A cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district killed at least three people on Friday and triggered flash floods. Several houses were damaged, and five people are reported missing after the cloudburst in Ramban. The district lies around 136 km from Srinagar.
Heavy rainfall has been battering Jammu and Kashmir for the past few days, disrupting life and damaging roads. The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) suffered major damage and remained closed to traffic. Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Sharma said several roads were washed away or blocked. He added that the highway may reopen by this evening or tomorrow morning.
In Poonch and nearby areas, rainfall caused significant damage, while restoration work began on Mughal Road to keep essential supplies moving. Authorities issued a yellow alert for Poonch, Reasi, Rajouri, Kishtwar, and Udhampur districts for Friday, warning of thunderstorms and lightning. An orange alert has been issued for Saturday and Sunday in Ramban, Jammu, Udhampur, Poonch, and Kishtwar.
The Jammu administration ordered the closure of all schools, government and private, till August 30 due to the severe weather. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the flood situation, warning that more rain could have led to destruction like the 2014 floods.
