Kishtwar cloudburst: Three IAF choppers take eight sorties to strengthen 'rescue ops’

JAMMU: Despite prevailing hostile weather conditions, three helicopters of Indian Air Force (IAF) and put in service to strengthen the ongoing ‘search cum rescue’ operation at cloudburst affected Honzar Dacchan village of Kishtwar district where eight people were killed while at least 19 went missing and 17 injured,
PRO Defence Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said, “Three IAF choppers - one each from Jammu, Udhampur and Srinagar were utilised for airlifting SDRF/NDRF teams to Kishtwar.”
"Simultaneously evacuation of critically injured people was done from Sondar to Kishtwar".
Col Anand said, "The helicopters flew a total of 8 sorties transferring relief load of 2250 Kgs, 44 NRDF/SDRF personnel, four medical assistants and assorted items from Sondar.”
Meanwhile Additional Deputy General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh accompanied with Div Com Jammu Raghav Langer also left Kishtwar for Honzar Dachhan to take stock of the situation and review the ongoing rescue and relief operations.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Doda-Kishtwar- Ramban (DKR) Range Udayabhaskar Billa and District Development Commissioner (DDC) Kishtwar Ashok Kumar also accompanied them.
Earlier the rescue operations resumed early morning on Thursday as SSP Kishtwar Shafqat Hussain Batt himself was camping already at Honzar and personally leading the rescue operations. A massive search cum rescue was launched by Police in collaboration with District Administration and other security forces - Army, SDRF after flash floods and sludge slides hit the cloudburst affected remote village Honzar in Dacchan of Kishtwar district.
Police spokesperson also said that District Police has established camps at Dangadooru and Soundar for receipt and dispatch of the relief and rescue materials for the flood affected people of Honzar village.”
“Special teams for this purpose have been formed and deputed from the District Police Lines (DPL) Kishtwar, '' police spokesperson added .