Chennai, 30 August (H.S.) : At least 11 people lost their lives in separate incidents of cloudburst and landslide triggered by heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi and Ramban districts. In Reasi, a landslide struck a house in the remote Badder village, killing seven members of a family, including five children between the ages of 5 and 13. The deceased family members were identified as Nazir Ahmad, 38, his wife Wazira Begum, 35, and their sons Bilal Ahmed, 13, Mohd Mustafa, 11, Mohd Adil, 8, Mohd Mubarak, 6, and Mohd Wasim, 5.

In Ramban district, a cloudburst triggered flash floods, sweeping away two residential houses, a cowshed, and a school building in the Rajgarh area. Four people died in the incident, while one person remains missing. The bodies of the deceased were recovered from underneath the debris after a hectic search by rescuers, comprising local volunteers, police, and SDRF. The deceased were identified as Ashwani Sharma, 24, his brother Dwarka Nath, 55, niece Virta Devi, 26, and their guest Om Raj, 38.

Rescue and relief operations are ongoing in both districts, with Deputy Commissioner of Ramban, Mohammad Alyas Khan, supervising the efforts. Khan assured that the district administration is on high alert and extending all possible assistance to the affected families. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the incidents and assured full assistance to the affected families. The Chief Minister has directed officials to ensure round-the-clock monitoring and carry out timely evacuation of residents from risk-prone zones.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary