Death toll mounts to 38 after record rains in Jammu
Jammu/Srinagar: After record rains wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days, the death toll in related incidents rose to 36, most of them victims of the landslide on a Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route, while there was some let-up in the showers on Wednesday, allowing relief efforts to pick up pace.
The water level in the swollen rivers across Jammu showed signs of receding from 11 AM, but the flood alert mark was breached by the Jhelum in Anantnag and Srinagar and water entered several residential areas, prompting authorities to assure residents that they are monitoring the situation and people should not panic.
Massive damage has been reported to public infrastructure, including several key bridges, private houses and commercial establishments, due to overflowing of water bodies and flash floods across the Union Territory, officials said, adding more than 10,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying flooded areas.
As torrential rains disrupted normal life, Education Minister Sakina Itoo announced that all educational institutes will remain closed across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday in view of the inclement weather.
The Northern Railways ordered the cancellation of 58 trains to and from Jammu and Katra stations, while 64 trains were short-terminated or short-originated at various stations in the division.
Rail traffic, which was briefly restored on Wednesday morning with six trains departing from Jammu after a day-long suspension, has again been halted due to flash floods and heavy soil erosion in the Chakki river area, the officials said.
With the rain stopping in some areas, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah rushed to Jammu from Srinagar to personally review the situation in the region.
Officials said that the phone and network services were restored across all networks on Wednesday, 24 hours after the damage to optical fibres caused outages in the Union territory.
The death toll in the Vaishno Devi landslide has gone up to 34 with rescuers pulling out more bodies from under the debris, the officials said, a day after the disaster struck the route to the hilltop shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.
At least 20 people were injured in the landslide triggered by incessant heavy rain and are undergoing treatment in different hospitals, the officials said, adding the landslide struck near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Ardhkuwari, about halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra to the shrine, at around 3 PM on Tuesday.
With more people feared trapped, rescue teams are continuing to dig through the mounds of rubble to look for survivors. While 30 bodies were recovered from the debris, two of those injured died in hospital.
The pilgrimage to the shrine remained suspended for the second day. While the yatra had been stopped on the Himkoti trek route since morning on Tuesday, it was going on the old route till afternoon when authorities decided to suspend it as a precautionary measure.
Jammu has recorded 380 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 AM on Wednesday, which is the highest for a 24-hour period since 1910 when the observatory was set up in the winter capital.
Heavy rains were also experienced in the Kashmir valley overnight, where the main Jhelum river has crossed the flood alert mark at Sangam in Anantnag district and at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar this morning.
Four people, including three women, lost their lives in Doda district on Tuesday, while the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for vehicular traffic, along with over a dozen other roads struck by landslides over the past couple of days.
Officials said a flash flood washed away 10 residential houses and a bridge in the remote Margi area of Kishtwar district, but there was no immediate report of any casualties.
The rains continued non-stop in most parts of the Jammu region over the past 24 hours with almost all water bodies, including Tawi, Chenab, Ujh, Ravi and Basanter, flowing several feet above the danger mark, the officials said.
However, the water level in most of the water bodies started receding after the rains stopped at around 11 AM, though the weather remained cloudy.
Meanwhile, several residential and commercial areas of Srinagar and Anantnag districts of Kashmir were flooded due to heavy rains on Wednesday, as the divisional administration put relevant departments on high alert with instructions to swiftly respond to any emerging situation, officials said.
However, owing to the improvement in the weather, the waters have started to recede in south Kashmir areas even as they were increasing in Jhelum river in Srinagar.
Officials said all efforts are being made to ensure public safety and there was no need to panic due to the inundation that brought back memories of the 2014 floods.
As the water bodies across the Valley swelled due to rainfall, with some areas in south Kashmir receiving heavy rain, several areas were left flooded and water entered residential and commercial areas in Srinagar and Anantnag districts.
In Srinagar, water entered the residential areas in Kursu, Rajbagh, Bemina and Sekidafar, while most places in main Anantnag town also saw flood waters enter residential as well as commercial areas, leaving markets submerged, they said.
The waters also entered the district court complex in Anantnag district in south Kashmir, following which the district judge and other staff had to be evacuated by the SDRF personnel using a boat, the officials said.
The district administrations and police in Anantnag, Kulgam and Srinagar had to evacuate people living in low-lying areas to safety.
Police also launched a comprehensive response mechanism to ensure the safety and mobility of residents by providing frontline assistance to the citizens.
As the rainfall led to the rise in the water levels in all rivers, streams and water bodies, the flood alert mark was breached by the Jhelum river in Anantnag and Srinagar.
Officials said the water levels were receding in water bodies in south Kashmir areas but was increasing in Jhelum in Srinagar city but there was no need to panic.
