Ramban, July 19 -- The Jammu and Kashmir Police in Ramban on Sunday appealed to the public to stay away from the banks of the Chenab River after the opening of the gates of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project Dam led to a rise in the river's water level.

In an advisory, Ramban Police urged people not to venture near the river and to follow safety instructions issued by the authorities.

At least seven people have died after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir's Surankote area of Poonch district, while rescue teams comprising the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continued search operations for the missing on Sunday amid heavy rain across the Union Territory.

Confirming ...