Jammu, July 20: Severe flooding in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir has led to significant destruction and loss of life. Distressing reports emerged on Monday, detailing the suffering of residents and the collapse of infrastructure, with hundreds narrowly escaping death.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha assessed the situation on Sunday. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened a meeting with senior officials in Jammu, directing all departments to provide maximum assistance to affected families.
Since arriving in Jammu on Sunday, Abdullah received updates every half hour until Monday morning. He also engaged with officials and the public to reassure them of support during this tragic time.
The sudden floods, triggered by cloudbursts early Sunday, wreaked havoc across several locations in Rajouri and Poonch. Ten fatalities have been confirmed, with eight individuals reported missing. There are fears that the missing may also have perished, as their bodies could still be trapped under debris. Additionally, at least 20 vehicles were swept away, and around 40 others sustained damage.
In Poonch’s Surankot area, the floods damaged at least 47 homes and other buildings, while Rajouri saw at least 20 shops and additional structures affected.
On Sunday, approximately 45 individuals stranded by the floods in Jammu, Rajouri, and Poonch were rescued. The sudden deluge damaged several electricity poles and transformers, disrupting power supply in areas like Thannamandi, Darhal, and parts of Surankot, Mandi, and Haveli.
Official sources reported that the cloudbursts in the upper regions led to the disappearance of 15 individuals in Surankot. Rescue teams from the army, police, and SDRF, along with local volunteers, recovered eight bodies by evening, while eight others remain unaccounted for. Three individuals were injured and taken to the hospital. Reports indicate that the cloudbursts and floods caused damage to at least four dozen homes and other structures, including flour mills.
Many livestock belonging to affected villagers were also swept away by the floods in the Suran River and nearby streams.
A police official noted that a house in the Marrah village of Surankot was washed away, leaving eight family members missing. Three bodies from this family have been recovered, but five others remain unlocated. In Sangla village, another house was lost, with one body found and three others still missing. Two villagers from Surankot’s Sanglani and Marhot were swept away, but their bodies have since been recovered.
In the Haveli area of Poonch, a mud house collapsed, resulting in the death of a woman named Nazia Kausar, while her husband Mohammad Hafeez was seriously injured. He was initially taken to Poonch District Hospital and later referred to GMC Rajouri for better treatment.
Authorities stated that civil and police administrations, along with the army, local residents, SDRF, and other agencies, are actively searching for the missing bodies. Over 30 individuals were rescued from the riverbanks. Residents near water bodies have been advised to remain vigilant, as the meteorological department has forecasted further sudden floods and heavy rainfall in the region.
Reports from Rajouri indicate that the floods caused by the cloudbursts resulted in significant devastation, including one woman’s death and the disappearance of a daily wage worker from the water resources department.
The floods severely impacted the Thannamandi River, sweeping away nearly two dozen vehicles and causing extensive damage to residential homes, shops, public infrastructure, agricultural land, and livestock in Rajouri.
The sudden flooding occurred around 2:45 AM on Sunday, following heavy rainfall in Thannamandi, Darhal, and the upper hilly areas.
The rising water levels in the Sukhto River and other seasonal streams inundated several low-lying areas, disrupting daily life across the district. Homes, shops, roads, and public infrastructure suffered extensive damage, forcing many families to evacuate to safer locations.
The district administration promptly initiated large-scale rescue and relief operations in collaboration with the army, SDRF, police, civil defense, and other rescue agencies.
Officials are currently assessing the extensive damage, with all relevant departments preparing detailed reports. The most affected area was Bela Colony, where floodwaters breached the river’s protective wall, inundating the New Bela bus stand and surrounding residential areas. Approximately 20 vehicles parked at the bus stand were swept away, while around 40 others sustained significant damage.
Numerous commercial establishments, workshops, and shops behind Bela Colony were completely destroyed. The bus stand had only recently been constructed.
Eyewitnesses described this as one of the most devastating floods in Rajouri in recent decades, with swift water currents sweeping away vehicles within minutes. They held previous district administrations responsible for allowing the construction of bus stands and shopping complexes along the riverbanks, wasting public funds.
They also noted that influential individuals had encroached on government land along the drains, building shops with the complicity of local administrative officials.
The floods also devastated slum settlements near Abdullah Bridge and Tarek Bridge, displacing over 50 families. A woman named Pinky Devi was swept away in the flood, but her body was later recovered by rescue teams.
In addition to the tragic loss of life and property, many families lost livestock, household items, and their life savings, leaving them with only the clothes they were wearing.
As continuous rainfall persists across Jammu Division and nearly all districts in the valley, the affected areas remain on high alert.
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