Flash Floods Trigger Tragedy in Jammu Region; Landslides Disrupt Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage

SRINAGAR: Three persons, including two children, lost their lives while four others were rescued as flash floods triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts struck multiple districts including Rajouri, Doda, Poonch, Kishtwar and Kathua on Thursday. Simultaneously, landslides disrupted the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage in Reasi, grounding helicopter services and halting movement on the newer shrine route.

In Rajouri’s Kalakote subdivision, two cousins—Shafqat Ali (14) and Safeena Kousar (11)—were swept away in a flash flood while grazing cattle in the Mohu hamlet of Sialsui village. A third child, 10-year-old Saima, was rescued by local residents and shifted to a hospital. Officials confirmed that the bodies of the deceased were retrieved and handed over to their families.

Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, sent a team of senior officers, including the Additional Deputy Commissioner and Tehsildar Kalakote, to the site to supervise the situation and provide assistance. The administration has issued a public appeal urging residents in hilly and flood-prone areas to avoid venturing near streams and water bodies during the monsoon.

In another tragic incident, Basharat Hussain (32), a resident of Dunadi village in Doda district, drowned while bathing in the Lopa stream. His body was recovered by a team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

Further south in Kathua, two men, Baldev Raj (35) and Sushil Kumar (25), had to be rescued by SDRF and police personnel after being trapped in the rapidly swelling Ujh river near Jarmal village. The duo had reportedly gone fishing when water levels rose suddenly due to heavy rainfall upstream. Another man was also rescued from a stream in Poonch under similar conditions.

Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts were reported from several high-altitude zones, including Qazi Morh in Poonch and interior areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, and Ramban districts. In Bhaderwah’s Pranu area of Doda, a sudden downpour caused extensive damage—three motorcycles, a Bolero, and two other vehicles were buried under mud and debris. Local authorities said the damaged vehicles were removed using machinery later in the day.

In Kishtwar’s remote Marwah sub-division, a cloudburst near Ranai wreaked havoc, damaging four residential houses, four cattle sheds, and four water mills. “Fortunately, there was no loss of life,” said SDM Marwah, Dr Mohammad Ashraf, who has deployed teams to assess damage and assist affected families.

Meanwhile, the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi was briefly disrupted after a fresh landslide blocked the newer Himkoti route near Satya View Point. The landslide occurred while the Shrine Board had already diverted pilgrims to the old route due to the persistent rain threat. Movement on the Bhairav temple path was also halted following another slide. Battery car and helicopter services between Katra and the shrine were suspended for several hours but are expected to resume after clearance operations are completed.

Authorities have moved quickly to issue advisories across districts, imposing temporary bans on swimming, bathing, fishing, and unnecessary movement near rivers and nullahs. District Magistrate Doda Harvinder Singh invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to formalise restrictions across Chenab riverbanks and its tributaries.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued light to moderate rain with heavy spells at isolated locations in the Jammu region till Friday. It has advised residents to stay away from water bodies and cautioned farmers against irrigation or other agricultural activity during this period.

As monsoon intensifies, the twin challenges of rescue and precaution continue to stretch the administration’s resources in the region. But local officials maintain that round-the-clock teams and pre-emptive measures are in place to prevent further tragedies.