NEW DELHI: The Army is using social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp to save the lives of people stranded in the flood-affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Army headquarters is forwarding all the distress messages received by it on its website, Facebook page and Twitter handle to a WhatsApp group including senior commanders in the Northern Command from where troops on ground are being directed to help the people in stress, Army's Additional Director General (Public Information) Maj Gen Shaukeen Chauhan said.

So far, distress messages from all across the country have been received with anxious people seeking to know about their missing relatives and the Army has tried to reach to them, he said.

The WhatsApp group includes senior commanders of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps and Nagrota-based 16 Corps along with the units in field areas, Army officials said. One of the messages received by the Army was for locating and helping a local MLA Rafiq Ahmed, they said.

The Army officers involved in the process are responsible for handling the Indian Army website, its Twitter handle and the Facebook page.

Meanwhile, rescuers of the NDRF have received over 450 distress messages through Whatsapp and SMS from people stranded in the submerged areas of Jammu and Kashmir within two days.

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