Rain Fury Claims 41 Lives in Jammu and Kashmir, 20 Injured; Rescue Ops Continue

SRINAGAR: At least 41 people have lost their lives across Jammu and Kashmir in the past two days of incessant rains, flash floods and landslides, while thousands remain displaced as rescue operations continue on a war footing.

The worst tragedy struck the Trikuta hills in Katra, where a massive landslide near Adhkuwari on the Mata Vaishno Devi yatra route claimed 35 lives of pilgrims. Officials said 20 others were injured, many of them seriously, and are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Reasi and Jammu. The yatra was suspended on Wednesday but resumed through the old route this evening. “So far, 35 bodies have been recovered, of which 22 have been identified. Most victims are from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,” Shrine Board officials confirmed.

In the Jammu region, floods claimed at least four more lives, including a BSF jawan who was washed away in the swollen Chenab while on duty in the Akhnoor sector. In separate incidents, a youth drowned in floodwaters of the Tawi at Chak Rakwala, an elderly villager’s body was recovered from a mud-choked nallah in Marh, while one worker of the Punjab Irrigation Department was swept away when floodgates of the Ravi barrage at Lakhanpur broke.

Meanwhile, in the Kashmir Valley, two young men died of electrocution in Anantnag after coming in contact with a live wire that snapped during flooding in Ganjiwara area. Authorities confirmed the deceased were loading a truck when a low-tension line collapsed due to waterlogging.

The combined toll now stands at 41 dead and 20 injured, besides widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure and farmland.

The breaking of three floodgates of the Lakhanpur barrage on Ravi river caused massive destruction, damaging the main road bridge and inundating the Lakhanpur Toll Plaza area where floodwaters rose 3–4 feet. Traffic on the Jammu-Pathankote highway remained suspended for hours. Over 86 people, including 26 CRPF personnel, were airlifted by the Indian Air Force and Army helicopters from flood-hit areas of Kathua and Akhnoor.

Officials said more than 700 houses and over 100 wells and tube wells have been damaged in the Jammu region, disrupting water supply across hundreds of villages. Power and communication lines have also been hit, with many districts still facing blackouts.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from low-lying areas as overflowing rivers—Chenab, Tawi, Ravi, Ujh, Basantar, Devak and Tarnah—crossed danger marks. In Kishtwar’s Warwan valley, a flash flood after a cloudburst damaged at least 30 houses and large tracts of farmland.

In Srinagar, floodwaters entered residential colonies like Rajbagh, Bemina and Kursu, reviving painful memories of the 2014 deluge. The Jhelum crossed the flood alert mark at Ram Munshi Bagh on Wednesday evening, prompting authorities to press sandbags, boats and SDRF teams at vulnerable points.

All schools, colleges and universities across J&K will remain closed on Thursday (Aug 28) due to inclement weather. Kashmir University has also postponed its examinations.

The Meteorological Department, however, has predicted a respite. “The weather is likely to improve with mainly dry conditions over the next three days,” Director MeT Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said, though he warned of possible landslides and mudslides at vulnerable stretches.

As rescue teams continue to pull survivors from submerged homes and blocked roads, residents in both Jammu and Kashmir remain gripped by fear. For many, the devastation has reopened wounds of past disasters, while officials admit the damage is still being assessed.