NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of two migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh who were killed in a terrorist attack at a brick kiln in Kulgam district.The attack took place late on Friday evening in the Kelam area of south Kashmir, where unidentified gunmen opened fire on the workers. The victims, both in their 20s, had travelled to the Valley in search of work after leaving their villages in Chhattisgarh.One of the labourers, 24-year-old Deepak Ratre, died before he could be taken to hospital. The second victim, 28-year-old Bhupendra Bhaina, was initially admitted to Government Medical College, Anantnag, before being shifted to SKIMS Hospital in Srinagar, where he later succumbed to his injuries.Deepak, from Bundeli village in Sakti district, was the sole breadwinner for his family, which includes his elderly mother, a physically disabled younger brother, his wife and their four-month-old son. His uncle said Deepak had moved to Jammu and Kashmir around seven to eight months ago with his wife to work at the brick kiln in the hope of building a better future.
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Bhupendra, from Chhuiya village in Sarangarh-Bilaigarh district, had reached Kashmir around three months ago with his wife. The couple had left their four-year-old son in the care of his grandmother and younger sister while other family members worked as labourers in Himachal Pradesh.Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the killings, describing the attack as “cowardly”. He said the state government stood firmly with the bereaved families and had directed officials to coordinate with the Jammu and Kashmir administration to bring the bodies back home.