House collapses in Doongi
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, Aug 13: Continuous torrential rains over the past two days have disrupted normal life in the region, with landslides reported at multiple locations, bringing traffic to a standstill. In a major incident on Wednesday morning, a heavy landslide occurred at Manyal Gali along the Thannamandi–Bufliaz road, severely damaging a local graveyard.
The incident triggered strong protests from local residents led by Gulzar Khan, Mohd Hafiz Ishaq, Amjad Khan and Zubair Shah, who expressed deep anguish over what they termed as a gross act of negligence. The protesters held the Thannamandi–Bufliaz road construction agency, GREF/BRO, responsible for the damage, alleging that the sanctity of the graveyard had been desecrated due to poor safety measures during road construction.
Protesters demanded that the damaged graveyard be reconstructed immediately by the responsible agency, stating that this was not merely a matter of land but of faith, traditions, and respect for the departed. “The sanctity of the cemetery is inviolable. Such incidents hurt the sentiments of the entire community,” locals said during the protest.
Due to the landslide, parts of the graveyard collapsed, displacing three graves. The remains were found lying on the road and were later respectfully reburied by local authorities.
SDM Thannamandi Abid Hussain Shah, Tehsildar Mazahar Ali, SDPO Thannamandi Parupkar Singh, and DySP Aehtsham Khan reached the spot, supervised the reburial, and assured the public of appropriate action.
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall over the past 24 hours has caused severe damage to infrastructure across Rajouri district, triggering landslides, road blockages, and the destruction of a residential house.
In Darasanwla of Doongi, a house belonging to Mohd Khaliq, son of Noor Alam, resident of Naghoon, Doongi, was completely damaged due to the incessant rains. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported in the incident, though the damage to property has been extensive.
The downpour has also severely affected road connectivity in several areas. The Koteranka–Khawas Road has been blocked by landslides, while a major landslide between Chingus and Nariyan has disrupted traffic movement on the Rajouri–Poonch Highway, it was later restored. In Thannamandi, the stretch from Dodassan Upper Bhattian to Sora bridge remains blocked due to debris and mudslides.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
