Air-dropping supplies to quake-affected areas resumes

As the rains let up and the sky cleared army and Indian Air Force choppers resumed air-dropping essential relief items, including eatables to the quake-ravaged areas in Uri and Tangdhar in north Kashmir Monday afternoon after a gap of nearly 24 hours.

"Airdropping operations have resumed Monday afternoon and will continue as long as the weather permits," a defence spokesman said in Srinagar.

Army and air force were forced to suspend sorties on Satruday evening due to bad weather caused by heavy rainfall and snow in the upper reaches, which triggered landslides, severing several land links to many affected villages.

• Tremors across borders

However, road links to the villages remained cut off as fresh landslides were making clearing operations ardous.

The Uri-Salamabad road has been blocked by a landslide. Many smaller roads leading to remote villages are also blocked hampering relief operations for the time being, the spokesman said.

Army men, state goverment and non governmental organisations have been working relentlessly to clear the roads at the earliest so that ground relief can be provided to the affected people.

"Most of the relief is being stacked in Tangdhar town for the time being. As soon as the roads to inner villages are cleared, it will be despatched to the needy," he added.