Dead bodies of Srinagar blasts arrive

Kolkata, Jul 12 (UNI) The bodies of those killed in the grenade attack on Bengali tourists in Srinagar yesterday morning was flown to Kolkata via Delhi late this evening by a special Indian Air Force flight.

The bodies were accompanied by CPI(M) MP Sudhangshu Sil, among others.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr Sil urged the Bengali tourists to avoid going to Kashmir for the time being.

Six injured tourists were also flown to the city on the same flight. All the injured were rushed to the SSKM Hospital immediately on arrival.

A large number of relatives and mediamen gathered at gate no 7 in the international cargo complex.

However, the bodies have not been handed over to the relatives as the death certificates were inadvertantly left behind in Delhi, State Sports and Transport minister Subhas Chakraborty said adding the copies of the certificates would be faxed soon to facililitate the handover of the bodies.

Mr Chakraborty went a step further and said, ''Going to Kashmir now for tour amounts to committing suicide.'' Mr Chakraborty was supervising the arrangements at the airport with senior officials of Airport Authority of India, Central Industrial Security Force and West Bengal police.

Leaders of the Airports Authorities Union were also seen helping out.

Earlier, the bodies were flown by a Indian Airlines flight from Srinagar to Delhi.

Two West Bengal ministers, Gautam Deb and Manab Mukhopadhay, are in Delhi supervising further arrangements to bring back Bengali tourists, who wished to return back to the city.

The casualty figure has raised by one to seven following the death of injured Ashish Ghosh Roy, who succumbed to injuries today.

Ashish's body will be brought back tommorow.

UNI XC SP RN1852