At least four people have died and six others have been hurt after a terrible cloudburst slammed sections of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua area late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. The severe weather event has caused flash floods and landslides, which have damaged infrastructure and made it harder to help those in need.
The cloudburst that slammed the distant Jod Ghati village in the Rajbagh area cut off access to the village. Another one affected the Janglote area. Officials said that the sudden downpour also hurt a railway line and the National Highway. The water also hurt the local police station.
After the terrible event, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was sad about the loss of life and instructed the government to start rescue, relief, and evacuation efforts right once. Abdullah sent his condolences to the relatives of the dead in an official statement from the CMO. He also prayed for the quick recovery of the injured.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also sent his condolences and said that he had told Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the issue. “Deeply saddened by the loss of life in the terrible rain-triggered landslides in several areas of Kathua,” Sinha said on X. The tragedy is too much to take in. He further said that the army, NDRF, SDRF, police, and government are all working together on a rescue mission.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also confirmed the deaths and heavy damage, saying on X that the issue is being watched all the time. A team of police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has arrived in the affected districts and is working with local volunteers.
The District Administration has put out a weather warning because of the heavy rain that is still falling and the streams and nullahs that are getting higher. To keep safe, people are being told to stay away from rivers and regions that are likely to have landslides. The District Emergency Operation Center (DEOC), Police Control Room (PCR), and Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) have all made their helpline numbers available to help people who need it.