At least four people lost their lives and one remains missing after a sudden cloudburst struck the Rajgarh area of Ramban district on Saturday, officials confirmed.
A large-scale search and rescue operation is underway, with teams working to provide relief to the affected families.
Ramban Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Arun Gupta said, “Four bodies have been recovered, while one person is still missing. Flash floods triggered by the cloudburst damaged a house and a school, severely disrupting normal life in the Natna area.”
Authorities, including the Deputy Commissioner, SSP, and ASP, reached the site early this morning to oversee rescue efforts and ensure immediate support to victims’ families.
The district has been facing continuous heavy rainfall and flash floods in recent days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted isolated heavy rains over Jammu and Kashmir from August 30 to September 2, while a broader spell of moderate rainfall is expected across J&K, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, and Uttarakhand.
The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued an orange alert for Ramban, Rajouri, Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Poonch, Kathua, and surrounding districts, warning of very heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has stepped up relief operations in flood-hit regions of Jammu and Punjab. Using Mi-17 and Chinook helicopters, the IAF has conducted over 55 sorties, evacuating stranded civilians, Army personnel, and BSF troops from inundated areas such as Dera Baba Nanak, Pathankot, and Akhnoor.
Additionally, C-130 transport aircraft have been deployed to airlift NDRF teams and relief supplies into affected zones. In the last three days, operations have rescued 215 people and delivered 7,300 kg of essential aid, according to the Ministry of Defence.
