3 more dead in Gurez


5,000 living in dangerous zone: MLA
Mir TAriq
Srinagar, Feb 8
Three members of a family including two women were killed when a snow avalanche struck Nayal, Gurez Friday morning. A Masjid and a diesel generator supplying electricity to the hamlet, was also fully damaged in the avalanche.
Five thousand people continue to live in the danger zone at Tulail Gurez, which has witnessed 16 to 17 feet snowfall. The area is totally cut-off and nothing is known about fate of the people living there.Police sources said that an avalanche hit Nayal Gurez near Tanchi early this morning. A house belonging to Abdul Ahad Baba son of Ghulam Ahmed Baba collapsed due to the avalanche and all the three inmates including two women in the house were buried alive.The locals of the hamlet, comprising some 100 souls, rushed to the spot to launch a rescue operation. They were later joined by police and army personnel. After intense efforts, police and army personnel recovered bodies of Sitara Begum, 40, and Shahnaza Bani, 18, wife and daughter of the house owner.The search to recover the body of the son of the house owner Shabir Ahmad, 24, is still on. “The search is on,” a police officer in Gurez told Rising Kashmir.A local Masjid was completely damaged by the avalanche. The diesel generator that was supplying electricity to the hamlet has also been damaged. The electricity to the hamlet has been snapped and it is reeling under total darkness.Five cows and five horses also died in the avalanche.Nayal area in Gurez has witnessed 12 to 13 feet snow and is prone to snow avalanches.Meanwhile, 5000 people continue to live in dozens of villages at Gurez, the area being termed as “Danger Zone” by the authorities. The villages Refuge 1, Refuge 2, Galmore, Yarijoje, Kokrabal, Neerv Nallah, Wazirthal, Abddulan, Javadara have witnessed more than 15 feet snowfall. “These villages are totally cut-off and authorities cannot reach there. They residents there are wholly and solely dependent on the army’s help, which on occasions also does not come,” MLA Gurez, Nazir Gurezi told Rising Kashmir.Before the onset of winter, the residents of these villages had demanded that they be relocated to plains during the winter months to ensure their safety.“I had also raised the issue with the government at the top level. I personally met Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on few occasions and pleaded with him to shift the residents of these villages to safer zones during winter months. I told him that these villages witness heavy snowfall during winters and are prone to avalanches, which may cause casualties,” said Gurezi.He said, “CM gave me assurances that the people living in the danger zone would be relocated but failed to keep his promise. These people continue to live on razor wire. Their lives are continuously at stake.”He asserted that the government will act only when avalanches strike and cause casualties. “They are not interested in taking protective measures to prevent any loss of life,” he added.