Waltangoo (Kulgam), Dec 05: The bodies of six laborers who died in a road accident in Shimla arrived at their native village, Waltangoo in Kulgam, on Tuesday evening. The grief-stricken residents were reminded of the 2005 snowstorm tragedy which had killed hundreds of residents in the area.
The village inhabited by the Gujjar community still haunted by the 2005 snowstorm that claimed over 100 lives now grapples with another tragedy.
Noor Mohammad, a local resident, said that these individuals worked as woodcutters in Shimla, barely scraping together enough to sustain their families.
“The wounds from the 2005 snowstorm are still fresh, and now we face another devastating blow – six mostly young boys have left their families in despair,” Mohammad said.
Expressing gratitude towards administration, locals shared their hope for adequate aid for the marginalized families, belonging to the scheduled tribe and rely on daily wages by doing labour work.
“We are hopeful that the administration will extend ample support to these grieving families, enabling them to meet their day-to-day needs seamlessly,” another local added.
The six individuals who lost their lives in the accident were identified as Gh Hassan Gorsi, son of Jallal Gorsi (43); Talib Hussain, son of Mohd Shafi Teenda (23); Mushtaq Ahmad Deedar, son of Ghulam Mohd Deedar (27); Shabir Ahmad Deedar, son of Bashir Ahmad Deedar (19); Farid Ah Deedar, son of Gull Mohd Deedar (24); and Gulzar Ahmad Deedar, son of Bashir Ahmad Deedar (24).
The injured individuals currently undergoing treatment were identified as Manzoor Ahmad Tenda, son of Bashir Ahmad Tenda (20); Talib Hussain, son of Abdul Gani Tenda (23) from Waltangoo, while Mohd Aslam Cheechi (20) is a resident of Hallan Verinag.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Kulgam Dr Bilal Mohi Ud Din Bhat and the Senior Superintendent of Police Sahil Sarangal visited the area and conveyed their condolences over the tragic accident.
An official said that upon receiving the news, the administration directed officers and officials to provide all necessary assistance to the bereaved families. Health teams and other departments were present at the scene to extend every possible form of help to those affected.
