Two separate incidents of cloudburst and landslide occurred in Jammu and Kashmir, one after another, on Saturday morning. A cloudburst struck Ramban, while a landslide hit the Reasi district. As of now, at least 10 people are feared dead.
In the Rajgarh tehsil of Ramban, the cloudburst triggered flash floods, killing three villagers, while several others are missing. Rescue and relief operations are already underway. Three bodies have been recovered, and they are searching for the missing.
One of the officials said, "As of now, there are reports that five people are unaccounted for. We are searching for them. The flash floods have also damaged property in the area."
In a separate incident, the Mahore area of Reasi district was hit by a landslide on Saturday, which led to a house being buried in debris. Seven people of a family, including a couple, their five minor children aged below 12 years, are feared to be dead.
According to an official, the rescue operation has been launched; however, they haven't recovered any bodies. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Governor Manoj Sinha have expressed grief and extended their condolences over the incidents.
The Jammu region has been lashed with intense rains, cloudbursts, and landslides, causing over 115 deaths, most of whom are pilgrims. A cloudburst in Chisoti village of Padder claimed 65 pilgrim lives, disrupting the Annual Machail Mata Yatra. 30 pilgrims were killed in a landslide near the Mata Vaisno Devi shrine.
The State Government has announced a committee to investigate the landslide deaths at the Katra shrine, find the cause of it, and assess its response through rescue and relief. It has also been ordered to suggest SOPs so that any future incidents like this can be prevented.
The flash floods triggered due to cloudbursts and heavy rains have also caused widespread property damage worth crores in the region.