Death toll climbs to 20 in fire at Kashmir munitions' depot

  • 12/15/2022
  • 19:25
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Srinagar, Aug 14, SPA -- The death toll from a fire at amunitions' depot in India's northern Jammu and Kashmir state rose to 20 with the recovery of 15 more bodies overnight, police saidTuesday. The fire, which started Saturday morning at the Khundru facilityin Anantnag district, some 85 kilometers south of state capitalSrinagar, was under control but explosions had continued throughMonday, DPA reported today. Senior police official Hemant Lohia said 15 more bodies were found during the search operations at the facility, and warned that the death toll could mount as nine soldiers were still missing. Thelatest bodies recovered those of an army officer and 13 firemen, hesaid. Although the army firefighters had doused the fire in most of theaffected areas, an explosion was reported Monday morning, Lohia said. He added that army search teams would enter the main depot area 48 hours after the last explosion. According to an army spokesman, 40 people were injured in theblaze and the authorities had evacuated more than 30,000 villagersliving within a 6-kilometre radius of the depot. Many of them were allowed to return home Saturday, but at least10,000 who lived nearest to the facility were still being kept atmakeshift shelters.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/474907

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