Indian army says only three Kashmir crossings will open

SRINAGAR, India, Friday (AFP) - Only three of five crossing points will open on schedule on Monday along the de facto Kashmir border to ease the plight of desperate Pakistani earthquake survivors, the Indian army said Friday.

"Only three relief points will be opened on November 7 along the Line of Control (LoC)," that divides Kashmir, Indian army spokesman Vijay Batra told AFP.

India and Pakistan last week agreed to open five crossing points along the LoC in the aftermath of the October 8 earthquake that left over 73,000 dead in Pakistan and millions homeless.

In Indian Kashmir, 1,300 people were killed and more than 150,000 made homeless. Crossing points will be opened indefinitely at locations identified by the army as Nauseri on the Pakistan side and Teetwal in Indian Kashmir, Chakhti-Uri, and Rawalakot-Poonch.

Batra said the Tattapani-Mendhar and Hajipeer-Uri points would be opened only if there was enough demand from both sides.