Internet services snapped in Srinagar ahead of PM's visit
Srinagar, Feb 3 : Internet services on mobile devices were snapped here on Sunday as a precautionary measure even as tight security arrangements have been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
Internet services were snapped in the early hours of Sunday by authorities as part of efforts to ensure that the Prime Minister's visit passes off smoothly, officials said.
They said security personnel have been deployed across the valley in large numbers for maintaining law and order.
Separatists groups have called for a complete shutdown in the valley to protest against Modi's visit.
Several separatist leaders including Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and former MLA Langate Sheikh Abdul Rasheed have been placed under house arrest since Saturday.
Normal life in the valley remained affected due to the strike called by separatists. All shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads.
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MP cruise boat tragedy: Death toll rises to nine; search ops continue at Bargi Dam
Jabalpur (PTI): The death toll in the Bargi Dam tragedy rose to nine on Friday, as rescuers recovered the bodies of five more persons who were on the cruise boat that overturned in the reservoir in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
Talking to PTI Videos, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi said, "Four bodies were recovered on Thursday, while five were found in the early hours during the rescue operation, taking the toll to nine."
As many as 22 people have been rescued so far, he said.
The minister said that a thorough probe will be conducted, and the issue of life jackets, raised by one of the survivors, will also be investigated.
The rescue operation is underway in full swing to trace the missing persons, Lodhi said.
A cruise boat with 29 passengers and two crew members onboard overturned in the Bargi Dam after encountering a sudden storm on Thursday evening, officials said.
The Bargi Dam is constructed on the Narmada River in Jabalpur district.
A search and rescue operation for the missing passengers continued overnight with teams from the Army, NDRF and SDRF joining in, State PWD Minister Rakesh Singh said.
Hydraulic cranes are being used to pull out the cruise boat from the water body, he said.
According to eyewitnesses, strong winds made the water choppy, prompting many on board to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the boat back to the banks.
However, the crew was unable to hear these shouts, and the boat drifted and then overturned, they said, adding that some locals rescued a few passengers wearing life jackets with the help of a rope.
