11 killed in rain fury; search on for 7 missing in Poonch, Rajouri

Amarnath, Vaishnodevi, Shiv Khori yatras suspended for second day amid heavy rains

21/07/2026

Jammu, Jul 20: At least 11 people, including a woman and her two children, were killed in fresh rain-related incidents across Jammu on Monday, raising the death toll to 23 over the past two days, officials said.
Seven people went missing as persistent heavy rain hampered rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
Seven people, including two children, were buried alive after a landslide triggered by heavy rain brought down their mud house in the upper reaches of Loran in Poonch, officials said.
Villagers pulled out from the debris the seven deceased, who were identified as Zahida Begum, 38, her son Manan Rafiq and daughter Aleesa, aged six and four, her brother-in-law Tanveer Ahmad Bhat, 27, sisters-in-law Shamim Akhter, 33, and Shabnam Bano, 31, nephew Mohd Irfan, 17 -- all residents of Arigam village of Mandi Tehsil, the officials said.
Earlier in the day, a passenger bus was hit by a rock that rolled down from a hillock near RaggiNallah along the Jammu-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district.
Two people, Kulwant Singh and Manish Kumar, died in the incident reported at around 9.30 am, and six were injured.
The highway was blocked for an extended period as a couple of private cars were hit by boulders. No one was hurt in that incident. In the Kashtigarh area of the district, a woman identified as Shiv Devi was killed after being hit by a stone near her house.
The body of Vikas Ahmed, who was washed away in flash floods, was fished out from the river at the Salani area of Rajouri town this morning, the officials said.
Heavy rain over the two days has caused massive damage to public and private infrastructure.
Ten people died and six went missing in Poonch, while in Rajouri, two died, and a Jal Shakti employee went missing.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 6 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. Abdullah said no amount of financial assistance can ever compensate for the irreparable loss of life.
A government spokesperson said the relief package comprises Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an additional Rs 2 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF). The fresh spell of rain began around 3 am in the twin border districts and continued intermittently throughout the day.
Swollen streams, slippery terrain and poor visibility hindered the movement of rescue teams, who have been racing against time to trace the missing. The rescue teams comprise police, army, SDRF and civil defence personnel and local volunteers, the officials said.
The Meteorological Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir till July 23. Abdullah on Sunday directed all district administrations to submit situation reports every six hours until July 24 to strengthen monitoring and ensure a coordinated response.
The pilgrimages to the cave shrines of Amarnath, Mata Vaishnodevi and Shiv Khori in Jammu and Kashmir were suspended for the second consecutive day on Monday amid heavy rainfall. Pilgrims have been advised to stay at the base camps and lodging centres in view of the inclement weather.
"In view of the inclement weather forecast issued by the MeT Department, the administration has already decided that the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra shall remain suspended till further orders. Accordingly, no vehicle carrying pilgrims shall be allowed to proceed from Jammu, Udhampur or Ramban towards Srinagar," it said. Hundreds of pilgrims have been stranded at various base camps and lodging centres in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Ramban and Banihal, with security put in place along the highway to prevent any vehicle carrying pilgrims from moving towards Kashmir.
Similarly, the yatra to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi in the Trikuta hills of Reasi district remained suspended for the second day, with police making announcements over loudspeakers about the suspension of the yatra at the Katra base camp.
"The yatra has been suspended. No pilgrim will be allowed to move towards Bhawan," the announcement said. Pilgrims, who had arrived in Katra town, the base camp of the shrine, have been advised to stay where they are till the weather clears.
The pilgrimage to the Shri Shiv Khori shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district has also remained suspended for the second day in view of the forecast of heavy rainfall and the prevailing inclement weather conditions in the Ransoo area, officials said. The Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board advised devotees to postpone their travel until further notice, citing safety concerns arising from the adverse weather.
"In view of the forecast of heavy rains issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the inclement weather in Ransoo, the pilgrimage to Shri Shiv Khori will continue to remain suspended," an advisory said, adding that pilgrims have been advised accordingly.
The administration is continuously monitoring the weather situation and has urged devotees to check the latest updates before planning their visit to the cave shrine. Officials said further decisions regarding the resumption of the pilgrimage would be taken based on improvements in weather conditions and safety assessments. The rain began early Sunday, with cloudbursts occurring in the forest areas of Kashmir. The weather department has forecast moderate to widespread rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir from July 19 to 24.
Army used a helicopter to retrieve the body of a flash flood victim that had remained trapped among rocks in the middle of a swollen river for more than 20 hours, officials said. The body, later identified as that of 20-year-old Mohammad Javed, was first spotted in the fast-flowing MunawarTawi River in the Nowshera area Sunday evening, prompting a joint operation by the police, SDRF and local volunteers.
Despite repeated efforts, rescuers were unable to recover the body because of strong currents and rising water levels, making it unsafe to reach the location safely, they said. With all ground-based efforts failing, the Army pressed a helicopter into service following a requisition by the district administration. In a carefully coordinated aerial operation, the body was successfully retrieved from the river, bringing the prolonged rescue mission to an end, the officials said.
They said the deceased had reportedly been washed away during recent flash floods. Police later shifted the body for legal formalities, including postmortem. The helicopter-assisted operation highlighted the Army's crucial role in carrying out difficult rescue missions in hazardous terrain and adverse weather conditions where conventional methods prove ineffective, officials said. Javed went missing from his rented accommodation in the Malik Market area of Rajouri, which witnessed flash floods early Sunday. So far, three bodies, including that of Javed, have been retrieved. A search is underway for a missing Jal Shakti Employee.

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