New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir recorded unprecedented rainfall, with Udhampur receiving 629.4 mm and Jammu 296 mm of rain in just 24 hours since Tuesday 8:30 am, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported.
Heavy rains battered large parts of Jammu on Tuesday, triggering landslides, flooding low-lying areas, and washing away several roads and bridges.
A landslide on the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine claimed 32 lives, while four more people died in separate rain-related incidents in Doda district.
The IMD noted that the rainfall from 8:30 am Tuesday to 8:30 am Wednesday surpassed previous records of 342 mm in Udhampur in July 2019 and 272.6 mm in Jammu in August 1973.
Rescue operations continued on Wednesday, with administration and disaster response teams reaching stranded residents. Officials reported that over 5,000 people were evacuated from flooded areas in Jammu and Samba districts.
Essential services such as electricity, water supply, and internet remain severely affected, and schools and colleges have been ordered closed.
Although rainfall intensity eased on Wednesday, much of the Jammu division remained on high alert.
