Amid frightening thunderstorm and cloudbursts, hundreds of village volunteers were the first respondents to reach out to the victims of flash floods and landslide that struck several villages in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Sunday (April 20, 25), leaving two minor brothers and an elderly man dead.
Dozens of houses and a stretch of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Panthiyal were damaged, while a number of villages were inaccessible, cutting off from the district headquarters.
Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary is closely monitoring the ongoing operations in the affected areas, where educational institutions will remain closed on Monday (April 21, 2025.)
"I have never seen such a weather condition in my entire life. I was woken up by the deafening sound of the cloudburst at around 4.30 a.m. and within no time heard cries for help," Mohammad Hafiz, a Seri Bagna village resident, told PTI.
Seri Bagna village was hit by flash floods that claimed lives of three people — Aqib Ahmad (12), his brother Mohd Saqib (10) and their neighbour Muni Ram (65).
“We managed to pull out the two brothers after a portion of their house collapsed due to the flash floods but both of them had dead,” Mr. Hafiz said, adding that the volunteers defied their fear and continued the rescue operation despite heavy rains.
Former Sarpanch Teerath Singh said all the villagers continued their efforts and were hopeful of pulling out Muni Ram, who was alive and stuck under the debris. However, the elderly man could not be saved.
“It was a frightening scene as dark clouds were hovering overhead with heavy rains continuing. We lost three precious lives and many houses were damaged,” he said.
The scene was no different in Dharam Kund village where police promptly acted and rescued more than 100 villagers, including women and children. “It was around 5.30 a.m. when the local stream started overflowing after many deafening sounds of cloudbursts,” said Asgar Ali, one of the villagers who lost his house as he praised police's prompt action.
Ranjit Singh, Ali’s neighbour and another victim of the flash floods, said his family of three had a narrow escape and they could not retrieve a single item from the house. “A number of cars were also washed away,” he said.
The villagers have been given shelter at the government middle school with the administration providing necessary support including ration.
Around the same time, Sundari Mohalla and Bowhi Bazar areas were struck by flash floods, dumping muck inside the homes and shops and hotels. “Ramban is devastated by this calamity,” Jugal Kishore Chib said, hoping to cope up with the situation.
The Weather Department has predicted improvement in the weather from Monday, after two days of widespread rains in the plains and snowfall in higher reaches. Ramban District Administration has launched an extensive rescue and relief operation amidst devastating rains and flash floods that affected several parts of the district.
Accompanied by Ramban Senior Superintendent of Police Kulbir Singh and other senior officers, Deputy Commissioner Chaudhary reviewed the ground situation and coordinated with the specialised teams engaged in relief efforts.
“Teams from the police, SDRF, civil volunteers, Army and other stakeholder departments and agencies, besides volunteers from the local NGOs are actively engaged in rescue and restoration operations across the affected areas,” an official said.
"The administration is implementing government directives with utmost urgency to intensify rescue operations and ensure the safety and welfare of the affected people,” DC Chaudhary said.
He appreciated the public response in adhering to advisories issued through social media and other communication channels, noting that people's alertness played a vital role in minimising the loss of lives during the calamity.
While confirming that huge loss of property and damage to infrastructure has been reported from various parts of the district, he appealed to the public to avoid venturing into risky areas, including nallahs and landslide-prone zones, and to remain in safer locations.
The Deputy Commissioner also urged the public to rely only on authentic sources of information and refrain from spreading or believing in rumours.
In view of inclement weather and heavy rain causing flash floods, the Deputy Commissioner said all government and private schools, colleges and technical education institutions shall remain closed on April 21.
