The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday ordered a probe following reports that as many as 358 children had died in Srinagar’s premier children’s hospital since January 2012. It admitted to 35 deaths having occurred in the last fortnight alone.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “The Cabinet (which met here Wednesday) has taken a serious note of the situation in G.B. Pant Hospital.” He said Sher-i-Kashmir Instit-ute of Medical Sciences director Showkat Zargar has been asked to review functioning and report back to the Cabinet in one week.

A cyclonic wind storm has killed at least one person in Kashmir Valley and caused extensive damage to properties and disrupting communications. Entire region has been plunged into darkness as the electricity service lines have been snapped and poles and towers uprooted.

Fear has overwhelmed the entire population and special prayer meetings are being held all over. At places, mosque loudspeakers were used to make pleas to the people to seek “forgiveness” from Allah for the sins they might have committed.