Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Sep 10: Seven members of a single family from Jeppu in the city have been stranded in rain-ravaged Kashmir valley, which is experiencing unprecedented floods. Efforts to rescue them and bring them back are on.
Krishnanda Rao (J K Rao), former governor of Lions Club, and resident of Jeppu here, his wife, Lata Mallika Rao, their relatives, Ramanand Rao, Sowmini Rao, Veekshita Rao, Anil Rao, and Rajashree Rao have got stuck in Jammu and Kashmir state as floods have cut off all communications and movement of traffic there. Rescue operation for saving those who have got stranded there has been undertaken on a war footing.
Former state minister and relative of the above family, Krishna J Palemar, has been putting forth his best efforts to extend all help to the family by contacting union railway minister, D V Sadananda Gowda, and other officials, it is gathered.
The family had left the city by train for touring Jammu and Kashmir on August 28. The family, which visited various places there, remained in touch with friends and relatives here over phone. The last call from the family came at 5.30 pm from Avantipura in southern Kashmir on September 6, it is learnt.
Thereafter, television and print media began carrying stories about the havoc let loose by the heavy downpour there. Although friends and family members had tried to call all the above persons, they got the message that these mobile phones had remained switched off. This gave rise to jitters.
After Palemar got into the task, location of mobile phones were checked. It was found that the last call from the family came from the home of Maimoona Banu and Mohammed Amin in Avantipura in Pulwana district. Officials who visited this house confirmed that all the seven persons from Mangalore were safe and residing there. The officials informed both Sadananda Gowda and Palemar that efforts are being made to send them back to Karnataka are on.
Palemar, besides contacting Sadananda Gowda, also established contact with various high-ranking officials from the state and central government, and asked them to extend help to rescue this stranded family. Gowda also instructed railway officials to get involved with this task. Palemar said that efforts to bring these seven people to the city by a flight from Srinagar are on with the help of railway officials and National Disaster Response Force.
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