At least two people were killed and others were rescued after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in the district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday morning, April 20. The incident took place in the Seri Bagna area of Ramban district, leading to daily life coming to a standstill. Rescue department officials rushed to the scene and recovered two bodies. The deceased have been identified as Aqib Ahmad and Saqib Ahmad, sons of Mohammad Haneef, residents of Seri Bagna, reported the Kashmir Life.
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Meanwhile, vehicular traffic was reported in several areas due to heavy rainfall, which triggered landslides on Sunday morning. Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was closed in both directions for the safety of vehicles due to unsafe travel conditions caused by harsh weather. The highway remains blocked at several key locations. J&K authorities advised commuters not to travel on NH-44 until weather conditions improve and the road is cleared for safe passage. Restoration work is underway.
Traffic Jam on Jammu-Srinagar Highway
Traffic from Udhampur to Srinagar is halted. Authorities have issued an advisory urging people to avoid travelling on the highway today for safety reasons. Jammu and Kashmir police, in a post on X, said, "Jammu -Srinagar NHW (NH-44) is still closed due to landslides/mudslides/shooting stones at several places. It is heavy raining on the whole NHW. Moreover, SSG road/Mughal road/Sinthan are also closed. Commuters are advised not to take the road until the weather improves and the road is clear."
According to the news agency IANS, flood water entered a village near the Chenab River in Dharamkund due to heavy rainfall, which triggered a flash flood-like situation in the area. Ten houses were fully damaged, and 25–30 houses were partially affected. Around 90–100 people trapped in the area were safely rescued by the Dharamkund police on Sunday morning.
"I was travelling from Jammu to Srinagar. Since it was raining, I booked a hotel in Ramban. At around 3 AM, this incident took place. When I came out, I saw that two floors of the hotel were inside the debris. Around 15 people were there on the top floor. We rescued all of them. My new car is completely damaged due to the landslide...Around 8-10 cars are stuck under the debris," said a local named Sunil Kumar.