3 labourers die of hypothermia in J&K’s Banihal

SEVEN LABOURERS HAD TAKEN THE HILLY ROUTE FROM VERINAG IN ANANTNAG TOWARDS BANIHAL, SAY POLICE

JAMMU: Three youths died of hypothermia while one was rescued from Pir Panjal mountains in Banihal sector of Ramban district on Wednesday.

The four labourers, in a bid to reach home amid lockdown, had trekked the mountainous route from Kashmir to reach Banihal.

Ramban SSP Haseeb-ur-Rehman said, “Three labourers died of hypothermia as it was snowing and the night temperature plummeted, while one was rescued and hospitalised. They were going to Dooligam area of Banihal.”

Police said seven labourers had taken the hilly route from Verinag in Anantnag towards Banihal on Tuesday. While three labourers reached their village, the remaining four got stuck at a hilltop in Nagimandu (Hingal Top), about 5km from Dooligam, due of bad weather conditions and snowfall,” the SSP added.

“A rescue operation was launched on Wednesday morning. Three dead bodies were recovered from the spot and one person was found alive and rescued,” said Rehman. The deceased have been identified as Ghulam Mohiuddin (30), Zubair Ahmad Drabu (20) and Reyaz Ahmad (22) and the rescued youth is Parvaiz Ahmad. They were all related to each other, the SSP said.

Ramban DM Nazim Zai Khan said, “We had requested everyone to stay put, but they took a treacherous route.”

200 KASHMIR-BOUND PEOPLE IN BANIHAL

The deputy magistrate said despite repeated advisories, people have been violating them and putting themselves and others at risk. “Nearly 200 people have reached Banihal to go to Kashmir. We are giving them food and shelter, but their number is increasing every day. They have been kept in quarantine for 14 days at the Banihal railway station.