Two killed, 2 missing in Ramban village incident

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 22

Two persons, including a minor girl, were killed and two others went missing after a snow avalanche hit Trigam village of Ramban district on Tuesday.

According to official sources, a snow avalanche hit Kawana area near Trigam village at 3 pm on Tuesday, resulting into death of 25-year-old Muhammad Rafiq, son of Ghulam Qadir, and 12-year-old Sumerna, daughter of Mukhtiar Ahmed. Fatha Begum (30) and Taja Begum (32) went missing after the incident.

The sources said the avalanche hit the village when the victims were returning to their house at Trigam, located about 50 km from Ramban in Khardi tehsil.

“We have pressed our teams to rescue the missing persons,” said Showkat Aijaz, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, who has also sanctioned ex gratia for the next of kin of the deceased.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall and bad weather brought normal life to a grinding halt across the Jammu region and plunged several districts into darkness.

As a precautionary measure, the authorities had to close all government and private schools in mountainous districts of the region on Tuesday, while the helicopter service to the cave shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi was suspended following bad weather. The cable car service between Bhawan and Bhairon Ghati at the Vaishno Devi shrine was also suspended for pilgrims.

“The power supply in the entire Chenab region (Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts) was affected due to a technical snag in the 132-KV transmission line, being maintained by the NHPC, between Udhampur and Kishtwar. NHPC officials are rectifying the snag in the Patnitop area,” Sudhir Gupta, Chief Engineer, M&RE wing of the power development department, said.

He said the NHPC officials were on job to restore the power supply to the region.

“Another 132-KV transmission line between Ramban and Batote also suffered damage in the Batote area. So far, 80 per cent of the power supply in the region has been restored,” Gupta said.

Another avalanche took place near the Pangraie area, close to the Pakal Dul dam, in Kishtwar district on Monday night, snapping road connectivity to the dam site. However, no loss of life has been reported.