12 GREF labours buried alive in Kishtwar, 9 bodies recovered

Jammu, May 1 (UNI) At least nine people were killed as three vehicles, carrying about two dozen people, were buried under a heavy landslide on road at Salaran in Chhatru area of hilly Kishtwar district today, police said.

''Till now nine bodies have been exhumed from the landslide,'' a police official at the site told UNI over phone. The rescue operation is in full swing to save the maximum lives, he said.

Meanwhile rescue parties from Army and the district Police have recovered bodies of nine labours out of twelve, who were buried alive under a mud slide.

The deceased have been identified as, Mohd Ashraf, resident of Romly Trigami, Mohd Ayub, 60, resident of Jathna, Billawar, district Kathua, Bashir Ahmed, resident of Trigam Kishtwar, Mohd Hanif , 27, resident of Dolhati, Drab Shalla, Kishtwar, Mohd Shafi, resident of Kharian Chatroo and Lal Din, resident of Kundhtar Chatroo, Kishtwar.

However, the rescue operation was still in progress. Reportedly, over two dozen people were buried under the landslide today afternoon.

UNI VBH SY VC2002