Jammu, July 19 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday assured all possible assistance from the Centre to J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as massive flash floods wreaked havoc in Poonch and Rajouri districts, killing ten people and leaving many missing.
Officials said the actual number of casualties, along with damage to homes, private and public infrastructure, could take days to fully unfold.
The worst-hit was the Lower Murrah area of Surankote in Poonch district, where floodwaters and landslide debris swept through residential areas, burying houses and trapping families.
Nine deaths were reported from Surankote, including six members of a single family, while one person was killed in Haveli tehsil of Poonch. Many people were feared trapped under debris, raising concerns that the toll could rise as rescue operations progressed.
Rescue teams comprising the police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the civil administration, and local volunteers were engaged in a massive search-and-rescue operation despite intermittent rainfall and difficult terrain. Heavy earth-moving machinery was deployed to clear debris and restore access to affected villages.
The heavy rainfall caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, residential houses, vehicles and other public infrastructure across Poonch and neighbouring Rajouri district.
In Haveli tehsil, at least seven houses were damaged, while property losses were also reported from Mandi and other areas. Several roads remained blocked due to landslides, disrupting connectivity.
District authorities pressed relief teams into service and shifted affected families to safer locations. Residents near rivers, streams and landslide-prone slopes were advised to remain indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from fast-flowing water bodies until weather conditions improve.
Rescue and relief operations continued across the affected areas as intermittent rain persisted. Authorities kept a close watch on vulnerable locations amid forecasts of more rainfall.
The Meteorological Department has forecast widespread rainfall across J&K over the next five days, warning of heavy to very heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, particularly in the Jammu division.
Risks include flash floods, landslides, mudslides, shooting stones and waterlogging in vulnerable areas till July 23.
Omar Abdullah rushed from Delhi to Jammu to personally supervise relief and rescue operations. He chaired a meeting of senior officers in Jammu and directed total mobilisation of the administrative machinery to mitigate the suffering of flood-affected families.
–IANS
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