Heavy rains have triggered landslides and flash floods across Jammu and Kashmir since Sunday, killing at least 23 people and leaving seven others missing.
Poonch, Rajouri and Doda are among the worst-hit districts. In Poonch, a mudslide buried a house, killing seven members of a family, while flash floods in Rajouri destroyed more than 100 vehicles. Hundreds of people have been moved to relief centres after homes, businesses and public infrastructure suffered extensive damage.
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About two dozen shops were washed away by the overflowing Sukhnag stream in the Beerwah area of J&K's Budgam district, which also brought down a large municipal shopping complex next to the major bus stop in the area, on Tuesday.
A local, identified as Shabir Ahmad Poswal, was swept away in Khag and is feared dead. No other immediate casualties have been reported in this area.
Rescue efforts were launched in Budgam district after heavy rains triggered flash floods in Beerwah and Khag, sweeping away a man and causing extensive damage to homes and marketplaces, according to Prasar Bharati.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and other security personnel carried out rescue and relief operations. The floods also washed away the temporary alternate road connecting Beerwah with Budgam and Khansahib, while burst drinking water pipelines disrupted local water supply, local reports said.
A civil defence warden told ANI that teams had been on duty since Monday and were mobilised after a Red Alert was issued for Kashmir on Wednesday.
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He said rescue teams tried to salvage goods from damaged shops, but a sudden building collapse hampered the operation. "We made a concerted effort to salvage the goods, but the sudden collapse of the building prevented us from recovering much of the stock. The financial loss involved here runs into crores," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir continues to witness continuous rain, with thunderstorms, and the risk of flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas. While authorities are closely monitoring water levels in rivers and streams.
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