Jammu, Jun 25: Nine men were rescued Wednesday in a joint operation by police and SDRF teams after they were trapped in the Tawi river following a sudden rise in the water level due to rains that lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Heavy rains also disrupted traffic along Jammu-Srinagar national highway for over three hours this morning, while a couple of vehicles were also washed away due to overflowing of a stream in Rajouri district, the officials said.
Madan Lal (52), a labourer, had gone for sand extraction in the Tawi around 8.45 am but got trapped due to sudden rise in the water level near Jewel chowk bridge in the city.
He was rescued by State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel who dropped a ladder from the bridge and managed to pull him out after remaining trapped for around two hours, the officials said.
Eight more people, including some who had gone for “Pind Daan’, were rescued in a joint operation by police, traffic cops, SDRF and local volunteers, the officials said.
Several trapped horses were also rescued during the operation, the officials said.
A traffic department spokesman said mudslides triggered by heavy rains blocked Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Mehad and T2 tunnel in Ramban area around 6.30 am, forcing suspension of traffic from both sides.
However, the traffic resumed after the concerned road clearance agencies removed the debris within three hours, he said.
The officials said an overflowing stream caused a flood-like situation in Kheora, Lower Jawahar Nagar and Thudi in Rajouri town, while a couple of vehicles parked on the banks of the stream also got washed away.
According to the meteorological department, Katra town of Reasi district recorded the highest 108.5 mm of rainfall, followed by Rajouri (80 mm), Udhampur district (71.4 mm), Poonch (48 mm) and Ramban (47.5 mm) during the past 24 hours.
The weather office has predicted intermittent spells of light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places with possibility of heavy rain at a few places of Jammu division till June 27.
