5,745 people airlifted from Kargil during Zojila pass closure

Over 5,700 passengers were airlifted between Kargil and Srinagar and Kargil and Jammu by IAF after closure of Srinagar-Leh National highway due to heavy snowfall last November, officials said here today.
    
"About 5,745 passengers were airlifted between Kargil and Srinagar and Kargil and Jammu by the IAF during the closure of the 434-km highway," an official spokesman said.
    
The highway, the only road linking frontier region of Ladakh with rest of the state, was closed for vehicular traffic in November last year and was thrown open yesterday after the completion of snow clearance operation.
    
The spokesman said while 5,260 passengers were airlifted in 75 sorties of AN-32 Kargil courier and five sorties of IL-76 aircraft, 465 passengers were airlifted between Padum (Zanaskar) and Kargil and Leh towns.
    
In addition, 20 serious patients were also airlifted from various locations in Cheetah helicopters from Kargil and Leh after the snowfall cut off the region, he said.