The Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a devastating cloudburst late on Saturday night, unleashing heavy rains that led to flash floods across several areas. Torrential downpours inundated homes, shops, and even the Kathua police station, while vehicles were left half-submerged in muddy waters. Officials reported that the sudden rise in water levels caused widespread destruction, with the Ujh river swelling dangerously close to the red mark, threatening more villages along its banks.

The worst-hit areas were Jodh Ghati village of Rajbagh and Janglote, where residents struggled to cope with nature’s fury. According to initial reports, five people died in Jodh Ghati following the cloudburst, while two others lost their lives in a landslide triggered by the rains in Janglote. Rescue teams from the SDRF, police, Army, and civil administration immediately swung into action, evacuating injured survivors and shifting families from vulnerable locations to safer shelters. Despite the quick response, visuals from the ground showed roads blocked with debris and homes filled with slush, highlighting the scale of the disaster.

Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar confirmed that seven deaths had been recorded so far, while expressing concern that more people could still be trapped in affected areas. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and assured that all necessary support was being provided. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was briefed on the situation, with authorities stressing that preventive measures were being strengthened to avert further tragedies. This calamity comes just days after another deadly cloudburst in Kishtwar’s Chisoti village that killed at least 60, raising fresh concerns about the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events in the Himalayan region.