At least 11 people were killed in two separate weather-related tragedies in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, after a cloudburst struck Ramban district and a landslide flattened a house in Reasi, officials said.
In Ramban’s mountainous Rajgarh area, the cloudburst occurred around 11:30 pm on Friday, triggering flash floods that swept through Drubla-Gudgram village. The deluge damaged two residential houses, a cowshed, and a school building.
“Bodies of four people were recovered from beneath the debris after an extensive search by teams of local volunteers, police, and the SDRF,” Deputy Commissioner of Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan told Media.
The deceased have been identified as Ashwani Sharma (24), his brother Dwarka Nath (55), niece Virta Devi (26), and their guest Om Raj (38), a resident of Banshara in Rajgarh. Rescuers are still searching for Sharma’s sister-in-law, Bidya Devi (55).
“The cloudburst struck the hilltop village near the primary school and created a fast-flowing stream through Drubla-Gudgram, washing away two residential houses, a cowshed, and the school building,” said Ajay Kumar, a local resident.
He lauded the prompt response of the district administration and the quick reaction team of local volunteers led by Bashir Ahmad Magray.
“The district administration is on high alert and extending all possible assistance to the affected families,” Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan said.
In Reasi’s Mahore area, tragedy struck when a landslide buried the home of Nazir Ahmad (38) in Badder village. Ahmad, his wife Wazira Begum (35), and their five children — Bilal Ahmed (13), Mohd Mustafa (11), Mohd Adil (8), Mohd Mubarak (6), and Mohd Wasim (5) — were killed in their sleep. Locals and police later recovered all seven bodies from the debris.
The twin tragedies come amid extreme weather that has battered Jammu and Kashmir in recent weeks.
Over the past fortnight, more than 160 people have died in rain-related disasters, including 65 pilgrims in Kishtwar’s Chishoti village during the Machail Mata Yatra and 30 near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Massive infrastructure damage has been reported, with the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway blocked at multiple points and train services to Katra suspended for the fifth consecutive day.
All government and private schools across the Jammu division will remain closed until August 30, with authorities advising institutions to conduct online classes for senior students where possible.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief and assured full support to the affected families.
Reviewing the situation, Chief Minister Abdullah voiced concern over the scale of destruction. Speaking to the media, he said: “If it had rained for one or two more days, we would have faced a lot of difficulties. Thankfully, the water has started receding… But going forward, I will hold meetings with officers to understand what corrective measures were taken after 2014. If this is the impact of two days of rain, then God forbid if it had lasted four days, our situation would have been like 2014. We must take stock of our shortcomings because we cannot continue to live in fear.”
Meanwhile, the government has announced a probe into the recent landslide deaths near the Katra shrine to review rescue measures and recommend preventive steps for the future. (Agencies)
