Heavy rain causes landslides in J&K

Torrential rain across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday led to landslides and caused waterlogging in several parts and damage to some houses here.

Police said the rain triggered landslides in Ladakh region which left 130 tourists stranded on the Leh-Manali roadway.

“The tourists trekked 15 km to a bus point, from where district administration officials and a police team escorted them to Leh,” a police spokesman said here.

The heavy rainfall also hit the Amarnath Yatra on the traditional Pahalgam route as
the pilgrimage was suspended for some hours in the morning due to slippery tracks. The yatra resumed from Baltal route in Sonamarg which was affected by landslides for several days.

The inclement weather has hit the twin yatra routes badly over the past five days.
A meteorological (MeT) department official said Srinagar witnessed 17 mm rainfall till 11:30 am. The heavy rainfall waterlogging in several areas of the city.

The MeT office has forecast widespread rain for three more days in the Valley. The rain also damaged standing crops and hanging fruits in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, reports said connectivity to far-off hamlets in the mountainous Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu region was also snapped due to the heavy rainfall.
Several villages were inundated as rivulets started overflowing because of heavy downpour in various areas in Kishtwar, reports added.