Two die, seven injured due to weather vagaries

Flood threat looms in Valley as Jehlum flows at alarming level

5 Dariya News

Srinagar 06-Apr-2017

A woman and a minor girl died in Rajouri and Kupwara respectively while scores of passengers are missing in Anantnag district, and the government has sounded flood alert due to incessant rainfall from the last two days.According to KNS correspondent, a woman died due to lightening in Rajouri district while several people got trapped in flash floods in Poonch district today.The woman was identified as Khatun Begum, 47 of Dandote Budhal area of Rajouri district.According to KNS correspondent, Fayaz Hameed, a minor girl identified as Shabana Saleem, daughter of Muhammad Saleem Mir, resident of Payerpora Hyhama Kupwara drowned in Nallah in the area.The dead body of the minor girl was recovered from Baba Pora area, two kilometers away from Payerpora.Meanwhile, scores of passengers went missing after a cab plunged into a river in Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.Reports said that the cab was heading towards Larnoo area from main Kokernag when it plunged into Brengi Nallah near Dandipora village. Reports quoting officials said that six passengers were rescued while five others are still missing.According to KNS correspondent, at least three persons sustained injuries when a tree fell on a vehicle they were travelling in at Sangrama on Srinagar-Baramulla highway in north Kashmir.The injured persons according to the officials were shifted to hospital and are said to be in stable condition.

Reports said that over 30 sheep were killed after a house collapsed due to heavy rains in Shandi Balmatkote area of Mahore in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The sheep according to the officials belonged to Abdul Rehman.The heavy downpour since last evening has triggered flood like situation in the Valley as the lanes, by-lanes, main roads and the city areas were inundated with the muddy water.It has also resulted in damage to the crops, residential houses, buildings including schools and mosques in several parts of across the Valley.Meanwhile, according to KNS correspondents, the outer wall of Jamia Masjid Delina was collapsed and several schools in almost half a dozen villages in Langate area of Kupwara district have been damaged.While the standing crops have damaged fully the trees and orchards have also been uprooted at various places in South as well as North Kashmir areas.Inhabitants especially residing in city areas accused the authorities for failing to repair the choked drainage system, which according to them has caused inundation of the muddy water in the lanes, by-lanes and main roads.In Srinagar, main markets including Lal Chowk, Sarai Bala, Jahangir Chowk were inundated with water due to which the markets and roads were shut for the day.

According to KNS correspondent, the Bemina area of Srinagar that was most affected in the 2014 deluge got partially submerged today due to the heavy downpour. Some of the residents living in the interiors of Bemina have left their residence and went to the safer places.Reports said that the authorities in the Imam Hussain hospital located in the area have also shifted their patients to upper floors.The officials in Irrigation & Flood Control Department informed KNS that the water level in the river Jehlum is flowing above the alarming levels at both Sangam as well in Ram Munshibagh.The flood like situation has gripped panic among people across Kashmir as the water level continued to swell in river Jehlum and other tributaries.Meanwhile, in view of the flood like situation in the Valley, the Police department, SDRF and Directorate of Health Service Kashmir (DHSK) has issued helpline numbers.The officials said that in any case of facilitation, general public is requested to call/SMS or Whatsapp them.The doctors working in different hospitals across the Valley have been asked to remain alert in view of the alarming situation triggered by the flood like situation in the Valley.Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Mohammad Haneef Lone told KNS that the water level in river Jhelum has touched the danger level.Lone said that people in flood-prone areas need to be cautious. (KNS)