IAF to provide air support to Amarnath pilgrims
New Delhi, June 20: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has started carrying pilgrims between Uttarakahnd's Pithoragarh and Gunji to enable them to complete their journey to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra with ease, an defence statement said.
It said that after the External Affairs Ministry approached the Defence Ministry for air effort between the places enroute the yatra where the connectivity was envisaged to be poor, the IAF has deployed three medium lift helicopters at Pithoragarh which would be carrying approximately 60-80 passengers per day.
"For three months, starting June 18, the Indian Air Force would create an airbridge between Pithoragarh and Gunji, in an effort to airlift 1,080 registered passengers to Gunji to enable them to continue their journey for the coveted annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra," the statement said.
It said the helicopters from the Kirpan and Nubra Warrior units of the IAF would be deployed for about three months catering for the return journey as well and would fly about 300 hours.
The release said the command had been chosen for this task due to the experience of its helicopter pilots in flying in mountainous terrain and landing at high altitudes.
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Three trampled to death by wild elephants in Jharkhand's Ramgarh
Ramgarh (PTI): Three persons, including an elderly man, were trampled to death by wild elephants in two separate incidents in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district on Friday, police said.
Both incidents happened within the Gola police station limits. One incident occurred at Banda village, where two persons died, while the second took place at Murpa village, where an elderly man was trampled to death by wild elephants, they said.
"Three people were killed by wild elephants on Friday at two different locations. All three were male. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and are being sent for post-mortem examination at a government hospital," Officer in-charge of Gola police station, Abhishek Kumar, told PTI.
The deceased have been identified as Dheeraj Kumar (26) of Talatand in Patratu, Jugal Bhuiyan (30) of Murpa village, and Samdev Saw (73) of Murpa village, another police officer said.
"We have provided Rs 25,000 each to the victims' families as immediate relief, while the rest of the compensation will be given after completion of some official formalities," said DFO, Ramgarh, Nitish Kumar.
The Jharkhand government provides Rs 4 lakh as compensation in case of death caused by an elephant.
