JK rain fury claims 11 more lives
Search on for 7 missing in Poonch, Rajouri
Heavy rains batter Himalayan states, IMD warns of more downpours
Jammu/New Delhi: At least 11 people, including a woman and her two children, were killed in fresh rain-related incidents across Jammu on Monday, raising the death toll to 23 over the past two days, officials said.
Seven people went missing as persistent heavy rain hampered rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Seven people, including two children, were buried alive after a landslide triggered by heavy rain brought down their mud house in the upper reaches of Loran in Poonch, officials said.
Villagers pulled out from the debris the seven deceased, who were identified as Zahida Begum, 38, her son Manan Rafiq and daughter Aleesa, aged six and four, her brother-in-law Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, 27, sisters-in-law Shamim Akhter, 33, and Shabnam Bano, 31, nephew Mohd Irfan, 17 — all residents of Arigam village of Mandi Tehsil, the officials said.
Earlier in the day, a passenger bus was hit by a rock that rolled down from a hillock near Raggi Nallah along the Jammu-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district.
Two people, Kulwant Singh and Manish Kumar, died in the incident reported at around 9.30 am, and six were injured.
The highway was blocked for an extended period as a couple of private cars were hit by boulders. No one was hurt in that incident.
In the Kashtigarh area of the district, a woman identified as Shiv Devi was killed after being hit by a stone near her house.
The body of Vikas Ahmed, who was washed away in flash floods, was fished out from the river at the Salani area of Rajouri town this morning, the officials said.
Heavy rain over the two days has caused massive damage to public and private infrastructure.
Ten people died and six went missing in Poonch, while in Rajouri, two died, and a Jal Shakti employee went missing.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
Abdullah said no amount of financial assistance can ever compensate for the irreparable loss of life.
A government spokesperson said the relief package comprises Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
The fresh spell of rain began around 3 am in the twin border districts and continued intermittently throughout the day.
Swollen streams, slippery terrain and poor visibility hindered the movement of rescue teams, who have been racing against time to trace the missing.
The rescue teams comprise police, army, SDRF and civil defence personnel and local volunteers, the officials said.
The Meteorological Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir till July 23.
Abdullah on Sunday directed all district administrations to submit situation reports every six hours until July 24 to strengthen monitoring and ensure a coordinated response.
Meanwhile, heavy rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the Union Territory, while Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh also witnessed widespread disruptions due to the downpour.
The rise in fatalities comes as the India Meteorological Department has forecast very heavy rainfall at a few places over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh on July 20 and 21, and heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Assam and Meghalaya on July 20.
It further said that monsoon is likely to remain active over northwest and northeast India during the next 4–5 days.
The weather office said the active monsoon conditions have been caused by the weakening of a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and a strengthening of the monsoon current over north India.
Jammu and Kashmir remained the worst-affected as at least 11 people, including a mother and her two children, were killed in rain-related incidents across Jammu, raising the death toll to 23 over the past two days, officials said.
They further said that the Jammu-Kishtwar national highway remained blocked as a couple of private vehicles were also hit by boulders in the area. However, the occupants of the vehicles escaped unhurt.
The fresh spell of rain began around 3 am in the twin border districts and continued unabated till the last reports were received, making rescue and search operations difficult in the affected areas, the officials said.
Swollen streams, slippery terrain and poor visibility hindered the movement of rescue teams, who have been racing against time to trace the missing.
In Uttarakhand, landslides triggered by incessant rains blocked around 150 roads, including four national highways, with the administration temporarily suspending the Char Dham Yatra on Monday as a precautionary measure.
An eight-year-old child was swept away in the Saryu River in the Kapkot area of Bageshwar district.
The Meteorological Department has issued a ‘Red Alert’ for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Dehradun, Tehri, and Haridwar districts for Monday, and an ‘Orange Alert’ for the remaining districts, they said, adding that the administration across the state has been instructed to remain vigilant around the clock.
In view of the heavy rain warning and to ensure student safety, a holiday has been declared for schools (Classes 1-12) across all districts of the state.
In Himachal, all educational institutions in Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur have been ordered to shut on July 21 in view of a red alert issued by the weather department.
The Met office issued a red warning for heavy rains in Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on Monday and for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Sirmaur districts on Tuesday.
According to the state emergency operation centre, a total of 36 roads, including 11 in Mandi and 10 in Chamba district, have been closed, while 43 water supply schemes and five transformers were disrupted following intermittent rains as of Monday evening. of widespread monsoon activity till July 24
For Uttar Pradesh, the IMD issued a red alert, warning of “extremely heavy rainfall” in several districts over the next 24 hours as monsoon activity intensifies across the state.
The red alert will remain in force for Monday, while a yellow alert has been issued for parts of southern Uttar Pradesh from July 21 to July 25, it said.
The national capital, Delhi, saw respite after days of hot and humid temperatures, as the city experienced light rain and low temperatures.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Delhi for the next two days for a generally cloudy day with heavy rain.
Many parts of Haryana and Punjab received rain on Monday, with more predicted over the next few days, according to the meteorological department.
“Active monsoon conditions are very likely during the next 48-72 hours over Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh,” the weather office said.
“The rainfall spell is expected to reach its peak intensity between July 20 and 22, with widespread rainfall over the region. Heavy to very heavy rainfall, exceeding 12 cm, is also likely at isolated places over the northern and eastern parts of Punjab and Haryana during this period,” it added.
In Assam’s Guwahati, several landslides were reported, with the authorities issuing an alert for more rainfall in the city over the next 24 hours.
Kamrup Metropolitan District Commissioner Swapneel Paul said landslides were reported from at least five locations, though no casualties have been reported so far.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), citing the India Meteorological Department’s forecast, warned of moderate to heavy rainfall (6-12 cm in 24 hours), accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, across Guwahati.
