11 killed as rain wreaks havoc in Jammu region
Jammu, July 21 -- Torrential rains wreaked havoc across Jammu region on Monday, leaving at least 11 people dead in rain-related incidents.
The worst tragedy unfolded in Poonch, where seven people of same family were killed after landslide stuck their house, while two bus passengers and a woman died in separate boulder and shooting stones incidents in Doda district, said officials.
Meanwhile, body of a man identified as Waqas Ahmed, who got washed away in flash floods on Sunday, was fished out from the river in Salani area of Rajouri town on Monday morning, said officials.
With this, the toll in rain-related incidents in three districts--Poonch, Rajouri and Doda--has mounted to 22 from Sunday's 11, with several still feared missing.
Divisional commissioner, Ramesh Kumar, who heads all the 10 districts of Jammu province, said, "The death toll has mounted to 22 so far, with 15 lives lost in Poonch, 3 in Rajouri, 3 in Doda and one in Udhampur."
On Sunday, devastating flash floods and landslides claimed 11 lives and left several others missing.
In the first incident of the day, boulders suddenly came hurtling down a hillock near Raggi Nallah along the Jammu-Kishtwar national highway (NH244) around 9.30 am amid torrential rains and hit a passenger bus.
"The incident left two passengers dead and six others injured, one critically. Among the injured, three have been referred to GMC Jammu for specialised treatment," said a police officer.
The deceased were identified as Manesh Kumar, 33, of Bhaderwah and Kulwant Singh, 29, of Bhagwah.
In a separate incident a woman identified as Shiv Devi lost her life when shooting stones struck her house during heavy rain in Kashtigarh area of Doda.
Three minors among seven of a family were killed when their house was struck by a landslide in the rain-hit Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said. The incident occurred in the higher reaches of Loran village.
The deceased have been identified as Tanveer Ahmed, 27, Zahida Begum, 38, Shamim Akhter, 33, Shabnam Bano, 31, Mohammad Irfan, 17, Manan Rafiq, 6, and Aleesa, 4 year, residents of Mohalla Arigam in Mandi tehsil, the officialsadded.
Station house officer of Loran police station , inspector Mohammad Younus Khan, said, "Amid heavy rains a landslide hit a Dhok (mud house) in Domila Dhook area of Loran early Monday leaving seven people dead. The family was asleep at the time of incident."
Khan said that to reach the mud house, the police team had to trek a hilly terrain for five hours from the nearest road. "Initially, none had any information about the incident and it was known only after a minor boy from another family visited the spot," he said.
The bodies have been shifted to a hospital in Loran.
The fresh spell of rain began around 3 am in the twin border districts and continued unabated till the last reports were received, making rescue and search operations difficult in the affected areas, the officialssaid. Swollen streams, slippery terrain and poor visibility hindered the movement of rescue teams, who have been racing against time to trace the missing.
Police, Army, SDRF and Civil Defence personnel and local volunteers continued rescue efforts despite the adverse weather, the officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah onMonday announced an ex gratia relief of Rs.6 lakh for the next of kin of each person who losttheir life in the rain-related incidents. Meanwhile, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Monday took stock of the situation"
Meanwhile, in view of the temporary suspension of the Vaishno Devi Yatra owing to adverse weather conditions, the Shri Mata Vaishno DeviShrine Board (SMVDSB) has made elaborate arrangements for providing free langar services to stranded pilgrims at Katra.
Heavy rains lashed parts of Kashmir on Monday, leading to waterlogging in several areas in Srinagar even as the Meteorological Department has forecast spells of rainfall or thundershowers till July 23, officials said.
For the second day heavy rains were witnessed in the Union territory with Kashmir's capital Srinagar recording 45.6 mm of rains and central Kashmir's Ganderbal receiving 46 mm rainfall in a brief period.
The heavy downpour in Srinagar inundated large parts of Srinagar city particularly its business and tourist hubs like Lal Chowk, Jehangir Chowk, Maisuma and Boulevard road on Dal Lake, and a major part of the Old City.
From Nawa Kadal to Baba Demb , a 3-km stretch in DownTown, traffic movement was affected in the morning and business closed as rain water flooded large stretches of the road and the accompanying shops and business areas.
Srinagar municipal commissioner Fazlul Haseeb said that Srinagar witnessed a sudden burst of heavy rainfall which overwhelmed its drainage capacity. "Sometimes, the rainfall is more than our drainage capacity. We identified some 60 hotspots in the city and deployed teams and activated dewatering stations. Declogging of drains is also going on," Haseeb said.
Water entered shops and godowns causing damage, resulting in loses for shopkeepers. Meanwhile, MeT informed that the rainfall is expected to continue in coming two days.
"July 21-23 will be generally cloudy with few spells of rain and thundershowers expected at most places with extremely heavy rain in some districts," the update said. The update said that there is possibility of heavy or torrential rains at a few districts of J&K, including Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Ramban & Kishtwar. "There is a possibility of flash floods, landslides and mudslides at many vulnerable places. Rise in water level in rivers & flooding or water...
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