Three people died on the spot due to a cloudburst in the Seri Bagna area of Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday. The deceased include two children. The movement of vehicles was halted on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway (NH-44) as heavy rains led to landslides, closing roads in multiple locations. Officials have urged travelers to refrain from using the highway until the weather improves.
In in a post on X, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said there was a heavy hailstorm, multiple landslides and strong, gusty winds throughout the night in the Ramban region, including the areas surrounding the Ramban town.
“The National Highway stands blocked and unfortunately there have been 3 casualties and loss of property for a couple of families,” he said.
Singh said that he is in constant touch with Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary. The district administration deserves appreciation for timely and prompt action, which helped save several precious lives.
” Every kind of relief, both financial and otherwise, is being provided. The DC has been conveyed that, if need be, whatever more is required, can be provided from MP’s personal resources as well,” he said.
“The deceased children have been identified as Aqib Ahmad and Saqib Ahmad, both sons of Mohammad Haneef. The third victim has been identified as Muneer Ahmad, a resident of Bhagna village,” he said.
Debris buries vehicles
Some videos of the landslide have surfaced, in which debris can be seen falling from the mountain. In some areas, the debris of the mountain has reached the roads and residential areas. In a video, three-four tankers and some other vehicles are seen completely buried in the debris. Apart from this, hotels and houses are also seen affected by the debris.
According to the Meteorological Department, heavy rain and snowfall are expected in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday due to a Western Disturbance. Snowfall is anticipated in high-altitude areas such as Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and the Pir Panjal Range, as well as in lower regions. This weather pattern will also lead to a drop in temperatures, and flights may be diverted due to adverse conditions.
Weather to remain dry and hot in MP, Maharashtra, and Gujarat
Meanwhile, the weather will remain dry and hot in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and the maximum temperature can reach 38-42°C. There is no heatwave alert in Gujarat today, but the effect of intense heat will remain. 5 districts of Madhya Pradesh will be in the grip of heatwave on Sunday.
The weather will be dry and hot in Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (West) and Rajasthan. Today the temperature in Rajasthan can remain up to 40-42 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature in Delhi is expected to be between 39-41°C degrees and the minimum between 20-23°C.
Possibility of rain in these states
Rainy conditions prevail in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh. There is a possibility of lightning here. There will be heavy rain in the coastal areas of Kerala-Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Prakash Kumar Pandey