: SASB constructing alternative track, Yatra likely to resume today #IndiaNEWS #Todays story Hopes of finding survivors fading Avtar Bhat JAMMU, July 10: Though Army has pressed heavy machinery in service

SASB constructing alternative track, Yatra likely to resume today #IndiaNEWS #Todays story
Hopes of finding survivors fading
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 10: Though Army has pressed heavy machinery in service to restore the track to holy cave of Shri Amarnathji, hopes of finding those missing in the Amarnath flash floods of Friday alive are fading by the hour even as the rescuers are making last-ditch efforts to look for any survivor.
This has put a question mark over the claims of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) about the Radio Frequency Identification Tag (RFID) provided to yatris which seems has not worked.
“The rescue operations are going on as personnel from various agencies are clearing the debris in the hope of finding any survivor,�? a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) official said.
He said most of the debris clearance is being done at the areas pointed at by sniffer dogs.
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“We are still hopeful but anyone still alive under that debris will be a miracle,�? the official said.
He said there has been no breakthrough as far as finding the survivors or even recovering a new body is concerned.
Besides, sniffer dogs, the rescuers are also using hand-held thermal imagers and other sophisticated devices to check for any sign of life under the mounds of debris.
Meanwhile, the Army has pressed heavy machinery into service in order to restore the route to the cave shrine at the earliest.
“Army engineers are working round the clock to clear the debris and restore the route to the holy cave,�? the official said.
Army jawans are supplementing the efforts of JCB excavators in clearing the route to the cave housing a naturally formed Ice-Lingam.
An excavator is being pulled by hundreds of Army jawans to debris site to clear the track. The cutters have also been used by the Army to clear the debris to find out the bodies, officials said.
The official, however, added that inclement weather can play spoilsport in the restoration efforts.
They said that the remaining pilgrims stranded near holy cave in tents were brought by special choppers to Panjtarni today. The track to holy cave which has been damaged due to flash floods on Friday has not been restored yet and the yatra remained suspended for the second consecutive day today as well.
Officials said that over 3000 stranded pilgrims left from Panchtarni towards Baltal to leave for their native places today. Many pilgrims have also reached Pahalgam to leave for their native places from Sheshnag and Panchtarni without performing darshan of Ice Lingam at cave shrine following the tragedy of Friday in which 16 pilgrims have died while 40 are still missing.
Officials are, however, hopeful of resuming the yatra tomorrow as the SASB has constructed by pass track to avoid the damaged track.