Over 100 stranded passengers airlifted in JK and Ladakh

Jammu, February 5

Over 100 stranded passengers and the body of a doctor were airlifted between the twin union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Saturday, an official said here.

An AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted 84 passengers, chief coordinator for the service Aamir Ali said.

He said 32 passengers were airlifted from Jammu to Kargil and 21 from Srinagar to Kargil, while 16 passengers were airlifted from Kargil to Jammu and 15 others from Kargil to Srinagar.

The IAF operates C-17, C-130 and AN-32 aircraft regularly to airlift stranded passengers between J&K and Ladakh in view of the closure of the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway owing to heavy snowfall in January.

Ali said nine passengers, including the body of senior gynecologist Kaneez Fatima, were airlifted from Jammu to Kargil and one passenger from Srinagar to Kargil in Mi-17 Pawan Hans helicopter.

Seven more passengers were airlifted from Kargil to Srinagar, he said.