STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Two people were washed away in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Rajouri district on Friday, prompting security forces to launch a rescue operation during which one body was recovered, officials said.
One-way traffic movement resumes on Jammu-Srinagar highway
Banihal/Jammu: One-way traffic movement resumed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway after remaining suspended for several hours since Friday morning following landslides triggered by heavy rain in Ramban district, officials said.
Vehicles carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, that were stranded on the highway, have been allowed to move towards Kashmir, they said. “The traffic on one way of the highway has been restored and Amarnath Yatra pilgrims taking the Baltal route, who were stranded at Chanderkoot in Ramban since morning, have been allowed to move,” an official said.
The landslides and mudslides have been cleared, he said.
The 270-km highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country, was blocked by shooting stones, landslides and mudslides at places in Ramban district, they said.
Earlier, Deputy Superintendent of police (headquarters) Ramban, Pardeep Sain, who is also the yatra officer at Chanderkoot, had said that heavy showers lashed the Ramban sector between 3 and 4 am.
He had said that the highway was closed at Mehaar, Cafeteria Mode, Chamba, Anokhifall, Kelamode, and Pantiyal.
The two were carrying out extraction of sand from Darhali Nallah using an earthmover and a tipper near Attlee Balla area in the early hours of Friday, they said.
Sudden flash-floods in the river washed away the duo along with the earthmover and the tipper, the officials said. The Army, police and locals launched the operation to trace the two people who were washed away in the flash floods near Darhali Nallah, they said.
The body of Sajad was recovered and efforts are on to trace the other person, Ibrar, the officials added.
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man was killed when a house collapsed after being hit by a landslide in Poonch, officials said.
The incident took place in the mountainous Mandi area of the district, they said.
The man was buried under the debris and his body was recovered by the locals, the officials said. Authorities announced an assistance of Rs 10,000 to the family of the deceased from the Red Cross fund, they said.