Srinagar, Jul 19: At least 12 people, including eight from a single family, lost their lives while several others were reported missing after cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides triggered by incessant overnight rain wreaked havoc across the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch on Sunday, leaving behind a trail of devastation.
The torrential downpour, fuelled by an active monsoon system interacting with a western disturbance, caused rivers, streams, and seasonal nallahs to swell dangerously, inundating villages, washing away houses, vehicles, and livestock, besides snapping road connectivity in several areas. The worst-hit pockets witnessed widespread destruction as floodwaters entered residential areas while landslides buried roads and damaged public infrastructure.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Poonch Dr Parvez Ahmad told Rising Kashmir that 11 people have so far died in the district due to flash floods and landslides. The toll could increase. Among the dead are eight members of a single family from Murah in Surankote, whose house collapsed; three bodies have been recovered, while five are still missing. In Sangla area of Surankote, four members of a family died, with two bodies recovered and two still missing. A minor girl drowned after being swept away in a stream in the Marhote area, while the body of an unidentified woman was recovered from a stream near Dhundak bridge.
Sub District Magistrate (SDM) Surankote Farooq Khan confirmed that the figure of dead could rise as rescue operations continue.
Rescue teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, police, Civil Defence, Fire and Emergency Services, and district administration worked round the clock to evacuate stranded residents, retrieve bodies, and restore connectivity. The worst devastation was reported from several villages in Poonch, while adjoining Rajouri district also suffered extensive damage.
The disaster prompted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to convene an emergency review meeting with senior civil and police officers, directing speedy rescue, relief, and rehabilitation of affected families. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in New Delhi for the National Conference's statehood programme, cut short his visit and returned to Jammu and Kashmir to personally monitor the situation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister and assured all possible assistance from the Centre.
The extreme weather forced authorities to temporarily suspend both the Amarnath Yatra and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra as a precautionary measure due to heavy rainfall and the heightened risk of flash floods and landslides along the pilgrimage routes.
Power supply, drinking water schemes, and road connectivity suffered extensive damage. Floodwaters washed away stretches of roads and bridges, while landslides blocked highways and interior roads, delaying rescue teams from reaching remote villages.
The tragedy comes a day after the Meteorological Department issued a detailed weather advisory warning of an extended wet spell from July 19 to July 23, forecasting moderate to heavy rainfall with the possibility of flash floods, cloudbursts, landslides, and mudslides, particularly in vulnerable districts of the Jammu region. Officials advised people living near rivers, streams, and hilly slopes to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel as intermittent heavy rainfall is expected to continue.
