Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday expressed her condolences to the families of those who died in the Amarnath flash floods and assured all forms of assistance to the affected.
Banerjee also said that a control room with contact number 033-22143526 has been opened at the state secretariat Nabanna to assist those who have been stranded there. The Chief Minister said that all help would be extended to the affected families. “Shocked and stunned by the Amarnath disaster. Sincere condolences to kins [sic] of the victims, solidarity to the trapped and stranded,” Banerjee said in a tweet.
“Opened (a) control room in Nabanna [033-22143526], activated our Delhi RC (resident commissioner) office, connected Jammu & Kashmir government for rescue of pilgrims from Bengal,” she added.
At least 16 people were killed as tents and community kitchens near the cave shrine were swamped with mud and rocks that came hurtling down with a gush of water after a spell of rain on Friday evening. According to Nabanna sources, a woman from Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district is among the deceased and 12 people from Jalpaiguri are stranded there.