Kulgam Situation Grave, 100s Injured

KULGAM: Situation was volatile in Kulgam where a huge procession was stopped by police backed by paramilitary CRPF Wednesday triggering a massive clash.
An unknown number of people were reportedly injured.
One report suggested that the numbers of injured could be around 100.
Sources in the district hospital Kulgam said that it has received around 25 people with different types of injuries.
Here also, reports said, people stopped admitting injured in the district hospital after rumours spread that police was filing cases against the injured and even arresting them from hospital beds. This led people to rush injured to various public health centres located in the periphery of Kulgam, residents said.
“We have received 65 injured people so far,” one doctor almost in a breaking-down tone said from Mohammadpora PHC. “They have bullets, pellets and shell injuries.”
The doctors said that the number included many who only require first aid “but there are a many who have pretty serious injuries”.
The doctor said that while the PHC is not equipped enough to treat the trauma patients, they are doing “whatever is possible”.
The doctor said they have two people with bullets in neck and chest.
Besides, there is one patient each having a serious shell injury on their nose, chest and neck, respectively.
“We have four patients with pellets in their eyes,” the doctor said. So far, this PHC alone has shifted seven injured to Srinagar.
The noise in the hospital was so frantic that the doctor could not offer any more details. “It is time to work,” the doctor said.
Reports from the belt suggest that the situation is grave.
Most of the top officials in the district are not responding to the telephone calls, apparently because they are busy attending to the injured.
The huge procession had emanated from various peripheral belts of Kulgam on the call by Hurriyat Conference.
Authorities had already imposed strict curfew on the remote town and prevented the procession from marching towards Damhal.
The procession comprising of a large number of cars and bikes was stopped near Bumai between Kulgam and Damhal which led to the clashes.
“There is no report of any death so far,” a local reporter said on phone. “I am on the road watching the injured being driven down the spot of the clashes.”
Most of the belt that had sent its members in the rally is waiting on the road for their return. There are reports of almost a dozen bikes having been destroyed during the clashes.
The situation was reported to be highly surcharged in the entire belt with people out on the roads.

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