Jammu: Rescue and rehabilitation operations by multiple agencies are ongoing in Jammu and Samba following severe flooding that has devastated properties in the region.
On Thursday, four more people were swept away in flash floods. Record rainfall over the past two days has claimed 45 lives, with the majority occurring in a landslide along the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route.
Wednesday’s temporary break in the showers allowed relief efforts to gain momentum. “Operations to rescue people, restore village connectivity, and assess damages are ongoing across the region,” an official said.
Officials reported recovering four bodies from flooded channels in Jammu: one from the Tawi River in Nagrota, reportedly drowned at Chak Rakwala; an elderly man from a nallah in Marh; one near the border fencing in Karkhola, R S Pura; and another from Teli Basti in Bari Brahmana.
Teams, aided by machinery, are working in low-lying areas to clear mud, debris, and stranded vehicles. Dozens of roads remain blocked due to landslides, disrupting connectivity to nearly 50 villages. Over 12,000 people have been evacuated so far.
Water levels in major rivers, including Tawi, Chenab, Basantar, Ravi, and Ujh, have begun to recede. Extensive damage has been reported to bridges, public infrastructure, houses, and commercial establishments.
Northern Railways, which had canceled 58 trains to and from Jammu and Katra on Wednesday, arranged special trains to transport over 2,000 stranded passengers.
The death toll from the Vaishno Devi landslide in Reasi district has risen to 34, with 24 bodies identified, including 14 women. At least 20 others injured are undergoing treatment. The landslide occurred near Indraprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari—about halfway along the 12-km trek from Katra to the shrine—around 3 pm on Tuesday.
Other rain-related incidents include four deaths in Doda district on Tuesday. The bodies of a BSF jawan from Pragwal and another unidentified person from Akhnoor were recovered. Additionally, the body of an irrigation department employee was found in Lakhanpur near the Punjab border.
Earlier, on August 14, a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Chisoti—the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata shrine in Kishtwar district—killing at least 65 people, mostly pilgrims, injuring over 100, and leaving 32 missing.
