The stranded family members were not reachable since Saturday night
An aerial view of the banks of the Tawi River that was damaged in the floods on the outskirts of Jammu on Sunday – PTI
BENGALURU: As many as 11 tourists from Karnataka, including nine members of a family, are reportedly stuck in flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, much to the anxiety of their near and dear ones back home.
Nine relatives of former editor of a Kannada daily Venkat Narayan, who were staying in Gulshan Palace hotel at Jawaharnagar in Srinagar, have remained incommunicado since Saturday night. Among the relatives include a one-and-a-half year old boy.
Mr Narayan told Deccan Chronicle that his daughter-in-law's parents Bharathi, Gangadhar, her aunt Vatsala, uncle Krishnamurthy, cousins Sriharsha, Poornima and one-and-a-half year old Shashank had departed from Bengaluru Airport on Friday on a pilgrimage. "They had booked flight tickets three months in advance. They reached Jammu via Delhi at 3 pm on Friday."
The family had booked Gulshan Palace at Srinagar and spoke to their daughter Srividya on Saturday evening and said that they were not able to venture out due to the heavy downpour.
After the news of floods in the country's northern-most state started receiving prime time coverage in newspapers and TV channels, the family members were not reachable and with roads and communication lines snapped.
However, it is said that they had contacted some media persons and told them that they were safe. The available information is that they have been shifted to second floor of the hotel from first floor due to flooding.
"However, we are trying to gather information about their whereabouts. We are in touch with Union Fertilizer Minister H. N. Ananth Kumar, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Secretary of Disaster Management Cell and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this regard," said Mr Narayan.
Meanwhile, the flood situation in Srinagar continued to remain grim on Sunday as the swirling waters inundated the Army cantonment, civil secretariat and the High Court and snapped road and communication links.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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