30 Years of hard work gone: Saudi returnee who lost 8 family members in Poonch flood

A Saudi Arabia returnee has appealed to authorities to deploy heavy machinery to recover the bodies of five family members still buried under the debris of his home after a devastating flash flood in Poonch killed eight members of his family.

Haji Latif, who spent 27 years working as a labourer in Saudi Arabia to build his dream home and secure a better future for his family, lost his wife, four children, a daughter, a granddaughter and another relative in Sunday's tragedy.

"Please help me. If JCB machines can be brought here, they can remove these huge boulders because people alone cannot do this work. If even one more body of my loved ones can be recovered, it will be the greatest blessing from Allah for me," Latif said, sitting beside the remains of what was once one of the finest houses in Murrah-Bufliaz village, locally called the "Taj Mahal".

Three bodies have been recovered, but five others remain buried beneath the debris, he said.

Torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir's twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri on Sunday, killing several people and injuring many. The disaster prompted a multi-agency rescue operation.

The rescue effort has been hampered by landslides blocking roads leading to the affected area, delaying the arrival of heavy excavation equipment. Officials said the administration was working to restore connectivity to Murrah hamlet and facilitate the movement of machinery, including JCB excavators, to clear the debris and recover the bodies.

Latif said his house represented nearly three decades of hard work as a labourer in Saudi Arabia.

"I spent 27 years working in Saudi Arabia. Every penny I earned went into building this house. Everyone in the village knows how much effort I put into it. It was my dream home. I had only two goals in life: To build a home and ensure my children received a good education. My eldest son was studying in Class 12 in Jammu. I wanted all my children to study and achieve great things," he said.

Recalling the night of the tragedy, Latif said he woke up around 3 am after hearing heavy rain and became concerned about his vehicle parked near a stream down the hill.

"I told my family I was going to move the vehicle. My wife handed me a torch, my shoes, a walking stick and the car keys. My children woke up and saw me off at 3:19 am," he said.

After moving the vehicle to safety, his wife and children called him and urged him to return as the rain intensified.

"At around 3:29 am, I heard a deafening roar from the stream. I thought it was just the sound of the swollen water. I never imagined my house would be destroyed. We had never witnessed such devastation from rain or floods," he said.

The deceased include 59-year-old Noor Safia, wife of Mohd Latief; 16-year-old Sajad Ahmed; 11-year-old twins Haqnawaz Ahmed and Shahnawaz Ahmed; Khalda Kouser, 25, wife of Yasar Iqbal; her 2-year-old child Sofian; Bano Bi, 60, wife of Mohd Hussain; and 7-year-old Mohd Akram, son of Mohd Liaqat.

Latif said his greatest loss was not his home but his family.

"My family is gone. Allah gave the house and he has taken it back. I accept his will," he said, struggling to hold back tears.

He said he believed some of his loved ones remained buried beneath the massive boulders and debris covering the site.

"Three bodies have been recovered from here, but I believe others are still trapped beneath these rocks. Until JCB machines arrive, these huge boulders cannot be removed. If I can recover the bodies of my family members, I need nothing else," he said.

Latif urged the authorities to expedite the deployment of heavy machinery to the site so the remaining bodies could be recovered.

 

(Source: PTI)