Mir Showkat
Ganderbal: A residential house and a shopping complex was damaged along with some vehicles parked near them after a massive landslide hit Bonibagh area of Kangan along the Srinagar-Leh highway in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Friday.
The landslide also blocked the Srinagar-Leh highway, resulting in the suspension of the traffic on the strategic thoroughfare.
Officials said that the house belongs to Ghulam Mohammad Mir and the shopping complex comprising 20 shops to Ali Mohammad Mir.
Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Shafqat Iqbal along staff rushed to the area to oversee the clearance work, officials said. The administration pressed a number of JCBs to clear the landslide at around 400 feet.
Sources said that barring minor injuries to one person while he was escaping to safety when the landslide struck, there was no major injury to anyone in the incident.
Locals of the area blamed officials associated with power canal maintenance, saying the water continues to seep, resulting in the landslide.
“From the last 12 years, water continued to seep resulting in today’s incident. Miraculously there was no loss of life but property worth crores of rupees was damaged,” a local resident said. A senior officer of the district administration said that issue will be taken up with the concerned authorities and necessary repairs would be ensured soon.
