J-K: Flash floods hit Chatroo after cloudburst; schools shut in Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban

Flash floods triggered by a cloudburst swept through Chatroo in Kishtwar district early Saturday, inundating homes and shops and damaging roads, while authorities shut schools in Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts amid persistent rain.

The cloudburst struck Chatroo around 2.30 am, sending a sudden surge of water, mud and boulders through the main market and disrupting traffic on the Kishtwar-Chatroo-Sinthan National Highway. At least two vehicles parked near a local stream were swept away, officials said.

No loss of life was reported, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said after speaking to Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma. He said affected shopkeepers and business owners would be compensated under government relief norms.

Schools in the three districts were ordered to remain closed for the day, with authorities citing heavy rain, slippery roads and the risk of shooting stones. Schools have been instructed to conduct online classes.

Singh said disaster preparedness in Kishtwar had been strengthened following last year's Chasoti cloudburst, which killed 63 people, mostly devotees visiting the Machail Mata shrine. Around 30 people who went missing after the incident remain untraced.

The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has installed early warning systems in Kishtwar and Machhail to improve weather monitoring and provide timely alerts, Singh said. An automatic weather station is also being installed in Padder.

Several shops and houses were inundated in Chatroo following the flash floods, officials said.