JAMMU: A woman and her daughter were killed in a house collapse, while 40 persons were trapped in a flooded village as torrential rains pounded Jammu region for the second day on Wednesday, officials said.

The heavy rains led to increase in the water level in rivers, streams and rivulets which are flowing close or above danger mark, while major roads, including all-weather Srinagar-Jammu national highway, remained closed for the second day owing to multiple landslides and landslips between Udhampur and Banihal, the officials said.

They said a mother-daughter duo was killed when their ‘kacha’ house collapsed due to rains in Kangri village of Sunderbani in Rajouri district early Wednesday. Bodies of the deceased were recovered from the debris and shifted to hospital for postmortem.

At least 40 persons were trapped in Garkhal village of Akhnoor due to overflowing of river Chenab which was flowing four feet above the evacuation level of 42 feet this morning, the officials said, adding State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police teams have been rushed to the village for shifting them to safety.

At 8 am, the water level at Tawi in Jammu was recorded at 15 feet, which is one feet flow danger mark, the officials said.

They said the fourth Tawi bridge near Bhagwati Nagar in the city was closed for vehicular traffic late Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure. The bridge suffered damages in the August 26 record rainfall and the connectivity was restored by the army which constructed a bailey bridge on August 29.

Issuing a fresh weather forecast at 8.50 pm on Tuesday, a spokesman of the Meteorological department predicted a spell of heavy to very heavy rain at many places over Jammu, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, Udhampur, Rajouri and Ramban district during the next 14-16 hours.

He also predicted moderate to heavy rain or brief intense showers at many places of Pir Panjal range and south Kashmir with heavy rain over Kishtwar, Poonch, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam during next 14-16 hours.

“There is a possibility of cloud burst, flash floods, landslides and water logging at few vulnerable places,” the spokesman had said.

He said significant overnight rainfall was recorded in most parts of Jammu region with Reasi experiencing the highest 203 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am followed by Katra (193 mm), Batote in Ramban (157.3 mm), Doda (114 mm), Banihal (95 mm), Jammu (81 mm), Ramban (82 mm), Rajouri (57.4 mm) and Kishtwar (50 mm).

According to the Traffic department, Jammu-Srinagar national highway, Mughal road, Jammu-Srinagar-Leh national highway, Jammu-Kishtwar national highway are closed for vehicular movement following multiple landslides and shooting of stones from the hillocks.

“People are advised not to undertake journeys on these roads till the weather improves and restoration work is completed,” a spokesman of the department said.

About Jammu-Srinagar national highway, he said the stretch of land on the upper side of road has been sunk at Tharad in Udhampur while landslides, mudslides and shooting of stones were reported at multiple places, prompting suspension of the traffic for the second day.

The spokesman said one tube each of Lankhanpur-Madhopur and Sahar Khad bridges along Jammu-Pathankot road in Kathua district were damaged by floods last week but the traffic on the highway is continuing through the second tube.

Police and SDRF personnel were seen using a public addressing system to inform people living in low lying areas adjoining the river banks in Jammu to relocate to safer places.

Police and district administration have also issued advisors asking people to remain cautious and stay away from the swollen water bodies and vulnerable areas prone to landslides, while the authorities extended the closure of all government and private schools on Wednesday.

All colleges and universities have also suspended class work and all examinations owing to inclement weather for the day. The Board of School Education has also announced the postponement of exams for classes 10 and 11 scheduled for September 3.

Margi Warwan, September 2: A Congress delegation led by senior leader and former minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori visited Margi Warwan to meet the families affected by the recent devastating cloudburst.

While interacting with the victims, Saroori said the administration, under the supervision of SDM Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, was present on the ground to extend relief and support. He informed that he had already briefed the Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar about the problems being faced by the people of Margi.

Terming the tragedy a natural calamity, Saroori urged people to pray to the Almighty for protection from such disasters in the future. At the same time, he strongly criticized the Lieutenant Governor’s Administration, the Chief Minister, and the Central Government for “ignoring Margi and failing to reach out to its victims.” He questioned why relief efforts were focused on Chishoti while Margi was left unattended. “It was commendable that leaders reached Chishoti, and we pray that such a tragedy never occurs again. But the fact that neither the L.G. Administration, nor the Chief Minister, nor any minister came to Margi is deeply unfortunate,” he added.

Saroori demanded that financial assistance should reach the genuine sufferers without discrimination. He emphasized that those whose houses have been completely damaged must be compensated adequately, and priority should be given to the most affected families. He called for relief distribution on the “principles of justice” and urged the administration to verify damages carefully.

The Congress leader also confirmed that the Deputy Commissioner had announced assistance under the SDRF, amounting to ₹1.38 lakh for fully damaged houses. “Congress is committed to serving the people, and I assure you of all possible help,” he added.

Earlier, SDM Marwah Dr. Mohammad Ashraf, who has been camping in the affected area, briefed the gathering about the measures taken by the administration. He assured the victims that the government and its officials from various departments were with them during this crisis. “Our teams will verify the needy, and we will continue to stay in this village until every affected family receives the required assistance,” he said, urging people to cooperate with the relief efforts.

Locals expressed gratitude to Saroori for visiting them in their hour of need but also raised concerns about the functioning of the Revenue Department. They demanded that higher authorities be deputed to assess the losses as many families had lost everything in the disaster. They also urged that the Revenue Department make public the list of affected families to remove doubts and ensure transparency.

Among those present during the visit were DySP Marwah Vijay Bhagat, Tehsildar Marwah, TSO, BDO, and officials from Revenue, PHE, and RDD departments.