The Khundru Incident

[Awesome]

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/1655...cial-among-15-dead-in-Kashmir-arms-depot-fire

Senior army official among 15 dead in Kashmir arms depot fire

Srinagar, Aug 14: The fire that broke out in an arms depot in Khundroo in Anantnag District of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday have killed at least 15 people, including a senior rank army official.

Among the fifteen bodies recovered so far one belongs to a Major and thirteen of the fire-fighters involved in dousing the flames. One dead body has not been identified.

There is still no confirmation of the total number of casualties in the incident so far, and there are reports that 25 people were missing, including one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and two army personnel.

"Our main priority this time is to clear the orchards and the residential areas first," said Army spokesperson Lt. Col. A K Mathur.

Most of the victims were killed by explosion triggered by the fire that sent shells and shrapnel ripping through dozens of nearby villages.

Bomb squads from different parts of the country have reached here to clear the area of unexploded bombs.

Meanwhile, the army has announced a relief of Rs 50,000 for those civilians who lost their lives in the incident.

Army and civil administration are also organising medical and relief camps for the displaced residents of that area, who were evacuated when the fire broke out.

KHUNDRU DECLARED ‘UNSAFE ZONE’

Kanganhar, (Islamabad), Aug 12: The area around Khundru has been declared ‘unsafe zone’ for an indefinite period as the ammunition depot continues to be on fire on Sunday.
Uncertainty gripped the entire area on second day Sunday after Army’s largest ammunition depot at Khundru in south Kashmir was gutted in fire.
“Smoke is still emanating and we don’t want to take any chances,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police south Kashmir Hemant Kumar Lohia told Greater Kashmir.
He said in order to avoid accidental explosions two kilometers area around the depot has been declared ‘unsafe zone.’ Explosives are scattered in houses, orchards and fields. Until the entire area is not sanitized, civilians won’t be allowed to go there,” he said.
Asked how long the villagers will have to stay under open sky, the DIG said, “It’s too early to set a deadline.”
“Sounds of blasts have subsided since morning, but smoke is still emanating,” said a police officer deployed near a narrow road leading to Khundru.
He told people who were eager to know the situation in the Shangus and other areas close to Khundru camp that there is ammunition in the area, which could explode anytime.
“The explosives are scattered everywhere in these areas and we’ve been told not to allow any body to go beyond this point,” said the police officer.
Ghulam Rasool Dar, who owns a shop located just 300 feet away from the 21 Field Ordnance Unit, said there are at least 500 households in Khundru and its adjoining villages. “We’ve heard that houses and crops have suffered extensive damage,” he said.
Speculations about burglars on looting spree in Khundru and other adjoining villages added to the worries and anxiety of the villagers. “We’ve heard that burglars have struck into our houses,” the villagers said.
As they (villagers) were talking to this reporter a Police Gypsy came from Khundru, people ran towards it, “ Are our houses still there,” they asked the police officials.
“We couldn’t reach there,” the officials replied.
Defence spokesman Lt Col V K Mathur told Greater Kashmir, “Situation has been controlled to a great extent. However, sporadic blasts continue from the ammunition debris.”
Meanwhile, two bodies of the victims were kept near the toll gate at Achabal, and policemen were waiting to hand over the bodies to relatives.
The bodies of Tariq Anwar, a Fire Service personnel and a local shopkeeper Abdul Hameed Bhat were kept in an ambulance.
“We don’t have any idea about how many colleagues we have lost, “said Joginder Singh, an employee of the Fire Service department who had been hit by a shell.
According to Singh, two vehicles of Fire Services were gutted and three other vehicles were damaged.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Mehboob Iqbal told Greater Kashmir that authorities have no idea about the loss. “We cannot give you any figures till fire is put off.”

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=13_8_2007&ItemID=43&cat=1

Achabal, August 13: As army prevents civilians from moving back to their villages - more than 20,000 of them are displaced since shell after shell began exploding at the Khundru Ammunition Depot - Mohammad Yousuf of Achabal takes a different route to ascertain the loss at his sister’s home. Tiptoeing through dense orchards and mountain ridges while dodging the troopers’ eye, he reaches Pohlu, a village at the edge of 4 square kilometers Ammunition Depot. Worst fears come true for Yousuf when he sees his sister’s house damaged by an artillery shell that completed its trajectory but still lies unexploded in the compound. “I will pack some belongings and make a move,” says Yousuf, adding “She (the sister) had not even taken along her gold or cash. She has no clothes for herself and the children,” mutters Yousuf.

