Jammu, June 26: Three people, including two children, died and four others were rescued after flash floods triggered by cloudbursts and heavy rainfall hit parts of Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, and Kathua districts on Thursday, officials confirmed.
In Rajouri, 14-year-old Shaqafat Ali and his 11-year-old cousin Safeena Kousar were swept away while grazing cattle in Sialsui Mou village of Kalakote. Another child, 10-year-old Saima, was rescued and hospitalized.
In Doda, a rescue team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) recovered the body of Basharat Hussain (32) from the Lopa stream, days after he drowned while bathing on June 23.
Meanwhile, in Kathua, Baldev Raj (35) and Sushil Kumar (25) were rescued from the swollen Ujh River near Jarmal village after being trapped during a fishing trip. Another person was rescued from a stream in Poonch.
Flash floods and cloudbursts were also reported in high-altitude areas of Qazi Mora (Poonch), Doda, Udhampur, and Ramban, though no further casualties were reported.
In response, district administrations have banned swimming, bathing, fishing, and school picnics near water bodies. Public advisories urge citizens to stay alert and avoid risky areas amid warnings of continued rainfall.
Police are using loudspeakers to warn locals, while the Meteorological Department forecasts intermittent light to moderate rain with chances of heavy showers in parts of Jammu division through Friday.
