Death toll climbs to 280

Srinagar: The death toll due to the floods in Jammu and Kashmir has climbed to 280 even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed hope that the toll would not be as high as feared earlier.

Omar also dismissed rumours that dogs were eating bodies of flood victims or that some bodies had swept away to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"There is no truth in these rumours," he added.

With foreign countries announcing aid, the state government said it would ask the Centre to waive Customs duty on relief material.
"I will take up this matter (customs duty on aid equipment from abroad) with the Centre," Omar Abdullah said.

Meanwhile, Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, announces emergency relief of USD 700,000 for flood victims.

Omar Abdullah said the state is facing a shortage of nearly 12 lakh measles vaccines, which they will now purchase from the open market.

"We need to vaccinate 13 lakh children in the age group of 0-15 years so that we do not have measles epidemic. We have only received one lakh vaccines from the Centre. I have now told my department not to wait for this for Government of India and procure vaccine from the market," Omar told PTI.

Omar said the damage would run into "many thousands of crores" but he would approach the Centre only after the final assessment is complete.

"In terms of property damage, it is too early to give a final figure but obviously it will run in thousands of crores," Omar told PTI at his makeshift office at Hari Niwas Guest House here.