By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, September 11: The Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Wednesday expressed his “deep condolences” to families who have been effected by the devastating rain and floods in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir where more than two hundred people are feared dead and thousands stranded.
In a letter to Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah, the Tibetan leader expressed “sadness at the loss of life and property as a result of massive flooding during heavy monsoon rains.”
As a token of solidarity, the Dalai Lama Trust has offered an undisclosed sum as a donation towards the Chief Minister’s flood relief fund.
Incessant rain over the past week has caused massive flooding in the state with the capital Srinagar, described by media reports as the worst in six decades.
Speaking to Phayul, Akhtar Aman, a member of the Tibetan Muslim community living in Srinagar, said, “usually a two days’ continuous downpour would not cause much problem but this time 75% of the city is under water with people calling for help. However, the Tibetan Muslim community in Srinagar is safe and has joined hands with others in helping local people with rescue operations.
It is believed around 90,000 people have been evacuated and 215 dead. Still, thousands others remain stranded without help. Angry people have even pelted stones at army personnel approaching for rescue operations which they allege has been slow.
