Jammu/Srinagar, 3 Sep

Heavy rains across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday left a woman and her daughter dead, while 40 persons were trapped in a flooded village in Akhnoor, officials said.

In Anantnag district, police rescued 25 nomadic families stranded under a bridge due to the rise in the water level following heavy rains.

The rains led to an increase in the water level in rivers, streams and rivulets, which are already flowing close or above the danger mark, while major roads, including all-weather Srinagar-Jammu national highway, remained closed for the second day owing to multiple landslides and landslips between Udhampur and Banihal, they said.

Educational institutions in the valley and the Jammu region remained closed in view of the inclement weather.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the situation arising from the incessant rains at a meeting, the CM's office said in a post on X.

Abdullah directed the administration to intensify the ground response, ensure clearance of waterlogged areas, safeguard essential services, carry out timely evacuations in critical zones, and provide immediate relief.

Officials said the incessant rains claimed the life of a mother-daughter in Kangri village of Sunderbani in Rajouri district early Wednesday. The two died after the roof of their house collapsed.

At least 40 persons were trapped in Garkhal village of Akhnoor due to overflowing of the river Chenab, which was flowing four feet above the evacuation level of 42 feet this morning, the officials said, adding State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police teams have been rushed to the village for shifting them to safety.

Heavy rains over the past 24 hours have resulted in flooding of many areas in south Kashmir, including Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam.

"Anantnag Police carried out a swift rescue operation at Aang Anzwalla, safely evacuating 25 nomadic families stranded due to a sudden rise in Lidder Nalla," a spokesman of Anantnag district police said in a post on X.

He said immediate relief was provided to the evacuated families.

In neighbouring Kulgam district, five nomadic families were rescued by police from Brazloo village after the water level rose in the Vaishov Nalla on Tuesday night, officials said.

Emergency helplines have been established in various police station areas of South Kashmir, where the water level is rising significantly in the water bodies.

Police and civil administration have issued advisories to the general public, urging them not to venture close to water bodies in view of the inclement weather.

Many areas in the Kashmir valley witnessed a fresh spell of rain.

In south Kashmir, Qazigund in Kulgam district recorded 90.6 mm, followed by Kokernag (89 mm) and Pahalgam (64.4 mm) in Anantnag district, while Srinagar experienced 46.1 mm of rainfall during the past 27 hours ending 11.30am.

At 1 pm, the Jhelum’s upstream gauge reading at Sangam in Anantnag was close to the danger mark of 25 feet and downstream at Ram Munshibagh in Srinagar was almost 17 feet, just one foot below the alert level and four feet below the danger mark.

At Asham in north Kashmir, the gauge reading of the Jhelum was almost six feet below alert level at 8.59 feet, the officials said.

However, the rains in Srinagar stopped around noon, but the sky remained overcast.

With the rains continuing, the water level in the rivers in the Jammu region has been on an increase.

At 8am, the water level at Tawi in Jammu was recorded at 15 feet, which is one foot below the flow danger mark, the officials said.

They said the fourth Tawi bridge near Bhagwati Nagar in the city was closed for vehicular traffic late Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure. The bridge suffered damage in the 26 August record rainfall, and the connectivity was restored by the army, which constructed a Bailey bridge on 29 August.

Issuing a fresh weather forecast at 8.50pm on Tuesday, a spokesman of the Meteorological department predicted a spell of heavy to very heavy rain at many places over Jammu, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, Udhampur, Rajouri and Ramban districts during the next 14-16 hours.

He also predicted moderate to heavy rain or brief intense showers at many places of the Pir Panjal range and south Kashmirwith heavy rain over Kishtwar, Poonch, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam during the next 14-16 hours.

“There is a possibility of cloud burst, flash floods, landslides and water logging at a few vulnerable places,” the spokesman had said.

He said significant overnight rainfall was recorded in most parts of Jammu region with Reasi experiencing the highest 203 mm of rainfall till 8.30am followed by Katra (193 mm), Batote in Ramban (157.3 mm), Doda (114 mm), Banihal (95 mm), Jammu (81 mm), Ramban (82 mm), Rajouri (57.4 mm) and Kishtwar (50 mm).

According to the Traffic department, Jammu-Srinagar national highway, Mughal road, Jammu-Srinagar-Leh national highway, and Jammu-Kishtwar national highway are closed for vehicular movement following multiple landslides and shooting of stones from the hillocks.

Police and district administration have also issued advisories asking people to remain cautious and stay away from the swollen water bodies and vulnerable areas prone to landslides, while the authorities extended the closure of all government and private schools on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills remained suspended for the ninth day on Wednesday as the base camp Katra recorded a rainfall of over 200 mm -- the highest in the Jammu region -- during the past 24 hours, officials said.

The yatra to the shrine was suspended on 26 August, a couple of hours before a major landslide triggered by rains struck the old route near Ardhkuwari and killed 34 pilgrims and injured 20 others.