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Amit Shah Hails NDRF Role In Amarnath Yatra Safety

By LokMarg 9th July 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday hailed the National Defence Response Force for providing a safe Amarnath Yatra to every pilgrim.

Taking to Twitter Amit Shah tweeted, “The NDRF and the SDRF have always stood tall in service to the nation and humanity despite all odds. Their role has been crucial in fulfilling our goal of providing a safer Amarnath Yatra to every pilgrim.”

“Sharing a photograph of an SDRF Jawan carrying a lady yatri on his back for 3 km through the unforgiving terrain of the Himalayas on her way back from the holy shrine. I applaud them for being the beacon of safety for the citizens,” Shah tweeted.

Earlier today, the annual Amarnath Yatra resumed on the Pahalgam route following an improvement in weather conditions, officials said.

The Yatra on the other route, Baltal, is yet to resume.

Earlier, the Yatra was halted since Friday due to bad weather conditions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities on Sunday stopped a batch of devotees at the Jammu Base camp due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Following the suspension of the Yatra, 6,000 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were stranded at Ramban, officials said.

At least 80 people from Karnataka were trapped in the Panchtarni, six km away from the Amarnath cave following the adverse weather conditions, said the Karnataka government on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mussarat Islam told ANI that the administration is taking all steps to ensure that the pilgrims do not face any problems.

The official further informed that Jammu Srinagar National Highway (NH44) remains closed for vehicular traffic at Ramban due to a landslide.

At least 67,566 pilgrims visited the Amarnath cave shrine since the beginning of the Yatra on July 1.

About 18,354 pilgrims on July 5 left for the Amarnath cave shrine both from the Baltal base camp and Nunwan base camp performed the darshan.

“These include 12483 males, 5146 females, 457 children, 266 sadhus, and 2 sadhvis,” an official statement said earlier this week.

The total number of yatris who performed Darshan since the beginning is 67566. More yatris will visit the shrine in the coming days,” it added.

The 62-day-long Shri Amarnath Yatra will culminate on August 31, 2023. (ANI)

9 Arrested In Morbi Bridge Tragedy

By LokMarg 31st October 2022

Nine persons including officials of Oreva, the company that renovated the bridge, ticket sellers, and security men have been arrested for the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat.

“We arrested nine people after filing FIR under various sections of IPC. The arrested includes the managers of Oreva company and ticket clerks,” said Ashok Yadav, IG, Rajkot range.
“As and when we get evidence, police will nab the accused further. We have also formed a Special Investigation team pertaining to the incident,” he added.

More than 134 people died and about 100 people were injured due to the collapse of the suspension bridge over the Morbi Macchu river on Sunday.

The Gujarat Police has filed a First Information Report under IPC sections 304 and 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in the bridge collapse tragedy.

The Gujarat government has constituted a five-member committee headed to probe the bridge collapse incident.

“An unfortunate incident took place in Morbi, we pay our condolences. We filed an FIR under various sections of IPC against all the accused to take stringent action. Police & locals mobilized and helped in the rescue operation,” the IG said.

“An FIR has been registered against the maintenance and management agencies of the bridge, under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 114 (abettor present when offense is committed) of the India Penal Code,” said Morbi B Division Police Inspector, Prakashbhai Dekavadiya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Morbi in Gujarat on Tuesday, the state chief minister’s office announced today.

Prime Minister Modi, who is in Kevadia said that rescue operations were underway and there would be no laxity in rescue and relief efforts.

“The Gujarat Government has been carrying out relief and rescue operations since yesterday. Centre too is extending all help to the State Government,” PM Modi said.

Briefing mediapersons here, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said, “The death toll in the Morbi hanging bridge collapse incident has gone up to 132. The Chief Minister has constituted a high power committee yesterday itself while leaving Ahmedabad. All officers, posted at different locations, were asked to report at Morbi by 2 am. The investigation is going on.”

The Gujarat Home Minister further informed that a criminal case has been registered in connection with the incident.

“An investigation has begun today under the leadership of Range IGP,” Sanghavi said. Everyone worked all through the night. The Navy, NDRF (National Disaster Relief Force), Air Force and Army arrived at the spot quickly. More than 200 persons have worked the entire night for search and rescue operations,” Sanghavi said.

“Indian Army is fully committed to assisting civil admin & all other agencies for HADR (Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief) ops to prevent loss of lives, treatment of survivors & further retrieval of remaining bodies as part of search ops,” as per sources.

The columns immediately got into the NDRF, SDRF & state fire services boats & assisted in search operations. Four medical columns assisted in the treatment of survivors in three hospitals viz. the govt civil hospital, Krishna hospital, and Ayush hospital, as per sources. (ANI)

25 Dead In Pauri Garhwal Bus Accident

By LokMarg 5th October 2022

Twenty Five people were killed in the Pauri Garhwal bus accident that took place on Tuesday night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Uttarakhand, informed Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar.

Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added.
“Twenty Five people were found dead in the Pauri Garwhal bus accident that took place last night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot. Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight; the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals,” DGP Ashok Kumar told ANI.

Earlier on Tuesday, a bus carrying a wedding procession of 45 to 50 people fell into a gorge near Simdi village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district.

“A wedding procession had left in a bus from here, Laldhang; an accident occurred. Information is being taken from the family members. A rescue operation is still underway by Pauri Police and SDRF at the spot,” said Haridwar SP City Swatantra Kumar Singh.

“Around 40-42 people were on the bus, including women and children. We are in continuous touch with the Pauri police and villagers. So far, 15-16 people have been rescued and sent to the nearest hospital. No information on any deaths received yet, “he had added. (ANI)

28 Mountaineering Trainees Trapped In Avalanche At Danda-2 Peak

By LokMarg 4th October 2022

As many as 28 people are feared trapped in an avalanche that hit Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak in Uttarakhand, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday.

Rescue operations are underway to rescue the trapped, all trainees of the Nehru Mountaineering Institute of Uttarkashi.
According to preliminary reports avalanche hit the team around 9 AM today.

“Information about 28 trainees of Nehru Mountaineering Institute being trapped following an avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak has been received. Rapid, relief and rescue operations underway by the district administration, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel,” CM Dhami said.

“Rapid relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the district administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army and ITBP personnel along with the team of NIM to rescue the trainees trapped in the avalanche in Draupadi’s Danda-2 mountain peak at the earliest,” tweeted the chief minister Dhami.

A SDRF team left from Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun has rushed to rescue the trainees trapped in an avalanche for rescue work.

CM Dhami said that he has spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and requested for help from the army to speed up the rescue operation.

“He has assured us to give every possible help from the Centre. A rescue operation is being conducted to bring out everyone,” Dhami said.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also took to Twitter and expressed his anguish to the loss of lives and consoled the bereaved families who lost their family members.

“Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to landslide which has struck the mountaineering expedition carried out by the Nehru Mountaineering Institute in Uttarkashi. My condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones,” Rajnath Singh said in a tweet.

“Spoke to CM Uttarakhand, Shri @PushkarDhamiand took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to help the mountaineers who are still trapped. I have instructed the IAF to mount the rescue and relief ops. “Praying for everyone’s safety and well-being,” Singh said. (ANI)