Cloudbursts did not cause the deadly flashfloods in Kathua, J&K; Rescue operations underway
A flash flood in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir caused massive destruction in the early hours of Sunday. The entire village of Jodh Ghati was cut off after flash floods were triggered by heavy rainfall.
Widespread destruction occurred, damaging homes, a railway track, a police station, and a section of the national highway.
The flash flood affects Janglote, Jodh Village, Ghatti, Chandarh, Bhed Blore, Bagrah, Dilwan, Hatli, and Lakhanpur, flooding the local industrial area, Kendriya Vidyalaya school, and Janglote police station.
Rescue operations are now underway in Ghati and involve the Indian army, State Disaster Response Force SDRF and NDRF. Affected families are being assisted, and medical aid is being provided to the injured.
According to Inspector Ajay Singh from the the police station of Rajbagh area, “The incidents occurred between 3.30 and 4 am.”
Seven bodies have been recovered, and six people have been rescued and are being treated in a hospital.
District police chief Shobhit Saxena confirmed the death toll and said, “There was no cloudburst, but there were flash floods. We have also informed the army; they are on a standby,” the Hindustan Times reported.
It is not clear if the floods were caused by a cloudburst, which is a sudden downpour of over 100 mm of rain in one hour.
The water levels in both the Sahar Khad and Ujh rivers also had a sharp rise, which reached over danger levels over the past few days due to continuous heavy rainfall. Many houses were submerged near the rivers. The railway track and the NH 44 sustained severe damage. Traffic has stopped in many parts of the highway. Passengers were seen stranded in debris water while they waited in their vehicles.
Traffic has come to a complete halt on many roads in Janglot and its surrounding areas. Passengers and drivers were stranded in debris and water for hours along with their vehicles.
The district administration has appealed to people not to go near rivers and reservoirs, as the water level of the Ujh river has reached close to the danger mark.
The number of deaths was confirmed by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, after discussions with Saxena. They emphasised the active response from civilians, military, and paramilitary forces.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah offered his condolences and assured full support to the victims.
Earlier this week, a catastrophic cloudburst in eastern Kishtwar’s Chositi village killed at least 65 people, including two CISF personnel, and injured over 150.
Kathua is in the southern corner of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, bordering Punjab, while Kishtwar is in its northeast, next to Himachal Pradesh.
India