Rescue teams rushed to evacuate stranded pilgrims near Adhkwari, while the Yatra, a pilgrimage to the shrine, has been suspended pending further orders.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha expressed shock and grief over the tragedy. They have ordered immediate relief and rescue efforts to assist the affected pilgrims and have extended condolences to the bereaved families.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah shared a post on X, expressing the challenges faced due to limited communication. Data is flowing slowly on Jio mobile, and fixed-line WiFi, browsing, and accessing most apps are severely limited. Even X, a popular social media platform, struggles with slow loading times, and WhatsApp struggles with sending messages longer than short texts. Abdullah compared the current situation to the devastating days of 2014 and 2019, highlighting the deep disconnect experienced by the affected communities.
In Kishtwar district, twin cloudbursts triggered flash floods in the Margi area of Warwan Valley. The floods resulted in the destruction of at least 10 houses, the loss of over 300 kanals of crops, livestock, and a bridge.
Reports indicate that water has entered approximately 60 houses, forcing affected families to seek shelter under tarpaulin tents on nearby hillocks.
In the twin valleys of Warwan and Marwah, where phone connectivity is almost non-existent, locals managed to convey distress messages, urgently seeking immediate rescue and relief assistance.
The remote Warwan valley, home to nearly 40,000 people across 50 villages, remains cut off from the district headquarters in Kishtwar. Residents are urging authorities to expedite relief and rescue operations to address the urgent humanitarian crisis.
River Tawi at Udhampur was flowing at 36.1 ft at 6 a.m., nearly 13 feet above the Evacuation Level and four feet above the previously highest ever recorded level during the 2014 floods.
At 5.30 a.m., the Chenab River at Akhnoor was flowing at 43 feet, one foot above the Evacuation Level.
Authorities have declared a flood in the Jhelum River in the Valley as the river was flowing above the danger mark at Ram Munshibagh in Srinagar this morning.
Water has entered all low-lying areas of Jammu city, including the parking space of the Jammu railway station.
Srinagar-Jammu national highway, Srinagar-Leh, Jammu-Pathankot, Sinthan Pass leading to Kishtwar from the Valley, and Razdan Pass leading to Gurez have also been blocked by adverse weather, triggering landslides and fresh snowfall.
In Jammu district, all schools, colleges, universities, training/coaching institutes and government offices except those connected with flood relief will remain closed today, the DM Jammu said in an order issued.
In the Valley, all schools, colleges, and universities in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Budgam, and Srinagar remain closed for the day due to adverse weather conditions, said the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir.
Fiber services and landline services on state-owned BSNL were also down. The outage caused problems among people as mobiles showed no signals, they said. Telecom operators said it was a network issue due to "multiple fibre cuts" at various places, including Jammu, Srinagar and Shimla.
“We will try to restore the network and services as fast as possible," they added.
--IANS
