Seven killed in cloudbursts and landslides in Jammu’s Kathua, strong flash floods in Himachal

SRINAGAR: Seven people were killed and six injured in a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Saturday midnight. The cloudburst occurred in Jodh Ghati village of Rajbagh. Access to the village was blocked and there was significant damage to land and property, officials said.

A joint team of police and State Disaster Response Force reached the spot and along with volunteers, rescue operations were underway for the missing. The district administration is closely monitoring the situation. Landslides occurred in Bagard and Chanda villages under Kathua police station limits and Dilwan-Hutli under Lakhanpur police station limits, but no major damage was reported.

The water level has risen sharply following heavy rains and the Ujh river is flowing close to the danger mark, officials said. Railway tracks, national highways and Kathua police station have been affected by the flood. Union Minister Jitendra Singh spoke to the Kathua SSP and assured that the situation is being monitored continuously. The administration has appealed to people to stay away from water bodies for safety.

Meanwhile, widespread damage has been reported in Himachal Pradesh in the flash floods on Sunday. Multiple flash floods occurred in Mandi, Kullu and Kinnaur. Heavy rains and thunderstorms caused traffic disruptions. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway was closed due to landslides. Several accidents were reported in Panarsa, Takoli and Nagwain. No casualties were reported. Since June 20, 257 deaths have been reported in the region due to landslides, floods and road accidents.