early times report
Srinagar, Jan 21: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday airlifted more than 100 stranded passengers in three sorties between Srinagar and Kargil, an official spokesman said.
"As many as 106 stranded passengers were airlifted in three sorties of AN-32 aircraft," he said.
"Sixty-seven were airlifted from Kargil to Srinagar in two sorties and 39 from Srinagar to Kargil in another sortie," the spokesman said.
Subject to weather, two sorties of AN-32 had been planned between Kargil and Jammu tomorrow, he said..
The IAF had airlifted hundreds of stranded passangers from snow-bound Kargil in frontier region of Ladakh after the closure of 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway -- the only road linking the cold desert with rest of the state.
The IAF had also helped the state administration in airlifting stranded passengers from snow-bound Gurez which like Kargil usually remains cut-off from rest of the state during winter owing to heavy snowfall.
The spokesman said the administration had asked the stranded passengers of Gurez, who have purchased air tickets, to contact Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, and Sub-District Magistrate, Gurez, so that they can be airlifted between Bandipora and Dawar in Mi-17 helicopters tomorrow. |
