Four dead in cloudburst in J&K’s Kathua district

A cloudburst in Kathua’s Jod Ghati village killed four and injured six. Landslides hit nearby areas, and rising water levels in Ujh River have prompted authorities to urge residents to avoid water bodies. SDRF and police are on-site for rescue operations.

Jammu: A cloudburst struck a remote village in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving four persons dead and six others injured, officials said on Sunday.

The cloudburst struck Jod Ghati village of Rajbagh during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, snapping access to the village and causing some damage to land and property, they said.

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After hectic efforts, a joint team of police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have reached the scene and joined the local volunteers.

So far, bodies of four persons have been recovered while six others were rescued in an injured condition and are being shifted to hospital, the officials said.

They said landslides also hit Bagard and Changda villages under the jurisdiction of Kathua police station and Dilwan-Hutli in Lakhanpur police station area but there was no major report of damage.

The heavy rains have led to sharp increase in the level in most of the water bodies with the Ujh river flowing near the danger mark, the officials said.

The district administration is closely watching the situation and have requested people to stay away from water bodies for their safety, the officials said.