Train traffic on Jammu-Pathankot route disrupted
*Army columns, helicopters deployed for relief, rescue ops
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 17: Seven members of four families, including five children, were killed in two separate incidents of cloudburst, landslide and flash floods in two villages of Kathua district early today, officials said.
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The calamity struck Jodh Ghati village of Rajbagh and Bagra village of Janglote amid heavy overnight rains in the district, leading to increase in the level of water bodies and submerging many low-lying areas, they said.
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The cloudburst in Kathua came three days after flash floods triggered by cloudburst struck Chashoti village in Kishtwar district on August 14, leaving 61 people dead and more than 100 injured.
Officials said while five persons, including a youth and his two minor sons, lost their lives in Jodh Ghati which was hit by the cloudburst, snapping access to the village and causing damage to several mud houses, a mother-daughter duo lost their lives in landslide triggered by rains at Bagra village of Janglote.
Seven residential houses were totally damaged in Jodh Ghati and some houses suffered partial damage while five people were killed and 16 others were injured there. Two persons were killed and over one dozen houses were damaged in Bagra village of Janglote.
The Army has evacuated six injured persons to MH Hospital Pathankot from Jodh Ghati while two injured are undergoing treatment at GMC Kathua.
“Army columns on the ground in Kathua – rescuing families, giving hope, food & care after the cloudburst,” Rising Star Corps said in a post of X.
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It has also shared pictures of soldiers evacuating the affected people to safety.
The officials identified the deceased as Surmu Din (32), his sons Fanu (6) and Shedu (5), Zulfoon (15) and Tahu (2), all residents of Jodh Ghati, and Renu Devi (39) and her daughter Radhika (9) of Janglote.
The injured were identified as Surmu Din’s wife Gogli Begum (26), daughter Nageena (3 months) and Habib Din’s wife Karoon Begum (26) and daughters Rafia Begum (4), Aisha Begum (6) and Parveen Akhter (8), the officials said. Besides them, Kalu Din along with his another relative is undergoing treatment at GMC, Kathua.
A video on social media showed a couple of collapsed mud-houses belonging to the victims with survivors trying to pull out a half-buried girl from the rubble and frantically searching for missing persons.
The people who survived the tragedy have a horrible and a nightmarish story to tell. Kalu Din of Jodh Ghati, who is undergoing treatment at GMC Kathua said that at about 2 am heavy rains lashed the area and within some time there was a cloudburst creating panic in the area. The people ran helter-skelter for safety. “I tried to bring my children out who were fast asleep. I took them to safety but myself got injured,. It was all grace of God that I and my family is alive, he added.
The landslide triggered by rains also hit Changda villages under the jurisdiction of Kathua Police Station and Dilwan-Hutli in Lakhanpur Police Station area but there was no major report of damage.
The heavy rains have led to a sharp increase in the level in most of the water bodies with the Ujh river flowing near the danger mark, the officials said, adding several low lying areas were submerged with flood water entering homes and shops.
The Police Stations of Kathua and Rajbagh were submerged in flood water. Besides, the compound walls of IIT Kathua and KV Kathua were damaged by flood water which also entered in the premises of two institutes.
Officials said that the roads in Lakhanpur area were washed away in flash floods. The approach road connecting to Jagatpur in Lakhanpur area was totally washed away.
The flood water inundated low lying areas including Nagri, Khokhya Chanahgrah and Sherpur villages in Kathua. In this area, agriculture land was also washed away by flash floods. As per reports, many Kaccha houses in these villages suffered a partial damage.
The district administration is closely watching the situation and has requested people to stay away from water bodies for their safety.
The district administration has also set up an Emergency Operation Centre in view of the prevailing weather conditions for round the clock to deal with any eventuality. It has asked the people to contact 01922-238796 or 94191-40916 for emergency assistance.
Police in Kathua also asked the people especially living in hilly areas to stay at home and don’t move close to the water bodies as there is every apprehension of flash flood owing to heavy rains.
“For any emergency please contact to nearest Police Station or call on helpline numbers: 9858034100 or 112,” the police said.
Train traffic has been disrupted along the Jammu-Pathankot rail line following the cloudburst, prompting authorities to cancel local trains and short-terminate others.
The weather office has forecast light to moderate rain and thunder showers at many places with intense showers or heavy rains at few places in Jammu division, especially Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba and Kathua districts with moderate intense showers over Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban till August 19.
Meanwhile, the Army deployed helicopters and several columns in the cloudburst-hit Jodh Ghati village of Kathua district for relief and rescue operations, officials said.
Several Army columns were inducted into the operation in the affected areas to rescue stranded people and evacuate the injured to hospitals, the officials said.
An Army helicopter deployed for rescue operations in Ghati airlifted 15 people to hospital, they added.
The Dhruv helicopters airlifted injured to a hospital in Pathankot in Punjab.
Troops from Rising Star Corps are working on the ground with police, SDRF and locals to rescue families, providing food and medical care, the officials said.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Rajesh Sharma, who is supervising the operation, said relief and rescue efforts are underway after seven people lost their lives in rain-triggered landslides in the district.
He also visited the affected villages to assess the situation there and monitor rescue and relief operations. The DC informed that the district administration has set up an Emergency Operation Centre in view of the prevailing weather conditions for round the clock monitoring and response. CPO Kathua, Ranjit Thakur has been designated as Nodal Officer.
“Heavy rainfall has caused significant damage in Kathua, and unfortunately, we have also lost lives. Five people died and seven were injured, and two more lives were lost in Janglote. We are ensuring the supply of essential items, though connectivity issues persist. Efforts are being made to provide supplies by air,” he said.
Meanwhile, train traffic has been disrupted along the Jammu-Pathankot rail line following a cloudburst in Kathua district.
“Due to heavy rains, water is flowing above the danger level through bridge number 43 between Kathua-Budhi. In view of this, temporarily till the water level subsides, up-line movement has been suspended, and in the meantime, up trains are being moved via a temporary single line through the down line track,” Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Railway Division, Uchit Singhal said.
He said a few trains have been short-terminated and short-originated, including the cancellation of local passenger trains.
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