At least nine people including four minor children, a BSF officer and army jawan were killed on Wednesday following incessant rains across different parts of Jammu region.
A police post was washed away in Behramgala area of Surankote in Poonch while the road link to Poonch city was snapped after the bridge linking the city was also washed away in flash floods.
According to reports four minors along with middle aged woman were buried alive after landslides hit their temporary houses (mud houses) in Mahore tehsil of Reasi on wednesday. Rescue teams from the district headquarters were rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations. Official sources feared the death toll may rise further as number of mud houses were believed to be trapped under the massive landslides. The pace of rescue operations was,however, slow due to inclement weather conditions.On the other hand a BSF officer was feared dead after a bunker collapsed along the line of control in Poonch. An army jawan of RR battalion engaged in rescue operations was also killed due to rain fury in Poonch.
According to official sources, two civilians were also washed away in flash floods in Mandi tehsil of Poonch. Though the local villages rescued them from the water bodies but doctors in local Poonch hospital declared them brought dead. Following uninterrupted rainfall in the hilly areas several local streams and 'nallahs' were witnessing constant rise in water levels. Red alert has also been sounded in frontier Poonch and Rajori districts by the district authorities to prevent civilians from going near the water bodies. More than 100 temporary houses and other structures were also washed away as rain fury lashed the region.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway which witnessed landslides following heavy rains.