“The water level will start receding in Srinagar in a few hours as the rains have stopped. Even if it crossed the danger mark, there is no need to worry,” the officials said.
The meteorological department has also forecast improvement in the weather. However, it said a brief spell of rain/thunder cannot be ruled out at a few places on Thursday and Friday.
Minister for Jal Shakti Javed Ahmed Rana chaired a high-level meeting to review the flood preparedness and response mechanism across Jammu and Kashmir.
Accompanied by Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to the Chief Minister, the minister also conducted an on-ground assessment at the Flood Monitoring Station, Sangam, and reviewed the water levels of River Jhelum.
He directed officers to maintain close surveillance on vulnerable spots, ensure round-the-clock communication, and activate public announcement systems for timely dissemination of alerts.
Rana emphasised the need for a robust and proactive strategy to ensure the safety of lives and minimize potential damage.
Officials briefed the minister on the contingency plans in place, highlighting that the SDRF and allied teams are on high alert. It was informed that 24/7 control rooms have been activated to monitor gauge stations and issue early warnings.
The department also confirmed the availability of adequate stock of flood mitigation supplies and essential commodities in designated depots.
The divisional administration in the Kashmir Valley put relevant departments on high alert to ensure public safety and a prompt response to any emerging situation, the officials said.
They said Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Anshul Garg, convened an urgent meeting to assess the readiness of departments and district administrations to respond to any emergency and potential threat of floods in low-lying areas.
At the outset, Garg took a detailed district-wise assessment of the flood situation, including the mapping of vulnerable areas and operational status of district-level control rooms. He reviewed the availability of essential supplies, readiness of manpower and machinery, deployment of resource personnel, and evacuation contingency plans.
Garg instructed departments to update logistics and resource data on the official portal and ensure all relevant information is accessible via a centralized dashboard.
To strengthen preparedness, he called for immediate clearance of debris from roads affected by landslides, facilitating the movement of emergency services and supplies.
Commissioner of Srinagar Municipal Corporation informed the meeting that 49 mobile dewatering pumps had been deployed in waterlogged areas across the city.
Garg reiterated that all departments must remain on high alert and work in close coordination to ensure public safety and a prompt response to any emerging situation.
He visited Hari Niwas to inspect the operation and functioning of UT level Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) where he checked the consolidated data of the centre and distress calls received from the general public. He also conducted an on-ground inspection at Ram Munshi Bagh to assess the water levels of Jhelum.
Garg said the administration is continuously monitoring the evolving situation. He assured that all necessary contingency plans and response mechanisms are in place to effectively manage any potential flood-related challenges.
The district administrations have issued advisories to the public and tourists to remain alert to any signs of waterlogging or sudden rise in water levels.
The advisory asked the fishermen and shikara owners to exercise extreme caution and avoid venturing into deep waters during this period.
“Avoid visiting river bank, nallahs, flood-prone areas until further orders. Stay away from slopes to avoid risk of landslides. Children and elderly must remain indoors and away from water bodies,” it added.
The advisory also asked people to shift livestock to higher and safer locations, keep emergency supplies and important documents in waterproof storage, and remain prepared for possible evacuation if advised by authorities.
Police have also issued helpline numbers for the public to seek any kind of help. (With PTI Inputs)
Educational institutes across J&K to remain closed on Thursday
In view of the flood-like situation, educational institutes across Jammu and Kashmir will remain closed on Thursday, Education Minister Sakina Itoo said.
“Schools and Colleges across Jammu & Kashmir will remain closed tomorrow (28.08.2025) in view of inclement weather,” Itoo said in a post on X on Wednesday.
The decision comes amid torrential rains in the Jammu region, and intermittent rainfall lashing the Kashmir valley on Wednesday.
While schools in Jammu have been closed since Monday, educational institutions in six districts of Kashmir — Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam, and Srinagar — were closed on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.
Heavy rainfall has triggered a flood-like situation across Jammu and Kashmir, with the water level in the Jhelum river and other streams flowing above the flood declaration mark in Kashmir, and rivers and streams flowing above the danger mark in the Jammu division.
Thousands of residents were evacuated from low-lying flooded areas as torrential rains persisted for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, creating havoc in most parts of Jammu.
The Meteorological Department has forecast intermittent light to moderate rain at many places of Jammu Division and South and Central Kashmir on Wednesday, adding that a brief spell of rain/thunder is likely at a few places on Thursday and Friday.
KU postpones all exams scheduled on 28th August
In view of the inclement weather, the University of Kashmir has postponed all the examinations scheduled for Thursday August 28, 2025.
A spokesperson of the KU said that in view of inclement weather conditions, the exams have been postponed, and fresh dates for the conduct of the postponed papers shall be communicated separately.
