JAMMU/SRINAGAR: 21 more people were today killed in the devastating floods that have hit Jammu and Kashmir, taking the toll to 46 since Wednesday.
17 deaths were today reported from Jammu region, including 10 in a house collapse incident in Rajouri, apart from recovery of five bodies from yesterday's bus mishap in which 50 members of marriage party were washed away in Rajouri district, officials said.
Four people were today washed away in Kashmir, taking the toll to 10 in the Valley. Three persons were washed away by strong currents in Sukhnaq Nalla in central Kashmir Budgam district while another youth was drowned in Vishnu Nalla in south Kashmir Kulgam district, police said.
10 people were killed when a house was buried in a landslide in Thanamandi belt of Rajouri district, a police officer said adding that some more people are missing and operation is on to rescue them.
Two more people died in flash-floods and house collapse in Sunderbani and Darhal belts of Rajouri districts, he said. In Jammu district, two people who were washed away, were recovered from canal here, police said.
In Reasi, two women died due to flash-floods and one woman died in Udhampur district in flash-floods, police said.
With today's deaths, a total of 46 people have died in the state hit by floods and land slides due to incessant rains since Wednesday.
J&K Government has ordered red alert for floods as all the rivers in Jammu region are flowing above the danger mark.
As many as 1100 people were rescued from flash-floods in various areas by teams of Army and IAF teams, taking the total number of the rescued persons since yesterday to 1350, a Defence spokesman said. A total of 2500 people have rescued in the state so far.
Army has deployed 85 columns of troops for search, rescue and relief operations in Jammu and Kashmir in a major way, he said.
In Jammu, over 30 villages have been hit in Pargwal and Munawat Tawi ares in Jammu and over 3000 people have been evacuated by security forces and shifted to safer places, they said.
Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second day along with several inter-districts road in Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch district.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a tour of flood-hit areas of Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow along with Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh.
The Home Minister spoke to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on telephone and has assured him of all possible help from the Centre.
Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have already reached the state and more were being sent from Punjab.
"Army has been asked to assist in the relief and rescue operations in submerged areas of south Kashmir and Srinagar city while four companies of NDRF have already arrived and have been dispatched to the affected areas," Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal told PTI.
As many as 1100 people were rescued from flash-floods in various areas by teams of Army and IAF teams today.
In Jammu, over 30 villages have been hit in Pargwal and Munawat Tawi ares in Jammu and over 3000 people have been evacuated by security forces and shifted to safer places, they said.
Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the second day along with several inter-districts road in Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch district.
"The level of water in River Jhelum at upstream Sangam in Anantnag district is well above the measurable mark of 34 feet... the measuring metre has disappeared, which has resulted in flooding of Anantnag and surrounding areas," an official said.
He said there was no mention in official records about this happening before. "We have seen the level of Jhelum rise to 26 or 27 feet in the past but never beyond that," he added.
Eighty-five-year-old Haji Abdul Gani Dar from Srinagar said he had seen such a flood in 1957 when almost the entire Kashmir Valley was submerged.
Most parts of south Kashmir including Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam district have been submerged.
Officials said the water level in Rambiara stream in Shopian district was also rising very fast, threatening to inundate the only south Kashmir district not affected by floods so far.
Doodhganga stream, which flows through southern part of the city, has breached the embankments at several places, flooding the residential areas.
The threat of floods has increased in north Kashmir region after River Jhelum breached the danger mark of 14 feet at Asham in Bandipora district, they said.
The authorities have evacuated people from many areas in Bandipora in anticipation of flooding today.
The Sindh nallah in Ganderbal district is also flowing above the danger mark while the water level in streams and rivulets in Budgam district is also rising fast.
There has been no respite from the rains which began on Tuesday as the heavy downpour continued through the night.
Standing crops like paddy and horticulture crops worth hundreds of crores of rupees have been damaged due to the floods. The exact quantum of loss will be known only after the flood situation eases.
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