By Asif Iqbal Naik
Jammu, Oct 6: In a remarkable act of courage and swift response, a police team from Chatroo led by SHO Vikram Singh rescued four people who were trapped in heavy snowfall at Sinthan Top—the high-altitude mountain pass connecting Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir with the Kashmir Valley via NH-244.
According to police, the rescued individuals were drivers and helpers of two load carrier vehicles returning from Kashmir to Kishtwar. The vehicles got stranded at Sinthan Top, situated at an altitude of nearly 12,500 feet above sea level, following heavy snowfall that blocked the road.
Upon receiving information about the stranded persons, Kishtwar Police immediately launched a rescue operation. After a four-hour-long effort involving teams of Police Station Chatroo and Police Post Parna, all four individuals were safely rescued and shifted to a safer location.
Police sources said that despite clear weather advisories and repeated warnings, the drivers chose to travel through Sinthan Top, violating standing directions that had advised against movement on the Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag stretch of NH-244 due to adverse weather conditions.
Kishtwar Police has once again appealed to the general public to adhere to official advisories and avoid unnecessary travel during inclement weather to ensure their safety and that of the rescue personnel.
It is pertinent to mention that due to prevailing weather conditions, schools across the Jammu Division have been closed for two days, while several parts of Jammu and Kashmir have reported heavy rainfall and fresh snowfall in higher reaches, leading to the closure of multiple key routes. Authorities have also warned of possible landslides and shooting stones along NH-44 (Jammu–Srinagar) and NH-244 (Jammu–Kishtwar).
In addition, several local and inter-district roads connecting villages and towns within Kishtwar and adjoining districts have been temporarily blocked or rendered risky for vehicular movement. Residents have been urged to exercise extreme caution while traveling on these routes, as heavy snowfall, waterlogging, and landslides may create sudden hazards.