10 State tourists return from Kashmir

The first batch of 10 tourists from Karnataka who were stranded in flood-hit Kashmir arrived at the Kempegowda Internati­onal Airport, Bangalore, aro­und 9.30 pm on Wednesday.

H S Krishnamurthy and his wife Vatsala, Gangadhar and his wife Bharathi and their six relatives, all residents of Chikkakallasandra and Hosakerehalli were stranded in a hotel at Srinagar since Sunday. They were shifted to a safer location on Tuesday. Another seven-member family was also expected to arrive from Delhi to the City tonight.

IAS officer from Karnataka Ramandeep Chowdhary, who is in Srinagar, has managed to make contact with over 300 persons from Karnataka who are stationed at the Raj Bhavan there. Around 70 persons from the State have reached Delhi from Srinagar and over 30 persons have been shifted from the helipad to Srinagar airport.  The control room in Bangalore has recorded over 650 persons of which around 200 persons have moved into safer locations.

Even as many anxious relatives in the City are waiting desperately for a word from their family who are in Srinagar, many relatives have been receiving information about their safety through other sources.  However, a Kashmiri family of three members Pyarelal Zutshi, Manorama and their son Anil Zutshi living in Bangalore were on a visit to their native in Lalnagar, Channapara.

Sharath, their friend in Bangalore, says that it had been a week since he heard from Pyarelal. “They were actually living in their relative's house, but after the floods broke out, none of their contact numbers are working,” added Sharath.

Mohammed Hidayath is worried about his sister Almas who lived in Shopian a district in Jammu and Kashmir.  “My sister is married there and lives with her husband Gulzar and three children.  Ever since the flood broke out, I'm not able to reach her as none of the phones are working.  My mother is really worried and has fallen sick,” he added.  Mohammed wants to get in touch with someone from Shopian district to enquire about his sister’s well-being.