Cloudbursts in J&K's Kathua kill 7 people, several injured

At least seven people were killed and six others injured after a cloudburst hit a remote village in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir during the early hours of Sunday. The sudden downpour caused flash floods and landslides, burying several houses under rubble and floodwaters in the Ghati area. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, highlighting the continuous struggle against natural calamities in the region.

The cloudburst occurred during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, severely impacting the Jod Ghati village in the Rajbagh area. The intense rainfall not only led to the tragic loss of life but also snapped road access to the village, hampering initial rescue efforts. This incident adds to the recent string of natural disasters in the region, coming on the heels of the deadly cloudburst in Kishtwar earlier this week.

The scale of the damage is significant, with officials reporting that several houses were completely buried. The impact of the torrential downpour was felt beyond the village, with a police station in Kathua being completely submerged and a railway track also suffering damage. In addition, the Jammu–Pathankot National Highway, a crucial lifeline for the region, was also affected, disrupting traffic and causing travel chaos for many.

In response to the emergency, a joint team of police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was rushed to the village. The rescue teams, along with local volunteers, are engaged in intensive efforts to clear debris, recover bodies, and assist the affected families. So far, four bodies have been recovered, and six injured individuals have been rescued and shifted to a hospital for treatment. The teams are working against the clock to search for any more missing people.

Besides the Ghati area, landslides were also reported in other parts of the Kathua district. Bagard and Changda villages, under the jurisdiction of Kathua police station, and Dilwan-Hutli in the Lakhanpur police station area, were also hit. While no major damage has been reported from these areas, the continuous heavy rainfall has caused the water levels in most of the region's water bodies to rise sharply, with the Ujh river flowing dangerously close to the warning mark.