Flash floods wreak havoc in J&K

Six people were killed and 11 others injured in flash floods triggered by the cloud burst in the mountainous district of Doda in the Jammu division.

Six houses, two shops and one private school building were damaged in the flash floods that struck three places in Thatri village on Wednesday night. The incident occurred at 2 am when the flash floods triggered landslides causing extensive damage to life and property.

"The flash floods hit three different places, but Thatri village, which is 30 km from Doda town, was the worst hit. Seven who were trapped were later rescued. Eight structures were partially or extensively damaged," said Bhupinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Doda.

The flash floods also triggered shooting stones which blocked the main highway leading to the village.

"We cleared the boulders from the highway and traffic resumed at around 12 pm on Thursday," he said. A massive rescue operation is underway to clear the village of slush and assess the damage caused by the flash floods.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra has expressed grief over the loss of precious lives and conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to the families of those killed in the flash floods. Vohra called for restoration work of the damaged properties and provision of relief.

J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti directed the district administration to intensify rescue and rehabilitation operations, provide adequate treatment and make arrangements of shelter, food and other facilities for those affected.