SRINAGAR: The Jhelum and Chenab rivers have further swelled amidst recurrent rains, causing flashfloods in dozens of villages. With fresh deaths taking place in Thana Mandi Rajouri and Kashmir region, the death toll across Jammu and Kashmir reached close to 100 on Friday.
At least 14 persons were trapped while four of them died when a landslide hit Thanamandi town in Rajouri district of Jammu province on Friday, officials and witnesses said. One person died in Central Kashmirs Ganderbal district when he came under an electric poll, uprooted due to flashfloods. Another person died of heart attack after he observed gushing waters streaming into his village in Tangmarg area of North Kashmirs Baramulla district. Two people drowned when strong currents washed away a bridge at Brazlu in Kulgam district. Three people were washed away when they were crossing Nallah Sukhnag in Khansahab area of Budgam district.
Chaos and confusion prevailed for the consecutive third day in Mehjoor Nagar, Bemina, Lasjan, Barzullah, Ram Bagh, Baghat, Channapora, Natipora and other parts of Srinagar as flashfloods stormed numerous localities. A masjid was partially damaged when the branch of a Chinar tree fell on its roof. Reports said that during the time of incident there was nobody present in the Masjid. Locals at Firdous Abad Fruit Mandi Parimpora said that at least 300 families were still trapped in waterlogged houses, however, nobody from the administration and the government visited their area. Most of the shops in city centre Lal Chowk in Srinagar remained closed while thin movement of traffic was observed on the roads throughout the day.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Rohit Kansal, IGP Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir and other officials visited several flood-hit areas of Srinagar city. They supervised the rescue and relief operations. These officials visited various areas including Lasjan, Mehjoor Nagar, Bemina, Barzullah, and exhorted the field officers to provide all possible assistance to the affected people.
Police rescued a shepherd and his wife along with their two sons from Gumri area near Zojilla pass in Ganderbal district when they came under a land-slide. SHO Sonamarag Mir Afaq said that four members of a family were rescued by police from Gumri. He refuted the reports than more than 150 people had been trapped there.
Meanwhile Army authorities claimed they have launched the “mission saahita” to help people move out of their inundated houses and localities. Reports said that Army personnel from 13 RR swung into action after Kanyari village in Bandipora District submerged into water. Army used rescue boats and evacuated the hundreds of residents to safer places. An army official said that all the residents were shifted to Degree College Sumbal and proper food and other necessary items were supplied to the affected people. The soldiers from the same unit launched rescue operation in Banyari village of the district Bandipora and evacuated hundreds of villagers to safer places.
Unprecedented floods wrought havoc in Uri Baramulla on Friday when the gushing waters washed away NS Bridge, the town’s only link with the Valley. Jabla Bridge, 3 kilometers away from Uri town that connects Srinagar with Muzaffarabad in Pakistan administered Kashmir was destroyed due to speedy waters. Due to the destruction of the bridge, scores of vehicles including army convoys were stranded on the Srinagar-Muzaffrabad road.
Eyewitnesses said that due to increasing water level in the dam, all the four power generating units of Uri II were closed. Power supply was, however, restored in most parts by afternoon. People residing in the adjoining areas of the dam were shifted to safer places after speedy waters started entering into these villages. We have shifted the people living at Salamabad, Kalgai, Jhulla and Dachi villages to safer places as water level is increasing and there is every possibility of these villages getting submerged into flood waters, a police official said. Four houses were completely damaged after they collapsed due to flash floods at Salamabad Uri. However, police rescued all the family members and shifted to them safer places.
Reports said Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) camp located at Bela in Uri Tehsil was washed away when gushing waters made entry into the camp that created panic among the CISF personnel. Flood water also made its way inside Sub-District Hospital Boniyar as a result authorities shift all the patients to safer places.
Several livestock herds were killed when they were trapped in midst of flashfloods in the higher reaches of Bangus Valley. A middle-aged man Muhammad Assadulah Sheikh died of heart attack in Pinjoora village near Kunzar after seeing the flood waters enter the hamlet.
Different areas in Pattan town including Trikolbal, Ghatgopalan, Khoi Sultanpora, Hanjivera Payeen, Nooripora, Gund Khawaja Qasim, Kanturbough, Malmou, Arampora, Bedbugh, Habak and Tengpora, Malbuchan were still submerged for the second consecutive day while at Ghatgopalan village 26 houses were collapsed. However, no loss of life was reported from any part of the town.
Reports said that scores of houses have been damaged due to flash floods in Tungiharan, Archandrahama, Agarkalan and Kungamdara areas of Pattan area.
Flashfloods reportedly claimed two lives in South Kashmirs Kulgam district when according to locals strong water currents washed away Brazlu bridge soon after Friday prayers. The bodies of the duo were untraceable till the last reports came. Their identity has not been ascertained yet. Dozens of landslides hit Kokarnag area for the consecutive second day on Friday. Police said that 14 families comprising of 96 members were rescued from Mati Bidhar area of Kokarnag and were shifted to safer places.
Many villages in Anantnag district continued to be cut off due to damage to bridges following flashfloods. Dozens of villages in Sangam including Marhama are still submerged as a result huge losses to property have been reported. Authorities evacuated hundreds of villagers Bangidar, Buhram and other areas. Authorities pressed dewatering pumps into service to drain out the water from the raods.
Many areas in the old Anantnag town and KP Road are still submerged in floodwater. Various area of the town including Mattan Chowk, Dangerpora, Mehandi Kadal, Lal Chowk, Janglat Mandi, Iqbal Market, Laizbal, Anchidora, SK Colony, Naibasti and Achabal Adda. Choppers were seen flying across South Kashmir doing aerial survey of the havoc created by flash-floods.
Pulwama: At least 150 sheep belonging to Abdul Hamid Chopan and Farooq Ahmed Chopan died due to land slide in Seer Jagir area of Tral town of Pulwama district..Flood threat still loomed over scores of hamlets in District Pulwama including Gulzarpora, Halmula, Sethar, Kaichbehkut, Chersu, Sail. The adjoining villages of Kakpora, Awantipora, Pampore and Tral were still submerged in water for the consecutive day. Reports said that people already evacuated from their houses have taken shelter in Schools and Panchayat Ghars.
Reports said that flash floods created havoc in different parts of South Kashmirs Shopian district. The livestock of nomads residing in the upper reaches of the district were reportedly washed away. Police said that 400 people were rescued from Rakh Litter, Wachi and Zainpora villages of the district.
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