At least four persons were feared dead, and several vehicles stranded after a cloudburst on the Doda-Batote highway on Thursday, 135 km from Jammu, senior officials said.
A cloudburst is a sudden downpour within a radius of few kilometres. It usually lasts no longer than few minutes but is capable of flooding the area. The army was called in after flash floods following cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo courtesy: AP)
The cloudburst affected over a km stretch of the Doda-Batote highway, and many vehicles and people were stranded in the region, District Development Commissioner of Doda Farooq Ahmed Khan said. Two restaurants and many shops were washed away. (Photo courtesy: AP)
The eight-kilometre approach road to the prestigious Baglihar power project has been affected but the power project is safe and functioning.(Photo courtesy: AP)
Cloudbursts descend from very high clouds, sometimes with tops above 15 kilometers. Rapid precipitation is possible due to large droplets growing rapidly by coagulating with smaller droplets, which normally fall down slowly. (Photo courtesy: AP)
In one of India's worst cloudbursts on 26 July 2005, Mumbai was completely paralysed. Approximately 950 mm of rainfall was recorded in India's financial capital over a span of eight to ten hours. (Photo courtesy: AP)
Rainfall from a cloudburst is usually over 100 mm per hour. (Photo courtesy: AP)
People of the area launched a protest in the morning disrupting the relief and rescue work, official sources said. "There were some persons who were protesting for the immediate grant of compensation and were creating hurdles in the restoration work. However, the rescue operations resumed after they were assured of due compensation," District Development Commissioner, Farooq Ahmed Khan said. (Photo courtesy: AP)
