Jammu and Kashmir Cloudburst | At least 11 people have been killed and several others reported missing after fresh landslides and cloudbursts, triggered by continuous rainfall, battered large parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials confirmed.
In Reasi district, seven members of a family, including five children aged 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, lost their lives after their house collapsed in a landslide early on Friday. Their bodies were retrieved from the debris of the kaccha house on Saturday morning.
Ramban Cloudburst Sweeps Away Houses
In Ramban district, four people were killed and four others went missing after a cloudburst in the higher reaches of Rajgarh unleashed flash floods. The gushing waters swept away homes, damaged structures, and left some completely destroyed. Rescue and relief operations are underway.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed the incident in a post on X, stating: “Just now spoke to DC Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan. Cloudburst in Rajgarh area resulting in the unfortunate casualty of four persons. The fifth one is missing and the search is going on. Meanwhile, there is no injured. Rescue operation is on. Every possible assistance being provided. I am in constant touch.”
Ramban is located about 136 km from Srinagar.
Roads Blocked, Villages Cut Off
Jammu and Kashmir has been lashed by heavy rain for the past week, leading to swollen rivers, floods, and landslides. The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the 270-km all-weather road linking the Valley with the rest of the country, has remained shut for five consecutive days due to landslides in Udhampur’s Jakheni and Chenani areas. Over 2,000 vehicles remain stranded.
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Nine inter-district roads across the Jammu region are also closed because of landslides and erosion. Dozens of villages in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur districts remain cut off after relentless rainfall.
Earlier this week, 31 people were killed and several went missing after a landslide struck near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. The yatra to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on Trikuta hill has remained suspended since the disaster.
The weather office has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms and lightning in Poonch, Reasi, Rajouri, Kishtwar, and Udhampur. For Saturday and Sunday, the alert has been raised to orange in Poonch, Kishtwar, Jammu, Ramban, and Udhampur, warning of heavier rain.
