CLOUDBURST IN DODAKISHTWAR, EIGHT KILLED
Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts on two separate locations in neighbouring Doda and Kishtwar districts, in the wee hours on Thursday, took eight lives. Moreover, 27 cattle died in the two incidents, which occurred around the same time.
JAMMU: Eight people were killed and 11 injured in separate incidents of cloudbursts, flash floods and a landslide in Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The flash floods were triggered by cloudbursts in neighbouring Doda and Kishtwar districts, in the wee hours on Thursday.
Moreover, 27 cattle died in the two incidents, which occurred around the same time.
The first cloudburst in Thathri town, around 30 kilometers from Doda district headquarters, hit the hills surrounding Thathri town at 2.20 am. It covered an area of about 10-12 square kilometres. Later, the cloudburst led to flash floods in the area.
While 11 injured were rescued from the debris, many others are feared trapped and the toll is likely to rise, police said. Thathri is around 200 kilometres from Jammu.
Doda DC Bupinder Singh said, “After getting information of the cloudburst around 2.30 am, a joint rescue operation involving local administration, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Army was launched immediately.”
“Six persons including five from a house lost their lives after they were trapped in the flash flood. Another lady was killed and his nephew sustained injured in the incident. We have recovered the dead bodies,” the DC said.
He further added, “Besides human lives, 11 sheep also perished in the incident.”
The deceased persons of a family were identified as Nara Devi, 40; Priya Devi, 7; Rahul Kumar, 9; and Sapna Devi, 15; residents of Nagni village. Their relative Shrista Devi, 18 was also with the family and lost her life. Patna Devi, 45, a resident of Chausar was also killed in the mishap while her nephew Pushpinder Singh, 15 was injured.
Meanwhile, the Batote-DodaKishtwar National Highway (NH1B) was closed after huge boulders fell on it at Thathri market due to the cloudburst.
“As per preliminary assessment, eight structures including houses, shops and a school have been damaged,” the DC said. 2 KILLED IN KISHTWAR Two of a family were killed while 16 of their cattle were washed away in the flash floods triggered by cloudburst in Dool area, around 25 kilometers from district headquarters in Kishtwar.
Dool police post in-charge, sub-inspector Ram Ratan said, “Around 2.30 am, flash floods razed a mud house and watermill at Chichwara village in Dool area. Kungi Devi, 40 and Samrat, 45, died in it while 16 of their cattle inside the watermill perished in the incident.” The dead cattle included four cows, two calves, four sheep, five goats and an ox.
3 WASHED AWAY IN UDHAMPUR
In Udhampur district, bodies of three people washed away in a flash flood at Pachond in Dudu area were recovered on Thursday. They were identified as Mohammad Sharif, Rekha Devi both residents of Pachound village and Shakina of Pattangarh, police said.