Jammu: The pain of family members who are waiting for the return of their loved ones in Hunzar village of Kishtwar district is unending.
The village was destroyed following a cloudburst.
The eyes are wet and nights have become long for the families in almost every house of Hunzar where a massive hunt to locate 19 missing persons is still on without success.
Ajaz Ahmed Waza is among the 17 fortunate injured persons who survived the cloudburst in Hunzar village last month where every house has a horrific story to narrate and it needs a heart to feel the pain felt by the families of the missing persons.
On July 27 night the cloudburst had destroyed the entire Hunzar village and left seven persons dead.
Their bodies were recovered later.
Seventeen others were rescued in injured condition in the rescue operations.
However, 19 persons are still untraceable despite efforts.
Today, Ajaz Ahmed Waza was operated on at Government Medical College, Jammu for his fracture in leg.
“The operation is successful. We are thankful to Almighty Allah for saving the life of my brother Ajaz,” Shamima Bano told Greater Kashmir.
Bano was among the lucky people who were in Kishtwar town when the cloudburst devastated the Hunzar village. She said two members of her family were still missing.
“My sister Mehtaba Begam and sister-in-law Fatima Begam are among the missing people in Hunzar village,” says Bano.
She said that they had lost their house, all property and cultivable land.
My brother Ajaz was found buried under the debris around 5 to 6 km from the house. Following the cloud burst, her surviving cousins started looking for the missing family members and relatives.
“Ajaz was unconscious and buried under the debris while his face and a hand were out. When he regained consciousness, he started crying for help which was heard by my cousins and they rescued him,” she said.
His leg had a fracture for which he was operated on at GMC Jammu.
She demanded that the government should give them land at an alternative place and compensation so that they could re-build their houses at safer places as the cloudburst had left nothing for them to live in.
The cloudburst washed away 21 residential houses and as many cattle sheds on July 27 night.