IAF airlifts 640 stranded passengers of Kargil

Murtaza Ali
Jammu, 07 March(KMW): Over 640 stranded passengers of Kargil were today airlifted between Leh, Srinagar and Jammu by special Indian Air Force (IAF) sorties arranged by the Jammu and Kashmir government, this was stated by State Coordinator AN32 Courier Service, Mr. Aamir Ali.
He told that 640 stranded passengers of Kargil were airlifted by an IL-76 cargo aircraft of the IAF.
A total of 219 of these were flown to Leh from Srinagar, 225 from Jammu to Leh, 156 from Leh to Jammu and 40 from Leh to Chandigarh”, he added.
The state government had Thursday announced that special IAF sorties would be arranged for stranded passengers of Kargil town which remains cut off due to heavy snowfall on the Zojilla Pass that connects Ladakh region with rest parts of the world.
Due to none operating of AN32 Courier Service from last 3 week due to bad weather, the authorities had arranged special IAF sorties between Leh, Jammu and Srinagar for people of Kargil. The stranded passengers include children, old aged person, patients and numbers of women’s also.
The stranded passenger had conveyed their gratitude to State Govt., Center Govt. and Air Force authority for airlifting them to their destination. The rest stranded passengers of Kargil at Jammu and Srinagar has also requested to the State, Center and Air force authorities for making 2 sorties of IL 76 for them also tomorrow.
Meanwhile State Coordinator, Mr. Aamir Ali said that subject to weather fair another sorties of IL 76 had been planned between Srinagar-Leh and Jammu-Leh and one each AN32 between Kargil-Jammu and Kargil-Srinagar on 8th March (Saturday) for rest of the stranded passengers. He had asked the passengers to be in contact with concerned Liaison Officer for further information.