Army announced additional 50,000 for porters killed in Kashmir snow

Srinagar, Jan 12 (UNI) Army authorities today announced additional ex-gratia relief of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of porters killed in snow avalanche in Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

With this a total of Rs one lakh each will be paid by the army while Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 50,000 to each family from his relief fun besides free ration for six months.

A defence ministry spokesman said operation to recovere the bodies of soldiers and porters killed in snow avalanche near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector was still going on.

There is about 15 feet of accumulated snow, he said adding that success still eludes rescue parties.

He said Rs 50,000 would be paid to the next of kin of the deceased civilian porters. This, he said, would be in addition to Rs 50,000 ex-gratia already given by the defence authorities.

More than a dozen soldiers and civilians porters were buried alive in Uri sector on January 8 when the entire belt experienced heavy snowfall.

Three soldiers were killed after they came under two snow avalanches in Machil sector recently.

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