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Date:   10 oct 2005


Speeding up relief efforts in quake-hit Jammu and Kashmir, food and water were airdropped in remote villages nestled in difficult mountain terrains as the death toll in the temblor was poised to soar past the 1000 mark. Indian Air Force helicopters dropped food packets and water bottles in the worst-affected Kupwara and Baramulla districts, state chief secretary Vijay Bakaya said in Srinagar.


Over 1900 tents have been set up in Uri and Tangdhar sectors where the damage in terms of people killed, injured or property was immense as it was closest to the epicentre of the quake in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir capital of Muzaffarabad. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undertake a tour of quake-hit areas in Kashmir valley on Tuesday.


Over 14 villages in Tangdhar remained inaccessible on the third day after the tragedy struck. An official spokesman said so far 947 people have been killed, 4,000 injured and 30,000 houses damaged across Jammu and Kashmir.


Of the dead, 619 were in worst hit Baramullah district and 301 in Kupwara district in areas along the Line of Control.

In Srinagar, Bakaya said two companies of Indo-Tibetan Border Police were already engaged in rescue and relief operations in the worst hit areas of north Kashmir.