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Ravaging floods claimed 17 more lives in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday raising the toll to 37 even as evacuation of people to safer areas continued.
The search for bodies of the passengers of the ill-fated bus that overturned under the impact of flash floods at a causeway continued for the second day in the frontier Rajouri district of Jammu region.
A senior police officer confirmed on Friday evening that bodies of 25 passengers were recovered despite heavy rains hampering the operation.
“The search is on. We have recovered bodies of 25 passengers from the stream,” said A K Atri, deputy inspector general of police Rajouri-Poonch range.
Atri said that the bus was carrying over 50 passengers, members of a marriage party.
He said that army, police and a team from the National Disaster Rescue Force has been jointly searching for the bodies.
Atri said 13 persons were killed in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district in a house collapse on Friday morning. “We have recovered the bodies from the debris.”
Four more persons were killed at other places in the flood hit district, he added.
The floods triggered by heavy rains since Tuesday have wreaked havoc, properties and crops besides uprooting thousands of people from their homes across the state.
All the major rivers are flowing above the danger mark.
Senior officers along with teams of the NDRF reached the worst affected areas of south Kashmir Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama districts. “Police teams after massive exercise of trans-shipment of equipment and boats have been able to launch NDRF rescue teams in the areas this evening,” a police spokesman said.
He said that despite difficulties the police have been able to save hundreds of lives. The army has also launched rescue operations across the state and till Friday evening 1,100 civilians were evacuated from the flood hit areas.
State Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah visited various areas of south and north Kashmir and interacted with the affected families. He said the government would take all measures to help the people in the current hour of crisis. He was also briefed on the loss of paddy and other crops besides damage to the orchards.
The chief minister said that the first concern of the administration was to rescue people and evacuate the marooned population to ensure no loss of human lives.
The state government has ordered closure of all the educational institutions in Kashmir valley.