Poonch: Heavy winds and storms leaves schools with heavy structural damage

Schools in the Mandi zone, located close to the LoC, have suffered extreme damage after their roofs were blown away by the storms.

"Schools in our Mandi zone have suffered a lot due to the storms here... The high school here suffered the most, and is located very close to the LoC. The roofs of the schools have completely blown away which has created a lot of problems for our students and staff," said a school staff member speaking to ANI.

He thanked the Indian Army for sending assistance for the repair of the school and also requested concerned authorities to raise funds for reconstruction.

"The Indian Army has helped us a lot, they cleared the debris which fell here... I would like to request concerned authorities to raise funds for the reconstruction..." he added.

Mohammed Amin, Head Master of Government High School, Gagrian, said the debris of the school has blocked roads and grounds.

"These schools are at zero point. The winds here ruined the roof of the school, and have also blocked the road and the ground of our school. The Army has helped us a lot during this...." Amin told ANI.

Meanwhile, on May 17, in another act of service towards the public, the Indian Army carried out a door-to-door outreach in villages located near Loc in Poonch, which were severely affected due to shelling.

As part of the relief efforts, Army jawans distributed essential supplies, including medicines and rations, to the residents, while also interacting with them to understand their needs.

A local resident said, "Our areas were affected by the shelling. The Indian Army has played a very important role on the borders, and they are providing us with relief material. We thank the Indian Army. We stand in support of the Indian Army."

"They are providing us with rations. I pray to God for the long life of these Army personnel. We are with them. Just as they are bravely guarding the borders, we too stand in solidarity with them here in Poonch," stated another resident.

Intense shelling by Pakistan during the recent conflict with India has left a trail of destruction in the border villages and districts across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir with locals suffering damages to their houses and livelihood.