Jammu/Srinagar: Torrential rains continued to batter Jammu and Kashmir for the fourth straight day on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents from low-lying, flood-hit areas and causing widespread devastation across the Union Territory.
Rescue operations are underway along the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine route near Adhkuwari, where a landslide on Tuesday claimed nine lives and left 21 others injured, officials said.
In Kishtwar’s remote Margi area, flash floods swept away 10 houses and a bridge, though no casualties were immediately reported. Meanwhile, over a dozen paramilitary personnel remain trapped in Lakhanpur village of Kathua district, with efforts on to move them to safety.
Officials said relentless rains in the Jammu region over the past 24 hours have pushed almost all major rivers—including Tawi, Chenab, Ujh, Ravi, and Basanter—several feet above the danger mark.
The Kashmir valley also witnessed heavy downpours overnight. The Jhelum river crossed the flood-alert level of 21 feet at Sangam in Anantnag and was just two feet below the alert level of 18 feet at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar on Wednesday morning.
Thousands have already been shifted to safer areas, particularly from villages and settlements along riverbanks. Authorities reported extensive damage to public infrastructure, including key bridges, homes, and commercial buildings, due to overflowing rivers and flash floods across the region.
