At least 11 people have died in Jammu and Kashmir after landslides and flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall battered large parts of the Union Territory on Friday, officials confirmed.
In Reasi district, seven people were killed in landslides reported from the remote Mahore area. Rescue teams have so far recovered five bodies from the debris, while several others are feared trapped. Search operations are still underway.
In Ramban, four people lost their lives and four others went missing after a cloudburst in the higher reaches of Rajgarh on Friday unleashed flash floods. The gushing waters swept away houses, damaged several structures, and left some completely washed off, according to officials. Rescue and relief operations are in progress.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed the incident in Ramban and said that every possible assistance was being provided to those affected.
"Just now spoke to DC Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan. Cloudburst in Rajgarh area resulting in the unfortunate casualty of four persons. The fifth one is missing and the search is going on. Meanwhile, there is no injured. Rescue operation is on. Every possible assistance being provided. I am in constant touch," Singh said in a post on X.
Ramban is located around 136 km from Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir has been lashed by heavy rain for a week, with rivers spilling over, floodwaters flattening everything in their path, and boulders, trees, and rocks crashing down the slopes.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, a 270-km lifeline and the only all-weather road linking the Valley with the rest of the country, has remained shut for fifth consecutive days. Landslides between Jakheni and Chenani in Udhampur district, triggered by heavy rains and flash floods earlier this week, have stranded more than 2,000 vehicles.
Nine inter-district roads across the Jammu region are also closed due to landslides and erosion. Dozens of villages in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur remain cut off after days of relentless rainfall.
Earlier this week, 31 people were killed and several went missing after a landslide struck near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu's Katra. The path to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on Trikuta hill turned into a scene of devastation as portions of the mountainside crumbled away.
The yatra had been suspended since then.
The weather office issued a yellow alert for Friday in Poonch, Reasi, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Udhampur, cautioning of thunderstorms and lightning. For Saturday and Sunday, the warning has been escalated to an orange alert in Poonch, Kishtwar, Jammu, Ramban and Udhampur, signalling the likelihood of heavier rain.
Source: India Today