2 girls killed in flash floods in Jammu

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 27

Two minor girls and a woman died today in flash floods and a house collapsed in the Jammu region after heavy rains lashed the area.

Life came to a standstill in different parts of the region as landslides triggered by heavy rains closed all important road links and several low-lying areas remained water-logged and submerged in three-four feet of water. The flood water gushed into the houses of the people, causing extensive damage.

The administration issued a flood alert asking people not to venture near rivers and 'nullahs' as all major rivers, including Chenab, Ujh and Tawi, were flowing close to the danger mark. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Jammu, witnessed nearly 108.8 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours while Katra got over 71 mm rainfall.

Official reports said two minor girls, identified as Meenakshi (9), daughter of Rudi Ram of Janipur, and Sakshi Sharma (7), daughter of Romesh Chander residing at Janipur, got washed away in the flash flood in the Janipur area while they were on the way to a school.

“Two other girls had a narrow escape as they tried to save the deceased,” official sources said. The Jammu Municipal Corporation said the flash flood occurred due to a cloudburst in the area.

“Around 10.30 am, the two girls got washed way due to flash floods in the Janipur area and their bodies have been fished out. The bodies have been kept at the mortuary of Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for legal formalities. The administration has announced Rs 4 lakh each under the State Disaster Response Fund to the families of the deceased,” said Simrandeep Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh directed the administration to prepare a damage-assessment report and submit it to the government.

Reports from Rajouri said torrential rains coupled with thunderstorm damaged four houses in the district. At Sawni village, a woman identified as Arshad Begam died due to a house collapse.

In Ramban, a JCB driver identified as Soran Singh of Punjab, who was working for Gammon India Ltd, which has been engaged for the four-laning of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, sustained critical injuries after he came under the debris of a landslide. He was rushed to District Hospital at Ramban from where he was being shifted to Jammu. In Kathua district, traffic on Bani-Basohli, Bani-Daggar and Kathua-Basohli remained affected due to closure of roads following landslides and flash floods.

A bridge connecting Samba and Kathua through old route on Karnah nullah was washed away, snapping the road connecting of nearly 20 villages.

Vehicular movement on several vital roads in Udhampur and Reasi districts also remained disrupted due to landslides and flash floods.