Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expresses grief over Ramban deaths

Jammu, Apr 20: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed grief over the loss of three lives due to flash floods triggered by incessant rain in Ramban district.

In a post shared by the Chief Minister’s Office on X (formerly Twitter), Abdullah said he was extremely anguished by the tragic landslides and flash floods in Ramban that caused considerable damage to life and property.

“My thoughts are with the affected families in this difficult hour. We are in touch with the local administration to ensure immediate rescue efforts wherever needed. Later today, I will be reviewing restoration, relief, and repair plans,” he said.

“For now, the focus remains on managing the situation on the ground. Citizens are advised to follow travel advisories and avoid non-essential movement in vulnerable areas,” the chief minister added.

Pertinently three people were killed and more than 100 rescued after heavy rain triggered flash floods at different places in Ramban district early on Sunday, officials said.

The officials said a cloudburst struck the Seri Bagna village of Ramban, resulting in the deaths of three persons, including brothers Aqib Ahmad and Mohd Saqib.

They said about 40 residential houses were damaged after a flash flood hit Dharam Kund village. Ten houses were fully damaged while the rest suffered partial damage.

More than 100 trapped villagers were rescued by police personnel who rushed to the spot despite the continuous downpour and cloudbursts, the officials said and added several vehicles were swept away in the flood caused by a stream overflowing.

A senior government official said there had been massive damage in the entire district due to heavy rain, cloudbursts, high-velocity winds, landslides and hailstorms.