Heavy Rains Trigger Tragedies Across J&K: 9 Dead in Poonch, Doda; Flood Search Continues

JAMMU, July 21 : Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc across Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, claiming nine lives in separate incidents in Poonch and Doda, while rescue teams recovered two more bodies from flash flood-hit Rajouri as search operations continued for those still missing. City& Local Guides In Poonch, seven members of three families, including two children, were killed after a mudslide triggered the collapse of a kucha house (Dhok) near Nandishul Waterfall in Loran during the early hours of Monday. The victims, all residents of Arigam village, had moved to the high-altitude shelter with their cattle amid the grazing season. Rescue teams comprising local residents, police and civil officials recovered all seven bodies from the debris after an hours-long operation. Authorities said eight persons who went missing in Sunday’s cloudburst and flash floods in Surankote remain untraced despite extensive searches by the SDRF, police and local volunteers. In Doda, two passengers lost their lives and six others were injured after a massive boulder crashed onto a bus travelling from Bhaderwah to Jammu near Ragi Nallah on the Batote-Doda highway. The injured were shifted to Assar Hospital and later referred to GMC Doda. The highway remained blocked for over five hours before traffic was restored. Meanwhile, in Rajouri, the death toll from Sunday’s devastating flash floods increased after two more bodies were recovered, while search teams continued efforts to locate one missing Jal Shakti Department employee. Relief operations are underway across the district, with hundreds of displaced residents housed in temporary shelters and essential supplies being provided by the administration. The Army also rescued 13 civilians, including women, children and elderly persons, stranded in a swollen mountain stream in Thannamandi following a sudden flash flood. Soldiers from 61 Rashtriya Rifles carried out the high-risk operation, safely evacuating all those trapped. Heavy rainfall also damaged roads, shops and power infrastructure in several districts, prompting authorities to issue flood alerts for low-lying areas along the Tawi and Chenab rivers. The Disaster Management Department has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from rivers, nallahs and landslide-prone areas until weather conditions improve.