Prime Minister Manmohan Singh started his day-long visit to the worst quake affected areas of Kashmir on Tuesday.
After his arrival at the Srinagar airport, where he was received by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Union Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior state cabinet ministers and top civil and military officials, Dr Singh left for Tangdhar town to take stock of relief and rescue operations there.
Dr Singh is also visiting the north Kashmir border town of Uri on Tuesday, before he chairs a high-level meeting of officials in Srinagar to co-ordinate the massive rescue and relief operations started by the central and state government to meet the challenge posed.
An inter-ministerial central team is also accompanying the prime minister to assess the various requirements of the rescue operations. Dr Singh's schedule on Tuesday also includes a visit to hospitals, where injured from all across the valley are undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile the death toll in Saturday's earthquake that hit the two north Kashmir towns of Uri and Tangdhar has crossed 1,000, while the number of injured has risen to 4,346. According to officials, the number of houses partially or totally destroyed in the quake has risen to 32,345.