7 die in Poonch landslide, 2 in Doda
LG Sinha, CM Omar express grief
Jammu: Nine people were killed in separate rain-related incidents across Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, including seven members of two families who died after a flash flood and landslide buried a house in Poonch district and two persons who were killed when shooting stones struck a passenger bus and other vehicles in Doda district, officials said.
In Poonch, incessant rainfall triggered a fresh landslide and flash flood in the Loran-Dumilan area, burying a house and killing seven people. Officials said all seven bodies had been recovered while search and rescue operations were continuing to trace any missing persons.
Local residents said announcements were made from mosques to alert people as flash floods and landslides posed a serious threat. Police, the civil administration, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local volunteers rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage, while rescue operations continued late into the evening.
In Doda district, heavy stones and debris slid down a hill at Raggi Nallah and Jathi Ganika, striking a passenger bus and several other vehicles travelling on the road. The sudden rockfall caught motorists unawares, resulting in two deaths, injuries to six persons and extensive damage to vehicles. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The shooting-stone incidents also forced the closure of the highway as continuous rockfall, mudslides and debris made the route unsafe for traffic. Restoration and clearance operations are underway, though officials said reopening the road could take considerable time because of the prevailing weather conditions. Commuters have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel on the route until the weather improves and the road is declared safe.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the loss of seven lives in the Poonch landslide and the fatalities in Doda. In a post on X, he said, “A tragic landslide caused by heavy rainfall in Poonch has resulted in the loss of seven precious lives. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families during this difficult time.” He said senior officials had been directed to extend immediate relief and all necessary assistance to those affected.
Reviewing the overall situation arising from heavy rains, flash floods and landslides across the Union Territory, the Lieutenant Governor directed senior officials to ensure swift relief operations and restoration of damaged infrastructure. He said emergency teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), SDRF, J&K Police and the Army, had been deployed and kept on high alert in vulnerable areas. He added that key roads in Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Udhampur had been reopened, restoration of water supply was in progress, and field teams had been directed to urgently assess damage to houses and public infrastructure.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed profound grief over the tragedies, conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He directed the district administration and health authorities to provide immediate medical treatment and extend all possible assistance to the affected families without delay.
Omar also expressed sympathy with families that lost livestock in a lightning strike at Mal Pathar Dhar and reiterated that the administration would continue to closely monitor the situation and provide all necessary support to people affected by the ongoing natural calamity.
Officials said the latest deaths have taken the toll from the two-day rain fury in the Jammu region to 26. On Sunday, at least 17 people were killed and several others were reported missing after torrential rainfall triggered flash floods that devastated parts of the Jammu division, including Poonch and Rajouri.
Rescue operations are continuing in the affected areas as incessant rain and flash floods continue to wreak havoc in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
The hilly districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur frequently witness landslides, mudslides and shooting stones during the monsoon, making roads highly vulnerable to accidents. Authorities regularly issue weather advisories and deploy traffic teams to regulate movement in high-risk areas.
The latest tragedy adds to a series of fatal weather- and road-related incidents in the Chenab region and along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. In January this year, 10 Army personnel were killed and 11 injured when their bulletproof vehicle skidded into a 200-foot gorge near Khanni Top on the Bhaderwah-Chamba road. In June, three Machail Yatra pilgrims died after their car plunged into a gorge near the Khellani Tunnel. In July last year, seven passengers were killed and 15 injured when an overloaded tempo traveller fell into a deep gorge on the Doda-Barath road near Ponda. Earlier incidents on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway have also claimed several lives due to falling boulders and landslides.
