Army depolys around 7,000 personnel; rescues over 6,000 people

, Sep 5: The

has deployed around 7,000 personnel in

Jammu and Kashmir for undertaking search, rescue and relief operations and have rescued over 6,000 people so far. Army officials today said that despite damage to its own security posts and fencing along the LoC, its troops were providing assistance to the flood-affected people in the state.

"Damage to army posts and security fencing but still Army was reaching out to people in humanitarian crisis situation. Roads are cut off but first responders in the situation are Army garrisons," Army officials said.

The Udhampur-based Northern Command has launched a herculean effort and rescued more than 6,000 people so far. Army has deployed 85 columns (75-100 personnel each) of troops for search, rescue and relief operations in Jammu and Kashmir in a major way and over 2,500 people have been rescued so far.

Of the 85 army columns deployed in the state, the highest number of 60 columns have been deployed in Kashmir valley and 25 such columns in affected areas of Jammu region. The columns, headed by Junior Commissioner Officers (JCOs) has fanned in most of the affected areas of Kashmir valley, particularly in worst flood Central Kashmir's Srinagar summer capital and South Kashmir.

They are armed with all types of equipments and vehicles to help people in distress in Kashmir valley, which is facing a worst types of floods after many decades. IAF today also pressed its choppers into service and rescued 14 people caught in flash-floods in Jammu district.

Twenty-eight more people were today killed in the worst floods in Jammu and Kashmir in nearly six decades and army joined the relief operations as situation turned grim in the state where the deluge has wreaked havoc, damaging roads, dozens of bridges and buildings and crops. Authorities have sounded high "flood" alert as most of the rivers in the state area are flowing high above the danger mark due to incessant rains since the night of September 2.

PTI