Yousuf is not lone desperate villager who made his way through scattered artillery shells and live bombs. Hundreds like him had been treading the same path and for most of them, the worst fears were happening to be true. While each house has a crack in its walls, holes have been carved in many houses by the shells thrown out by the force of massive explosions that rocked the area since Saturday morning. While the property and livestock have suffered the most, life has also taken a toll in the inferno. “Hundreds of shells have completed their trajectory but did not explode. They can explode if someone steps on them and can result in casualty,” said an Army officer posted on duty at Achabal. According to Army’s estimates, some shells have reached as far as fifteen kilometers from the ammunition depot and the area needs cleansing before anyone moves in. However, the warnings issued through public address systems at camps where displaced civilians have been kept are coming to no avail. “We can wait no more. Who knows what might have happened to our homes. Then there are cattle tied to pegs in the cowsheds. If bombs have spared them, now hunger and thirst can kill them. Or may be strangulation due to fear,” said Shameema of Khundru village who has been stationed at Anantnag with her two kids and husband for the last two days. “We are no rich people. Our property is grain and cattle. All should have been destroyed by now. What if my house catches fire,” she cries. At the army’s public information centre - 5 kilometers from the depot that contained 10 percent of the 15 Corps artillery – a group of Sikhs wait for the bodies of their relatives. Though no one is allowed to move beyond this point, the sobbing eyes of these outraged relatives are stuck at the long road that leads to the depot. Knowing that their near ones have lost their lives, the only hope left is to find the body of their kin among the ones recovered since explosions stopped. Among the Sikhs is one Inderjit Singh, brother-in-law of the Army’s Fire-Squad incharge, Dalgit Singh. “He left home during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday for attending his duties at the camp. He has since not returned,” said Inderjit. “We have received no news about him since,” he adds. The anxious wait has come after a pitched battle with police and army personnel by Sikhs and Muslims that had gathered at Achabal early this morning demanding that the bodies reportedly lying at the camp be recovered in earliest for performance of last rites. While police first volleyed tear smoke and cane charged the relatives demanding nothing but the remains of their kin, an army Brigadier finally succumbed to the outrage of the relatives and allowed a small group of Sikhs along with police and army troopers to enter the depot and recover the bodies. “We have been asked to get shrouds and coffins for the dead. Can’t they honour a civilian like they honour a trooper? These boys have laid their lives while fighting bravely,” says Nirmal Singh, an injured fire-fighter who was part of the group of 21 people that had proceeded towards the depot at 9:10 on Saturday morning to control the fire when it first emerged. “We were trying to control the fire when an explosion occurred. I was injured and many of my young colleagues were left behind. Then started a series of explosions in which 13 fire fighters were killed,” he recalls, adding “Some of them had joined just nine months back. They were like our kids.” Nirmal claims that 13 among the fire fighters had lost their lives. “Five Sikhs are dead, so are 3 Muslims. Two each from Pathankot and Jammu are also dead. There is youth from Himachal who has also lost his life,” Nirmal wails while tears roll down his graying beard. As the group arrives with bodies, Nirmal strokes his forehead knowing that many among his colleagues have breathed their last. Recognizing the charred bodies was not possible. “He must be Opinderjeet, the height tells me,” says Nirmal while moving away from the ambulance that carried the bodies.

Among the dead is the Fire-Squad Incharge, Daljit Singh, whom Inderjit recognizes by his body structure. An Identity card confirms the death. “They were made scapegoats to cover some mischief by some army personnel. They were not trained for the job. Did not the army know that ammunition could explode when they were sent to douse the fire,” cries Inderjeet. [The Kashmir Monitor]

http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showhea...chive=&start_from=&ucat=1&var0news=value0news

25 missing after two-day Kashmir arms depot blaze

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Twenty-five people, including 10 soldiers and 13 firefighters, are missing two days after a large fire broke out in an army ammunition depot in Kashmir, a senior army official said on Monday.

The fire, which started on Saturday morning, is now under control, Lieutenant-General H.S. Panag told a news conference, but he was worried that ammunition scattered around the area by the fire could explode.

The army would not speculate on the fate of the 25 people missing inside the building. Four bodies have already been recovered and the blaze has also injured more than 40 others.

Massive explosions triggered by the fire sent shells and shrapnel ripping through dozens of nearby villages. Thousands of villagers have since been moved to safety as bomb disposal teams head to the area.

The army was still investigating the cause of the fire, but dismissed claims from two Muslim militant groups that they had launched a rocket attack on the depot, one of the area's largest.

"Terrorist action or sabotage is categorically ruled out," an army statement said.

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-28954320070813

Bombs and Bofors Shells Scattered in Hundreds of Places

Khundru (South Kashmir), August 13: Hundreds of houses and orchards in Khundru and adjoining area are still on the brink of destruction as no police or forces' party has moved in to clear the area of scattered bombs and Bofors shells.



Thousands of people have been rendered homeless and scores are missing after the fire and blasts at the Indian army's ammunition depot sparked an exodus from the area.



A reporters team touring the area found a number of sites in Khundru, Sombrun, Naugam and other villages still littered with live Bofors shells, which pose further threat to human life.



No police or security force teams have moved in to defuse the explosives.



The shrine of Syed Baqiruddin Simnani, too, has been partially damaged by the exploding ordinance. [Kashmir Observer]



[Note: A fire broke out in the main ammunition depot of Indian Army at Khundroo on Saturday morning (11 August 2007), which supplies nearly 100,000 Indian armed forces, as well as providing reserve stocks in case there is a war with Pakistan (in which case, over half a million troops would move into the area).



Khundroo a hilly village in South Kashmir dictrict of Islamabad (Anantnag) on the side of Jammu and Kashmir, the disputed state under the illegal occupation of India.



