Jammu and Kashmir flood: Death toll touches 90; Home Minister to visit the state today
Jammu/Srinagar: Fresh flash floods and landslides in Jammu and Kashmir left 68 persons dead, taking the death toll in the state's worst floods in nearly six decades to 90.
To review the situation, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and MoS in the PMO Jitendra Singh will visit the state on Saturday.
Army has joined the relief operations as situation turned grim in the state where the deluge has wreaked havoc, damaging roads, dozens of bridges and buildings and crops.
Army soldiers rescue villagers trapped in flash flood using rope at Thanamandi village of Rajouri (Photo: PTI)
As many as 64 persons have died in the Jammu region on Friday in flash floods, house collapses and landslides, state officials said here, while four have lost their lives in Kashmir.
Almost all 10 district in Jammu region are affected. River Jhelum and many other streams were swollen and had inundated most areas in five districts of Kashmir. Three more districts out of 10 in the Valley have also been affected by the flood fury.
Twenty people died in Rajouri in flash floods, landslides and house collapses today, SSP Rajouri Mubasir Latifee said, adding that 13 of them perished in house collapse triggered by landslide in Thanamandi belt.
Besides, 25 bodies were recovered from bus mishap in which 63 members of a marriage party were washed away in Rajouri district, the SSP said.
Army soldiers and villagers recover the wreckage of bus, which was washed away in flash flood in Rajouri district of Jammu (Photo: PTI)
In Poonch district, 12 people died taking the total number of deaths in the district to 19, officials said.
In Reasi district, four people died today taking the toll to 10, the officials said, adding one died in Udhampur district and the bodies of two people who were washed out have been recovered from a canal in Jammu.
With this the total number of deaths in the Jammu region has gone up to 78.
Residents rest with their belongings on the banks of the River Tawi flooded due incessant rains in Jammu (Photo: AP)
Four people were on Friday washed away in Kashmir, taking the toll to 10 in the Valley. Three persons were washed away by strong currents in Sukhnaq Nalla in central Kashmir Budgam district while another youth was drowned in Vishnu Nalla in south Kashmir Kulgam district, police said.
As many as 6,000 people were rescued from flash floods in various areas by teams of Army and IAF.
Over 3,000 people from 20 villages have been evacuated from Pargwal and Munawar Tawi belt in view of areas getting inundated by swollen Chenab river in Jammu and one thousand from other districts thereby dislocating and displacing 10,000 people.
