Jammu: Three persons, including two children, died while four others were rescued as flash floods triggered by cloudbursts and heavy rains were reported from different areas of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kathua districts on Thursday, officials said.
Shaqafat Ali (14) and his cousin, Safeena Kousar (11), drowned due to flash floods in a rivulet at their Sialsui Mou village in Kalakote sub-division of Rajouri, they said.
Saima (10), who was also trapped in the flash floods, was rescued by local volunteers and shifted to a hospital, the officials added.
The children were grazing their cattle when they were swept away by the flash floods due to a cloudburst, the officials said, adding that the bodies were retrieved and handed over to the relatives of the children for the last rites.
The body of Basharat Hussain (32), a resident of Dunadi village, was fished out by a rescue team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) from the Lopa stream in Doda, the officials said, adding that he drowned while bathing in the stream on June 23.
Baldev Raj (35) and Sushil Kumar (25) were rescued by the SDRF from a swollen Ujh river, near Jarmal village in Nagri block of Kathua, the officials said.
They said the men had gone fishing and got trapped due to a sudden rise in the water level following heavy rains in its catchment areas.
The officials said the SDRF also rescued a person from a stream in Poonch.
Flash floods due to cloudbursts were also reported from Qazi Mora in Poonch and different high-altitude areas of Doda, Udhampur and Ramban districts, but there was no report of any casualty.
Meanwhile, the administration in various districts, including Rajouri and Doda, have imposed a complete ban on swimming, bathing, fishing and roaming near rivers, nallahs, waterfalls, and also prohibited school picnics.
Advisories have been issued asking citizens to stay alert and follow precautionary measures amid likely flood situations this rainy season, the officials said.
Police personnel were also seen using a public address system fitted in their vehicles asking people to stay away from swollen water bodies due to incessant rains.
The weatherman has forecast intermittent spells of light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places, with the possibility of heavy rain at a few places of Jammu division till Friday.
