New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take stock of the flood situation in Rajouri district following heavy overnight rainfall, officials said.
The home minister, who is on a three-day visit to West Bengal, ensured all possible help for the safety and security of the affected people, they said.
At least eight people were killed, and six others went missing as torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation.
The worst hit was Surankote tehsil in Poonch district, where most of the fatalities occurred, while rescue teams raced against time to trace the missing amid continuing rain and damaged roads, officials said.
Chief Minister Abdullah, who was in Delhi for the proposed statehood protest, said he was cutting short his visit and would return to Jammu in the afternoon in view of the worsening situation across parts of the division.
Lieutenant Governor Sinha also reviewed the situation in the rain and flash flood-hit districts and directed officials to ensure immediate relief and assistance to the affected families.
