Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 16: A 15-year-old girl was killed when cloudburst struck on the Srinagar-Leh highway in Sonamarg area of Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal this evening while there were multiple cloudbursts in South Kashmir.
A police officer said that a cloudburst struck at around 7.30 pm at Kullan and Gagangir villages and in Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district. The cloudburst led to washing away of several houses in these villages and several feet slush has got accumulated on the highway leading its closure. Several vehicles have also been washed away.
“We have recovered the body of a girl Iqra Nazir,” the officer said, adding rescue operations were on in the area.
Some foreigners from Spain who were staying in nearby locality have been safely evacuated. There were landslides in Sonamarg area but Army accommodated the civilians in transit camps.
On the Baltal Amarnath yatra route, a bridge caved in but there was no report of any casualty. A team of engineers camping near Sonamarg for the Z-Morh tunnel, linking the Valley to Kargil, were also evacuated by the Army.
Reports said that several houses were damaged in Kullan village where there was cloudburst. Several vehicles were also washed away but there were no passengers. Reports said that all tourists and yatris are safe.
At Kullan, the administration was trying to remove the slush from the highway but residents didn’t allow them. They said that two families of Kullan village are missing and they fear the inmates of these two families are buried under the slush.
The Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police Ganderbal are at the spot and major rescue operation is on.
Deputy Inspector General of Police South Kashmir, Nitish Kumar, told Excelsior that there was cloudburst at Sheshnag. However, all yatris are safe. He said that one of the poneywalla was struck by cloudbust and he was critically injured. “Some of the tents of service providers were washed away”, he added.
There were cloudbursts at Hapatbar and Bandinar in South Kashmir in which 2-3 houses were damaged.
In the meantime, the Meteorological Department forecast said that weather for next few days will be freak in Kashmir. “There is a forecast of light to moderate rainfall in Kashmir valley on Friday with the expectations of a dip in temperatures. There will be a bit of relief from the simmering heat which is being witnessed by the people here since past days. For the coming days, there will be mainly cloudy weather,” Director MET, Sonam Lotus said.
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