Srinagar, May 22 (PTI) National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Sunday sought Rs 20 lakh ex gratia for the next of kin of those who lost their lives in a tunnel collapse on Srinagar-Jammu highway.

In a statement, Abdullah said the deceased were the sole breadwinners for their poor families.

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The unfortunate event, he said, has left the victim families in dire straits, he said.

He called upon the Jammu and Kashmir administration to reach out to the affected families.

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Ten persons were killed after a landslide hit an under-construction tunnel in Ramban district of Jammu.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced an ex gratia of Rs five lakh and asked the construction company to pay Rs 15 lakh each to the families of the victims.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)