"We are leaving because of the curfew. The government made the situation bad. Yesterday the locals asked us to vacate our rooms and told us to go home. We have been here since yesterday. Here, there is no arrangement for us to leave, nor is anyone asking us, neither the government nor the police. Nor is there any arrangement for food. We have been lying here hungry."
Government forces in riot gear patrol the deserted streets of Indian-controlled Kashmir amid an unprecedented security lockdown and near-total communications blackout.
Landlines, cellphones and internet are all down.
This footage had to be hand-carried out of the region.
Authorities imposed an indefinite security lockdown Sunday. No one is allowed to leave their homes without official permission.
The lives of millions have been upended following a decision by India to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and downgrade the Himalayan region from statehood to a territory.
Hundreds of Indian laborers working in Kashmir were stranded Tuesday while waiting to be bussed out.
Police and paramilitary officials enforcing the restrictions said they were clueless about how long the curfew would continue.
