LG, CM review situation; toll rises to 23
DH NEWS SERVICE
Jammu, Jul 20
At least 11 people, including a woman and her two children, were killed in fresh rain-related incidents across Jammu on Monday, raising the death toll to 23 over the past two days, officials said.
Seven people went missing as persistent heavy rain hampered rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Seven people, including two children, were buried alive after a landslide triggered by heavy rain brought down their mud house in the upper reaches of Loran in Poonch, officials said.
Villagers pulled out from the debris the seven deceased, who were identified as Zahida Begum, 38, her son Manan Rafiq and daughter Aleesa, aged six and four, her brother-in-law Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, 27, sisters-in-law Shamim Akhter, 33, and Shabnam Bano, 31, nephew Mohd Irfan, 17 — all residents of Arigam village of Mandi Tehsil, the officials said.
Earlier in the day, a passenger bus was hit by a rock that rolled down from a hillock near Raggi Nallah along the Jammu-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district.
Two people, Kulwant Singh and Manish Kumar, died in the incident reported at around 9.30 am, and six were injured.
The highway was blocked for an extended period as a couple of private cars were hit by boulders. No one was hurt in that incident.
In the Kashtigarh area of the district, a woman identified as Shiv Devi was killed after being hit by a stone near her house.
The body of Vikas Ahmed, who was washed away in flash floods, was fished out from the river at the Salani area of Rajouri town this morning, the officials said.
Heavy rain over the two days has caused massive damage to public and private infrastructure.
Ten people died and six went missing in Poonch, while in Rajouri, two died, and a Jal Shakti employee went missing.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
Abdullah said no amount of financial assistance can ever compensate for the irreparable loss of life.
A government spokesperson said the relief package comprises Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
The fresh spell of rain began around 3 am in the twin border districts and continued intermittently throughout the day.
Swollen streams, slippery terrain and poor visibility hindered the movement of rescue teams, who have been racing against time to trace the missing.
The rescue teams comprise police, army, SDRF and civil defence personnel and local volunteers, the officials said.
The Meteorological Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir till July 23.
Abdullah on Sunday directed all district administrations to submit situation reports every six hours until July 24 to strengthen monitoring and ensure a coordinated response.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday reviewed the impact of heavy rain, flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir, directing officials to ensure the swift restoration of essential services while assessing damage to public infrastructure and residential houses.
The Lt Governor also expressed grief over the loss of two lives in rain-related incidents in Doda district.
“I spoke to senior officials today to assess the impact of heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides. I am deeply saddened by the loss of two lives in Doda, and my heart goes out to their families,” Sinha said on X.
He said emergency response teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army, have been deployed in vulnerable areas and are on high alert.
According to the Lt Governor, several key roads in Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, and Udhampur districts have been reopened, while efforts are underway to restore water supply in the affected areas.
“Field teams have also been directed to urgently evaluate damage to houses and public infrastructure,” he said.
Four more people lost their lives in rain-related incidents across Jammu on Monday, taking the death toll to 16 over the past two days, officials said.
At least seven people were still missing as persistent heavy rains hampered rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit Poonch and Rajouri districts, they said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting via video conference with deputy commissioners of flood-affected districts and senior officials to review relief and rescue operations following heavy rainfall across the Union Territory.
The meeting came hours after Abdullah announced an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of those killed in rain-related incidents in Rajouri and Poonch districts. He took stock of the situation as more casualties were reported from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since Sunday, rain-related incidents have claimed 23 lives and left seven people missing across the Jammu region. Poonch was the worst-hit, recording 17 deaths and six missing people, followed by Rajouri with three deaths and one missing. Doda recorded three deaths and six injuries.
During the meeting, the chief minister directed the officers to ensure that immediate relief is provided to people in the flood-hit areas, officials said.
Omar, who had arrived in the national capital on Friday along with his father, Farooq Abdullah, cut short his visit and rushed to Jammu on Sunday to chair an emergency review meeting following the devastating flash floods in the Poonch-Rajouri belt.
He returned to Delhi early Monday to participate in the National Conference’s demonstration seeking early restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The chief minister is scheduled to fly to Srinagar on Tuesday as several parts of the city remain inundated following heavy rainfall.
