Latest news with #ChandrakantKale
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Time of India
Many vacate Pahalgam hotels, soldiers evict tourists from Gulmarg gondolas
A wave of fear and uncertainty has gripped tourists stranded in J&K following the attack. Chandrakant Kale, an IMD official from Pune, had just left Pahalgam with his wife moments before the attack. 'We came to know about it while we were on the way to Srinagar. I felt totally shaken,' Kale said over the phone. Pune-based lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare, currently in Srinagar with his wife NCP neta Rupali Patil-Thombare, said tourists are alarmed and eager to leave. 'Most of us are scared and want to leave J&K as soon as possible,' he said. 'We were at Pahalgam Sunday, then moved to Gulmarg the following day. Today, we were enjoying a gondola ride when soldiers instructed all tourists to vacate and return to hotels,' he said. 'The roads are deserted, and the Army is everywhere.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Co-Founder of Google Brain, Andrew Ng, Is Reported To Have Read Every... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo From Rajasthan, Vipul Bhatia and his friends Aman and Arpan — holidaying in Pahalgam — were out sightseeing Tuesday when their driver urgently told them to return to their hotel. 'Shops shut down immediately, security checks intensified, and helicopters flew overhead, likely evacuating the wounded,' Bhatia added. Many tourists in Pahalgam and surrounding areas left for Srinagar, vacating hotels. 'They panicked and didn't want to stay,' a hotelier said. However, they couldn't proceed to Jammu due to the highway being closed because of landslides.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Safe but terrorised, want to return home: Pune lawyer stranded in J&K
Pune: The terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left at least 26 dead, has sparked a deep sense of fear among Maharashtra tourists stuck in the region. The incident particularly shook city-based IMD official Chandrakant Kale , who narrowly escaped the attack with his wife, having left the site mere moments before the deadly strike. "We came to know about the attack on way to Srinagar from Pahalgam. I was totally shaken. We have reached our hotel and are now safe," Kale told TOI. "Army men are constantly patrolling the roads. We will be in Kashmir till Friday owing to some work commitments," he said. Pune lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare was holed up in a Srinagar hotel. "As of now, we are safe in the hotel. But most of us (tourists from Maharashtra) are feeling scared and want to leave J&K as soon as possible." Thombare was touring J&K with his wife, NCP functionary and former corporator Rupali Patil-Thombare. "We were in Pahalgam on Sunday before leaving for Gulmarg on Monday. Today (Tuesday), we were enjoying a gondola ride at Gulmarg when the Army jawans directed all tourists to vacate the area and reach hotels," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo According to Thombare, roads in Srinagar are deserted, with Army personnel everywhere. "Our return flight is on Wednesday, but many other tourists have their bookings later. Now, nobody wants to stay here. I don't know how everyone could get the return flight. My wife is constantly talking to these tourists and trying to calm them down." Later in the day, Baramati MP and NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule took to X (formerly twitter) and urged J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah to ensure immediate medical aid and support to the injured tourists, including those from Pune.
