Highway cut off,tourists stranded

With top tourist destinations in Ladakh still cut off from the district headquarters of Kargil and Leh towns...

With top tourist destinations in Ladakh still cut off from the district headquarters of Kargil and Leh towns,thousands of foreign and domestic tourists remain stranded in different parts of the region since Friday when the flash floods struck.

Officials said that with National Highway 1D was still blocked at various places,efforts were being made to get in touch with local and foreign tourists. Hundreds of foreigner and domestic tourists have been brought to Kargil,where hotels and guest houses have been arranged for them.

When this disaster hit,thousands of tourists were in different parts of Ladakh. We are trying to establish contact with them, Chief Executive,Kargil Hill Development Council,Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan told The Indian Express. Only few hours ago,we established contact with Zanskar there are around 250 tourists there. They are safe. Since the road from Kargil and Zanskar is closed,we have decided to keep them there for a few more days, he said.

Besides providing accommodation to the tourists in Kargil,officials in other towns and villages have been instructed to help the stranded tourists. We are getting reports that tourists at Khardongla,Narbo and other places are safe, Ali added.

Many tourists have cut short their vacation following the disaster. A day before the tragedy struck,I was in Leh along with my friends,I decided to go to Padam to meet my friend Tenzing. Now I am stuck along the highway. I cannot go to Padam nor return to Leh, said Celia Wise,a tourist from Los Angeles who was waiting for clearing up of the Highway at Nimkalah.

Sabine Roemre from London,said he and three of his friends had decided to cut short their vacation. We feel sorry for all those who got killed in the flash floods. For the past three days,I have not been able to establish any communication with my friends or relatives,so I am very worried. Now,our only priority is to reach Delhi.

Army and IAF helicopters are trying to locate stranded tourists. Seven foreigners have being rescued from Batalik.