Two engineers die in Kishtwar landslide

Our Correspondent

Doda, February 23

Two engineers engaged with the Pakal Dul hydroelectric project in Kishtwar district were killed by a landslide on Friday evening.

The incident occurred around 40 km from the district headquarters near the Ikhala area in the Dachan tehsil of Kishtwar. A rescue operation was launched by the authorities and the bodies were recovered.

The deceased have been identified as senior mechanical engineer Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Jammu, and electric engineer Vijay Gupta, a resident of Udhampur.

“Two engineers engaged with the power project were killed after a landslide hit the area. A rescue operation was launched and their bodies were recovered,” said Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana.

The bodies were brought to District Hospital, Kishtwar, on Saturday morning and later handed over to their families after legal formalities.

Meanwhile, the administration launched a rescue operation in the Kuchal area of Kishtwar on Saturday after panic gripped locals due to fear of landslides and rolling of boulders.

“Six houses, in which 15 families are living, are located in the landslide-prone areas. I have sent a team of officials to assess the situation and make arrangements for relocating them,” Rana said.