1 killed, 4 go missing as cloudburst hits near Sonamarg

A teenaged girl was killed and four people went missing today when a cloudburst struck near Sonamarg, a place enroute to the Amarnath shrine, as Army stepped in to help Jammu and Kashmir government to cope with the nature's fury.
The cloud-burst took place at Kellan village near Gagangir, 76 KMs from here at 6.30 PM, after which Srinagar-Leh highway was closed.
A police official identified the deceased as a girl named Iqra Nazir.
Two more residents of Kellan village were missing and two labourers from Gangangir could not be traced as the Army mounted a relief operation to clear the national highway.

Four Spanish and two civil engineers were rescused by the Army from this area immediately after the natural calamity.
Gagangir is the place before Sonamarg from where the prestigious Z-Morh tunnel across Zozila Pass is proposed to be constructed for an all-weather road between Srinagar and Kargil.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has pressed its men and machines in operation along with Army engineers and Rashtriya Rifles jawans who had been posted on guarding the smooth conduct of Amarnath pilgrimage.
The Army opened its transit camp at Sonamarg for civilians who had been evacauated from these areas besides pressing into operation 11 mobile teams to provide food and medical supply to the needy.

There were landslides in Sonamarg area and the Army accommodated the civilians in transit camps.
On the Baltal-Amarnath yatra route, a bridge caved in at Sheshnag but there was no report of any casualty.
A bus with no one on board was also washed away in the rains.