Altaf Hamid Rao,
Torrential rains play havoc in Poonch division,
MIRPUR (AJK): At least seven persons of a family, including five females, were buried alive and two others injured in a terrible land sliding in village Pothi Chapraan Hajeera sub division of Rawalakot district of Azad Jammu & Kashmir wee hours Saturday, local authorities said.
“Three of houses totally swept away in the land sliding that emerged due to over-flowing of an under construction Hydeal Power station at remote Akhore Ban / Pothi Chapraan village at about 5.30 a.m Saturday”, Commissioner Poonch Division Ch. Muhammad Raqeeb told this Correspondent over telephone Saturday.
“Two of the bodies were recovered by this noon and rescue operations were underway to recover the bodies of rest of five missing persons from the debris”, the Commissioner said while referring to the rescue and relief operations by the local administration including rescue 1122, civil defense volunteers and the police.
The Commissioner said that six of the deceased were identified as Shoaib Maqsood s/o Muhammad Maqsood, (18), Sobia Bi Bi (40), wife of Raja Muhammad and her five daughters including Tasmiyaa (11), Aleesha (9), Asma (7), Majabeen (4) and Roofi (One and half year old). Bodies of only two ill-fated persons including Sobia BiBi and her daughter Tasmiya were recovered so far and operation was underway to rest of five bodies.
Three of the residential house, totally destroyed in the land sliding, belonged to Muhammad Maqsood s/o Muhammad Shareef, Raj Muhammad s/o Muhammad Shareef and Kabeer Maqsood s/o Muhammad Shareef.
“The above far-flung and remote area of Poonch division was in the grip of torrential rains since yesterday that played havoc badly affecting the routine life” Ch. Raqeeb said adding that there was no road access to the catastrophe-hit Akhore Ban village causing severe hurdles in the rescue and relief operation.
The injured including Zubaida Bibbi, wife of Muhammad Riaz, were rushed to the nearby hospital where they are being provided with Medicare.
