| Uttranchal landslide victims laid to rest amid sobs, tears | | | S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, Dec 23: Amid tears and sobs, the people in general and women in particular were seen beating their chests after the bodies of 7 labourers reached Uri tehsil today after they were flown from Jammu in an Army chopper.
Due to poverty and unemployment, the deceased had left their homes to earn bread and butter for their families. All the deceased hailed from poor families.
Most of the families are living on zero line, sometimes they remain confined in the four walls due to border cross fire, leaving that aside, most of the people prefer to work outside of their state for meeting their requirements of the family members.
According to reports, on December 21, the ten labourers of Uri of Baramulla district came under a mudslide as they were working in Allwadi Road project in Banswara area of Rudraprayag district of Uttrakhand.
Seven bodies were shifted to GMC Jammu this morning for further formalities. The (deceased) were working along the roadside and suddenly a big boulder fell on them and they got buried under it and died on the spot, a labourer from Uri said.
Among the ten labourers, seven were killed on spot, whereas the body of the missing labourer, was recovered from under the debris, taking death toll to eight, and two were injured, said reports.
Sources in the Uri said that, total there were 23 persons who were doing laborers work, 10 labours were sent along with 7 dead bodies, while 1 person has stayed in Dehradun Hopital with the 2 injured labourers, and 2 are on the way with another dead body that were recovered yesterday morning from the debris.
The locals identified deceased as Mushtaq Ahmad Bhati S/O Ahmad-Ud Din Bhati R/O Nambla, Gulzar Ahmad Shiekh S/O Mohammad Ramzan Sheikh R/O Balkote Uri, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh S/O Ghulam Hassan Sheikh R/O Mothal Hatlanga, Bilal Ahmad Sheikh S/O Fareed Ahmad Sheikh R/O Balkote, Abdul Rashid Sheikh S/O Ghulam Qadir Shiekh R/O Balkote. Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat S/O Mohammad Sabir Bhat R/O Mothal, Syed Shafeeq Hussain S/O Syed Ambir Shah R/O Bagna Boniyar, and Majid Ahmad Khan S/O Mohammad Zamman Khan R/O Bagna Boniyar.
Seven bodies reached to Uri today; while as eighth dead body is on the way to Jammu along with two attendants, adding we are in touch with the attendants, said sources.
However the government officials told early times that, 7 dead bodies had reached Jammu yesterday which was flown to Uri today morning in an army chopper.
After the all legal medical and police formalities, the bodies were sent to their native villages for the last rites.
The death was their final destiny and the deceases cannot return back to their families, but if the government will provide an ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakhs to the next of their kins that will be a great compensation and relief to their families, said locals.
Pertinently the Governor S P Malik yesterday announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased. |
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