Army rescue tourists, provide relief to flood hit

Leh, Aug 12 (UNI) The Army has launched a massive relief operation in the Ladakh region where the worst flood in living memory, has caused large scale damage.

Meanwhile, a large number of stranded tourists were evacuated to safer places and foreigners, including Americans, were airlifted from the totally cut-off Zanskar valley.

This information was given to Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha today during a meeting called to take stock of the measures under taken for providing relief to the flood-hit people of Ladakh.

The governor was given detailed briefing by the top army brass and local administration about the steps initiated to restore various services and providing immediate relief to the affected people.

The General Officer Commanding the Ladakh Corps, Lt General J K Mohanty and Divisional Commander Maj Gen (Dr) A K Lal gave a detailed briefing to the Governor.

He was told that sensing the crisis and urgency of the situation in Ladakh region, the Army took the initiative to launch sustained and continued flood relief operations both at the reconstruction as well as at the humanitarian level.

Marooned villagers were given food, shelter medical care and accommodation as the Army established several tented relief camps.

In an extraordinary change from the usual rainfall free climate in Ladakh, the mountainous region witnessed some of the worst flooding in living memory.

The floods, the worst seen for more than a generation, broke bridges, washed off entire stretches of roads, marooned villages and rendered many homeless. Thousands of people were stranded as the unprecedented rain continued for eight consecutive days.

In Phyang, 20 Km from Leh, the Army set up a 30 tent relief camp for about 200 homeless villagers providing them with food, medicines, shelter and other essential requirements.

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