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The pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine has also been suspended in view of the incessant rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rain wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday leading to 30 deaths. (Image: PTI)
At least 30 people have lost their lives after heavy rains triggered a landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra.
Relentless heavy rain caused havoc in Jammu and Kashmir, which saw flash floods, landslides. Additionally, the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine has also been suspended in view of the incessant rainfall. Infrastructure has been severely damaged with bridges collapsing, mobile towers and electricity poles breaking like virtual twigs.
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Telecom services collapsed in large parts of the union territory, leading to millions being cut off from communication and escalating problems.
Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended and dozens of hill roads were blocked or damaged by landslides, authorities said. Many trains to and from Jammu were cancelled.
The havoc came days after flash floods triggered by a cloudburst struck Kishtwar district’s Chisoti, the last motorable village en route the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 65 people, mostly pilgrims, and leaving more than 100 injured. Several people are still missing.
In other rain-related incidents across the Jammu province on Tuesday, at least four people were reported killed in Doda district. Three of these slipped and fell into a river, drowning in the swift flowing waters, while one died in a house collapse.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from low lying areas in the region.
Reports came in of damage to public and private infrastructure from the high altitude areas of Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri, Ramban, and Poonch districts, the officials said. The real picture of the disaster will emerge only after an assessment of the ground situation, they said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed the situation serious. He presided over an emergency meeting and ordered district administrators to be on high alert.
“… instructions have been issued to place additional funds at the disposal of the DCs (Deputy Commissioners) to cover emergency restoration work and other exigencies,” Abdullah wrote in a post on X.
Abdullah also ordered the administration to provide essentials such as food, water, and medicine to affected families in a timely manner and prioritise relief to vulnerable groups.
The deluge has forced nearly all water bodies in the area to overflow above the danger mark, inundating low-lying areas and prominent roads.
The overflowing Modhopur barrage on the Ravi river in Kathua crossed the one lakh cusec mark, resulting in heavy flooding in Kathua district.
Major rivers such as Taranah, Ujh, Tawi, and Chenab have also overflowed their danger marks, forcing police and civil authorities to make repeated public appeals for people to shift to safer areas.
According to the meteorological department, Kathua district recorded 155.6 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending 8.30 am followed by Bhaderwah in Doda (99.8 mm), Jammu (81.5 mm), and Katra (68.8mm).
The administration issued advisories asking people to stay away from water bodies and landslide-prone areas.
The Meteorological Department held out little relief, predicting sustained moderate to heavy rain with chances of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides up to August 27.
Authorities issued advisories for citizens to avoid water bodies and places with the risk of landslides.
As authorities worked tirelessly to pump out water from urban areas, the chief minister said assistance must immediately be sought from the fire and emergency services in case of any equipment shortage.
Reports came in of network outages in all service providers in Jammu and Kashmir following widespread damage to optical fibres at various sites.
The communication blackout impeded emergency response measures and caused panic among residents. Telecom operators said technical teams have been deployed to restore services as soon as possible.
All government and private schools in the Jammu division were directed to close till August 27. The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education also suspended all examinations for Classes 10 and 11 that were to be held on Wednesday.
Besides, the recruitment campaign for constables in different security organisations, including the BSF, was halted for the day in Jammu
About the Author
Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a…Read More
Mahima Joshi, Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking team. Covering national stories and bringing breaking news to the table are her forte. She is deeply interested in Indian politics and a… Read More
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Jammu and Kashmir, India, India
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