Since 1988, the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir has been hit by confrontation between armed Kashmiri Guerrillas and the Armed Forces of India, which has resulted in more than One hundred thousand of deaths. Unofficial sources put the number of Indian troops deployed in the state to seven hundred thousand.]

http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showhea...chive=&start_from=&ucat=1&var0news=value0news

Mayhem in Khundru Survivors' Camp

Srinagar, Aug 13, KONS: Disorder broke out at the temporary camp in Achbal for Khundru survivors as inmates torched relief items, following which the police used lathi-charge, teargas and aerial firing to quell the violence, leaving scores of people, including many women injured.

Thousands of people had fled Khundru and surrounding areas following the fire in the army's main ammunition depot, and many took refuge with their relatives while thousands took shelter in the camps set up by the Anantnag district administration.

But no government officer has visited the refugees camp at Achabal for the past two days, not has the government provided any information about the large number of missing persons to their relatives.

A camp inmate, Ali Muhammad Dar, said that though vehicles carrying blankets and other items arrived at the site, the tehsildar of the area and other district officials had not bothered to visit the camp to listen to the grievances of the people, which had added to the hardships of the public.

Hundreds of blankets, which the district administration had sent as relief to the camp, were burnt to cinders by the protestors who chanted slogans against the district administration and the local MLA.

"We want justice," "give information about missing persons," "safeguard our houses," the protestors shouted.

The police used a cane-charge, asking the agitated survivors to stay peacefully in the camp.

But the protestors continued their slogans and tried to head back to their homes, prompting the police to use teargas and aerial firing.

The police action left scores of protestors injured. As they were shifted to the nearest hospital for treatment, they resumed their sloganeering, and the police fired teargas shells into the hospital compound.

The hospital staff also joined the protestors, holding a sit-in to condemn the tear-gassing of the medical facility, and several of them were taken into custody.

Protests and slogans at the camp continued for most of the day.

Don't pay heed to rumours: CM

Srinagar, August 13- Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asked people not to pay any heed to rumours spread by vested interests about the fallout of the Khundroo incident saying these only add to the problems of the affected people.

Talking to Doordarshan about the incident here today, the Chief Minister said that it was not possible at this hour to say what had happened inside the ammunition depot. He said until the situation eased and experts were able to go inside, any talk about the quantum of damage the incident caused to property or human life was only a speculation. He said the senior army officers had told him yesterday that in view of the risks involved they might not be able to go inside the depot for a couple of days. He said it was not possible to say what might have happened to the army personnel, army fire brigade employees or those working in the ammunition depot.

The Chief Minister said that the army commander was scheduled to visit the site today to take stock of the situation and see how soon they could go inside to ascertain the damage caused by the eruption of the ammunition depot. "We will have to wait for the inspection teams to visit inside the area and report the extent of the damage", he said.

Azad appealed the people not to pay any attention to rumours that might be spread by vested interests who thrive on unfortunate situations. He said the rumours only add to the inconvenience of the people, especially the affected population. He urged the people to cooperate with the administration in its efforts to provide relief to the villagers affected by the unfortunate incident.

The Chief Minister asked the people of the affected villages who have been evacuated to safer places, not to rush back to their homes till the area was cleared of unexploded ammunition. He said joint teams of army, police and civil administration have been set up to survey the villages for unexploded ammunition which would be subsequently defused by experts. He said people should not touch any suspicious object which they might notice as doing so could endanger their lives. He said the government had

launched a massive campaign through print and electronic media and using

loudspeakers asking people to report to the administration the presence of any suspicious object. He said despite this a lady was killed and three others injured yesterday when she touched an unexploded shell. He said today also in a similar incident a child was seriously injured. He appealed people not to put their lives in danger.

The Chief Minister said that adequate arrangements for food, shelter, drinking water and medicines have been made for the affected people. He said free langars have been set up at several places and teams of senior officers were camping in the area to supervise arrangements. He said he was himself closely monitoring the situation.

http://www.kashmirobserver.com/index.php?id=3036

Border areas turned into concentration camps: Yasin Malik
Srinagar, Aug 14: Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik has said that many areas near Line of Control have been turned into concentration camps.
“Atrocities being committed against the people of Kashmir have crossed all the limits and entire border area has been turned into concentration camps,” Malik told a gathering at Lolab.
According to a JKLF spokesman Malik and his supporters are carrying forward Safar-e-Azadi (journey for freedom) in the border areas with fervor and enthusiasm and people in large numbers are participating in the Mashal (torch) processions. “ JKLF activists took out the Mashal procession in Tangdhar for first time in 1947.”
The spokesman said the Safar-e-Azadi has passed through Takipora, Dewar and Lalpora and other border areas.
Malik and his supporters kick started Safar-e-Azadi on May 20 from Kokernag area of south Kashmir and after covering south and central Kashmir, they are covering north Kashmir.
Meanwhile, a JKLF delegation led by its vice-chairman Bashir Ahmad Bhat Monday visited the fire-affected areas of Khundru Islamabad. The spokesman said, adding, he also took stock of the situation in the relief camps. He admired the relief operations being carried out in the relief camps by the locals.

It's sad.