered the Azad loyalists, the latter had to make 'retreat' from the office at Shahidi Chowk. They also failed to make their presence felt politically, the purpose for which they had g... | |
| | | | Where are CM's advisors? | | | | Sunny
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 9: The Congress led UPA government has opted for status quo in J&K, that means the present Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will continue to lead the NC-Congress led coalition government in the state and it really is the good news for the loyalists in the state unit of the congress and major section in the NC. Though this decision of the central govt has given a Sigh of relief to him and to his govt, but he still is fighting the ongoing crisis in Valley lonely. Since the trouble started in Kashmir, the two Advisors of the state Chief Minister have never made any appearance nor any statement was aired from them. The two advisors who have been given the rank ... | |
| | | | Jail and oppression for nationalists, bouquets and compassion for separatists | | ANTI AND PRO-INDIA PROTESTS IN DELHI | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 9: Had anyone ever imagined that the Kashmiri separatists and their cohorts will be allowed by the authorities in New Delhi to hold anti-India demonstrations in the Union capital, Delhi? Had anyone ever imagined that the authorities would allow the Kashmiri separatists and their cohorts and supporters to raise in the Union Capital such slogans as "Go India Go"; "Shame India Shame"; "Hum Kaya Chahte Hain, Azadi"; and "Azadi Ka Matlab Kaya Hai, establishment of Nizam-e-Mustafa"? No. But it has actually happened. The Kashmiri separatists and their cohorts and supporters have actually insulted India and outraged the Indian nation, with the authorities giving them ... | |
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