About 1000 stranded as no Kargil-Srinagar flights

Srinagar, Feb 14: About a thousand passengers have been stranded as flights between Srinagar and Kargil remained cancelled since February 5.

The Srinagar-Drass-Kargil highway also remained closed since November 15 last year for six winter months due to heavy snowfall.

Despite orders from Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad that helicopter service will operate twice a week between Srinagar and Kargil, no flight operated after February 5, a passenger told sources at Kargil house Bemina here.

''We have been visiting airport daily with the tickets, but return disappointed,'' Ghulam Nabi Zia said, who alongwith five others were off loaded to accommodate some women passengers on February 5.

He said there are 180 passengers who have confirmed tickets and were scheduled to travel Kargil last week. However the flights were cancelled.

He said there are also more than 400 residents of Kargil and other areas who have been also stranded here for the past two weeks.

Majority of the stranded passengers allege the government has failed to provide any assistance and added they have no money.

Official sources said that 130 teachers, who had come here to spend winter holiday with their families, are also stranded.

However, the government has registered their names and they will be airlifted to Kargil before the schools reopen, official sources said.

A report from Kargil said about 400 Srinagar bound passengers are stranded there for the past two weeks.

UNI

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