Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 30 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday expressed condolences to the bereaved families who lost their lives in cloudburst and landslides following heavy rainfall in Ramban and Reasi districts.

The LG spoke with the officials to assess the situation and stated that all possible assistance is being provided to the victims.

In a social media post on X, the Office of Lt. Governor of J-K wrote, 'Anguished by the cloudburst & rain-triggered landslides in Reasi & Ramban. Condolences to the bereaved families. Spoke to Senior Officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue and relief operations are underway. All possible assistance is being provided to the affected.'

https://x.com/OfficeOfLGJandK/status/1961656683236847712

At least four people were killed and one was reported missing after a cloudburst hit the Rajgarh area of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.

A search and rescue operation has been launched to provide immediate relief to the victims.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Ramban, Arun Gupta, said, 'Four bodies have been recovered, while another one is missing. We are trying to trace them. The sudden cloudburst triggered flash floods in the Natna area, causing damage to a house and a school besides disrupting normal life in the area.'

He further said that efforts are being made to provide immediate relief to the families of the victims.

'Efforts are being made to provide immediate relief to the families of the victims, while search and rescue operations continue under the supervision of DC, SSP and ASP, who reached the spot early morning today,' the SSP Ramban said.

Ramban has been grappling with heavy rainfall and flash floods.

Authorities said that seven members of a family were killed in a cloudburst in the Mahore tehsil of the Reasi district.

Sub Inspector (SO Traffic) Maqbool Hussain said the Jammu-Srinagar highway remains closed due to multiple damages caused by landslides and falling rocks.

'The advisory has been issued because the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is currently closed. All vehicles coming from the Mughal Road are subject to a cut-off time as per the advisory. We haven't allowed any vehicles to pass after 2:30 pm,' Hussain told ANI.

He further added, 'Passenger vehicles have been instructed to go to the bus stand for accommodation and food. Trucks and small vehicles are being stopped here. As soon as the weather improves or the road advisory is lifted, action will be taken. Until then, we urge people to follow the advisory. Do not act according to your own wishes, as the weather is still poor at the moment. Mughal Road can also be closed at any time.'

Meanwhile, in Reasi's Mahore area, tragedy struck late Friday night after a cloudburst hit Karada village. JKNC MLA Khurshied Ahmed confirmed the deaths

'In the Mahore tehsil, there is a small village, Karada. An incident of a cloudburst occurred there last night...One Nazeer Ahmed, his wife Wazeera Begum, and their five children have died. We had never seen such heavy rainfall...The villagers recovered the bodies this morning,' Ahmed told ANI.

The Reasi District Administration said rescue operations are underway in the affected areas of Badr and Mahore.

According to the IMD, isolated heavy rainfall is likely to continue over Jammu and Kashmir from August 30 to September 2, while light to moderate rainfall is predicted in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, and Uttarakhand during the next four days.

The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued an orange alert for Ramban, Rajouri, Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Poonch, Kathua, and other districts, warning of very heavy rainfall for today. Similar alerts have been put in place for the upcoming days. (ANI)