J&K: 29 people rescued after flash floods hit Kathua district
Twenty-nine people, including six women and 10 children, stranded in Jammu & Kashmir's Kathua district after flash floods and heavy rains, were rescued today during overnight operations, officials said. They were rescued from the Nagri, Chabbe Chak, Jakhole, and Billawar areas of the district by police and state disaster response force personnel. Bovines are also being moved to safety, they said.
Rescue teams have been deployed at vulnerable areas
On Saturday, the meteorological department had predicted moderate to heavy rain or thundershowers for the next 48 hours in the Jammu region. The heavy rains triggered flash floods in different rivers of Kathua, following which rescue and police teams were deployed at vulnerable areas. The Neeru stream and various outlets were also flooded prompting authorities to close down all educational institutions in Doda district.
Helplines numbers opened, people asked to remain indoors
"People residing near banks of Neeru and its tributaries have been advised to avoid crossing temporary bridges or crossings over the streams," officials said. The local administration has also directed people to remain indoors. Apart from deploying police teams, helpline numbers have also been opened.
Jammu-Srinagar highway was blocked yesterday due to multiple landslides
However, with the weather improving, authorities today opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the all-weather road linking Kashmir to the rest of India. "The road was cleared yesterday night and light motor vehicles were allowed to move on the highway from today," a traffic department spokesman said. Multiple landslides and shooting-stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban-Udhampur had blocked the road yesterday.
