At least four people lost their lives after a cloudburst struck Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Tuesday. The sudden, heavy rain caused flash floods that damaged more than 10 houses, officials said.

This disaster came just days after similar events in the Kathua and Kishtwar districts. With rivers and streams flowing above danger levels, authorities have sounded a flood alert across the Jammu region.

A senior official warned, “There is a flood alert in the Jammu region, and people are advised to stay away from water bodies and landslide-prone areas.”

The weather department has predicted more heavy to very heavy rainfall across districts, including Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Ramban, and Doda.

As a precaution, all government and private schools remained closed on Tuesday. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was also suspended due to landslides and shooting stones. In Doda, a key road was washed away when a stream overflowed.

The River Tawi was in spate, while Kathua district recorded the highest rainfall — 155.6 mm in 24 hours. Jammu city received 190.4 mm over the weekend, the second-highest August rainfall in 100 years.

Himachal hit by flash floods and landslides

In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, continuous heavy rain triggered landslides, flash floods, and building collapses across multiple districts.

In Manali, strong currents of the Beas River swept away a hotel and four shops early Tuesday. In Mandi, two buildings housing around 40 shops collapsed after becoming unsafe due to rain. Thankfully, there were no casualties.

Authorities ordered the closure of schools in several districts, including Mandi, Kangra, Chamba, Una, Hamirpur, Sola, and Shimla.

The State Emergency Operation Centre reported that 795 roads were blocked, along with 956 power transformers and 517 water supply schemes disrupted.

Between June 20 and August 25, 156 people have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal, while 38 remain missing. The state has recorded 77 flash floods, 41 cloudbursts, and 81 major landslides so far.

Losses have been estimated at over ₹2,394 crore. Rainfall in Himachal from June 1 to August 25 was 703.7 mm,  22% higher than normal.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for districts like Kangra, Chamba, and Lahaul-Spiti, warning of “intense to very intense spells of rain.” An orange alert was sounded for parts of Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan, Kullu, and Shimla.

With more rain forecast in the next 24 hours, officials have urged people to remain cautious and avoid vulnerable areas.

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