11 Dead In Flash Floods In J&K's Rajouri, Several Vehicles Swept Away

At least 11 people have died and several others went missing as torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation.

Within minutes, swollen rivers breached their banks, inundating low-lying areas and leaving a trail of destruction. The new bus stand lay in ruins, dozens of vehicles were swept away by the raging currents, and many others remained submerged. Tragically, the body of a woman who had gone missing was also recovered.

All major rivers in the district - Darhali, Khandli, Suktoh and Jamola - were in spate, flowing dangerously close to or above the danger mark. The deluge turned streets into torrents and forced hundreds of residents to flee to safety.

Worst Hit Areas  

The bodies of five persons were retrieved from the debris, a search operation was continuing to trace the remaining missing persons, the officials said.

Four members of another family were reported missing after their house was washed away by flash floods at Sangla village, they said, adding the missing persons include Abdul Hameed, his wife Sharifa Begum, daughter Areeba and sister Manira Begum.

A 28-year-old woman, Nazia Kousar, died when her house collapsed in Noonabandi village.

Shahzaib Ahmad (22) lost his life when his house collapsed at Sanglani-Surankote, while a minor girl identified as Iram drowned in a stream at Marhote. An unidentified body of a woman was also fished out from a stream near Dhundak Lathoong bridge, officials said.

One person died and another critically injured following collapse of nearly half-a-dozen houses in Haveli tehsil of Poonch district, the officials said.

They said body of a woman was also fished out from a river in Rajouri town which was hit by flash floods following incessant overnight rainfall, forcing hundreds of residents to move to safer locations as floodwaters inundated low-lying areas.

Rescue And Relief Underway 

Rescue and relief teams, supported by the local administration, worked through the night to evacuate affected families. The police control room has been activated to deal with any situation on the ground.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he has been tracking the situation in Rajouri town and surrounding areas since first light on Sunday. 

In a statement, Abdullah said he is in touch with local MLAs and that protecting lives remains the administration's top priority. 

He assured that the government will provide all possible aid to families affected by the heavy rains and flash floods.

Weather Warning

The Meteorological Department has issued an advisory predicting moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir until July 23. Authorities have urged people to remain vigilant and have set up control rooms to monitor the situation.