NC calls Amarnath ‘cloudburst’ administrative failure, demands probe

Calling the loss of 16 lives in the Amarnath ‘cloudburst’ an administrative failure, the National Conference on Wednesday demanded a probe into the matter.

Former MLA and NC spokesperson Gagan Bhagat said, ‘Rather than ordering a probe into the matter, the administration is covering it up. The cloudburst was not the reason for the tragedy. A cloudburst takes place when around 100mm rain is received in an hour, but on that day the region received 25mm rain between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. The IMD had predicted the weather conditions in advance, but officials at the helm of affairs permitted 25 tents and three community kitchens to be set up in a flood-prone area. This is a criminal act,” he said.

“We strongly request the LG administration to take a decision and constitute a high-level probe headed by a retired high court justice”, he added.