Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 24: One person was feared dead after heavy rains triggered a flash flood in Harwan and adjoining areas on the outskirts of Srinagar early this morning .
As per residents, the whole area was in panic due to flash floods in the area during wee hours today. “We came out of our homes at about 3 am when we heard the sound of rain and when we approached towards the nallah, it was on the brink of floods. We saw the water entering various houses and part of a wooden bridge which connects two mohallas of the area was also washed away,” a local resident said.
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Another resident said that the flash floods washed away the entire neighborhood including residential houses, cattle sheds, agriculture land etc.
A police official while confirming the incident said that heavy rains lashed upper reaches of Harwan, Dachigam and adjoining areas late night, leading to flash floods in Tailbal nallah.
He said one person was collecting firewood when the flash floods swept him away and efforts are on to retrieve his body. “We reached at the spot early in the morning to carry out the rescue operation. We have used motorboats also and efforts are on to retrieve the body of the missing person. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have also reached at the spot for the rescue,” the police official informed, adding, “Water level has been receding now and people do not need to panic anymore.”
In the meantime, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, in a statement said that as fairly widespread rain/thundershowers are expected in Kashmir division on July 24 and 25, the Deputy Commissioners have been asked to watch out the jurisdiction and advised people not to venture in avalanche prone areas during these days.
The Deputy Commissioners have been asked to take all precautionary measures and to keep the SDRF, police and para-medical staff with ambulances in readiness to meet with any situation.
Several apple orchards were damaged after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Sedow and Hirpora villages of South Kashmir’s Shopian district today.
The flash flood caused severe damage to some apple orchards in few villages including Dachov, Sedow and Herpora in Shopian district in which 6 cattle were washed away.
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