Jammu/Srinagar/New Delhi: At least 11 people, including a woman and her two children, were killed in fresh rain-related incidents across Jammu on Monday, raising the death toll to 23 over the past two days, officials said.
However, some news agencies reported that death toll has reached to 26.
Seven people went missing as persistent heavy rain hampered rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Seven people, including two children, were buried alive after a landslide triggered by heavy rain brought down their mud house in the upper reaches of Loran in Poonch, officials said.
Villagers pulled out from the debris the seven deceased, who were identified as Zahida Begum, 38, her son Manan Rafiq and daughter Aleesa, aged six and four, her brother-in-law Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, 27, sisters-in-law Shamim Akhter, 33, and Shabnam Bano, 31, nephew Mohammad Irfan, 17 — all residents of Arigam village of Mandi Tehsil, the officials said.
Earlier in the day, a passenger bus was hit by a rock that rolled down from a hillock near Raggi Nallah along the Jammu-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district.
Two people, Kulwant Singh and Manish Kumar, died in the incident reported at around 9.30 am, and six were injured.
The highway was blocked for an extended period as a couple of private cars were hit by boulders. No one was hurt in that incident.
In the Kashtigarh area of the district, a woman identified as Shiv Devi was killed after being hit by a stone near her house.
The body of Vikas Ahmed, who was washed away in flash floods, was fished out from the river at the Salani area of Rajouri town this morning, the officials said.
Heavy rain over the two days has caused massive damage to public and private infrastructure.
Ten people died and six went missing in Poonch, while in Rajouri, two died, and a Jal Shakti employee went missing.
The fresh spell of rain began around 3 am in the twin border districts and continued intermittently throughout the day.
Swollen streams, slippery terrain and poor visibility hindered the movement of rescue teams, who have been racing against time to trace the missing.
The rescue teams comprise police, army, SDRF and civil defence personnel and local volunteers, the officials said.
The Meteorological Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir till July 23.
Abdullah on Sunday directed all district administrations to submit situation reports every six hours until July 24 to strengthen monitoring and ensure a coordinated response.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting via video conference with deputy commissioners of flood-affected districts and senior officials to review relief and rescue operations following heavy rainfall across the Union Territory.
The meeting came hours after Abdullah announced an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of those killed in rain-related incidents in Rajouri and Poonch districts. He took stock of the situation as more casualties were reported from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Since Sunday, rain-related incidents have claimed 23 lives and left seven people missing across the Jammu region. Poonch was the worst-hit, recording 17 deaths and six missing people, followed by Rajouri with three deaths and one missing. Doda recorded three deaths and six injuries.
During the meeting, the chief minister directed the officers to ensure that immediate relief is provided to people in the flood-hit areas, officials said.
Earlier the Chief Minister also announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of those killed in rain-related incidents in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
“While no amount of financial assistance can ever compensate for the irreparable loss of life caused by yesterday’s flash floods, landslides and other rain-related incidents in Poonch and Rajouri, an ex-gratia relief of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased as an immediate measure of support for the bereaved families,” Abdullah said.
An official spokesperson said the relief package comprises Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
The announcement follows a high-level review meeting chaired by the chief minister on Sunday evening in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods and other rain-related incidents that struck the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch, resulting in multiple fatalities and widespread damage to public and private property, the spokesperson said.
During the meeting, he directed the administration to ensure immediate relief and rehabilitation of the affected families, stressing that all possible assistance should reach them without delay.
The Chief Minister also expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragic loss of three lives in shooting-stone incidents at Raggi Nallah and Jathi Ganika in Doda district, which also left six persons injured.
The Chief Minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls. He also wished a speedy and complete recovery to those injured in the incidents.
Directing the district administration and health authorities to provide immediate and adequate medical care to the injured, the Chief Minister emphasized that every possible assistance must be extended to the affected families without delay.
The Chief Minister also expressed sympathy with the families who suffered the loss of livestock due to a lightning strike at Mal Pathar Dhar.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to standing by people affected by natural calamities, the Chief Minister said that the administration would continue to closely monitor the situation and provide all necessary support to those impacted.
