Thathri, Dool deluge claim 8 lives; livestock, property worth lakhs destroyed

Admin announces ex-gratia, launches relief measures

Guv, CM, Azad grieved
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Jammu: Eight people including 6 female were killed and 12 other injured in the flash floods that triggered after the cloudbursts in Doda and Kishtwar, washing away at least 8 structures including a school building.
The tragedy hit the Thathri Tehsil of Doda around 2:20 in the morning when the flash floods, followed by a cloudburst wrecked havoc in area as the level of a Nallah flowing adjacent to the Jama Masjid locality swell up suddenly, washing away several structures built in close proximity to the drain and others along its path leading to the main market, claiming six lives including 5 females and injuring 12 persons, besides heavy loss of property and livestock.
The search and rescue operations were immediately called in involving Army and Police working in tandem with civil administration. However, after ensuring that no more persons are buried under the debris, the operations were called off later in the day.
The flash floods also resulted in blockade of traffic movement along the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway (NH1B) besides power blackout ordered as a cautionary measure by the district administration.
Talking to The News Now, Deputy Commissioner Doda, Bhupinder Kumar informed that Thathri being a congested area resulted in heavy damage of lives and property.
"A total of 8 residential and commercial structures, including a school building have been devastated in Thathri and other adjoining areas. Eighteen sheep have been washed away in the floods while 5 cars have also been ravaged, of which we have been able to recover only two," DC Doda said, adding that the extent of damage could not be immediately ascertained.
Four among the deceased belonged to the same family, including Neeru Devi (35), wife of Dev Raj, resident of Nagni village and her three children Sapna (12), Rahul (10) and Priya (5). The other two women killed were Sareshta Devi, resident of Balgran and Patna Devi, resident of Chansar Gandoh.
The search team rescued twelve people from the debris and admitted them to the Sub-District Hospital Thathri for further treatment.
Police identified them as Pushpinder Singh (15) son of Jeevan Singh of Chansar Gandoh, Manzoor Ahmed (38) son of Gulbaz Khan, Shazia Begum (35) wife of Manzoor Ahmed and her three daughters-Hunza Anjum (12), Fiza Anjum (8) and Shazia Anjum (5) and son Arif Manzoor (2), all residents of Thathri; Zaitoona Begum (40) wife of Mohammad Ayoub, her two daughters Tanveera Bano (19) and Sumera Bano (12) and son Muzaffer Ayoub (15), residents of Kither, Bonjwah and Hethan (8) son of Naresh Kumar, resident of Balgran, Marmat.
"An immediate relief of ten thousand rupees each was released to the deceased and five thousand rupees to the injured from Red Cross funds whereas a compensation of rupees four lakh each to the Next of Kin (NoK) of the deceased will also be given under State Disaster Response Fund," DC Doda informed.
It was also informed that traffic movement on highway was restored at around 12 in noon whereas power supply was reinstated too. The water supply, however, being heavily damaged, will only be restored later today evening. "We are supplying water to public through tankers as a provisional measure before we put back the necessary mechanism for water supply," said Deputy Commissioner.
Some other areas adjoining Thathri Tehsil were also affected in the calamity; however no casualty has been reported from there. In Piyakul village in Kahara Tehsil, 10 Kilometers from Thathri, 4 mud houses belonging to nomads have been washed away, though.
Meanwhile, in Cherji village of Dool area in Kishtwar, a woman and her grandson have been washed away in the flash floods as the flood hit the area at around 3:30 in the morning while 5 sheep and 3 cows have also been killed in the inundation.
"The body of woman, identified as Gunki Devi (50), has been recovered while her grandson, Samrat (7) is still untraced. A search operation is underway to recover the child's body.
Besides the immediate aid, a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each under SDRF and 1 Lakh rupees each under Red Cross CM Release Fund has been announced for the NoKs of the deceased," informed Ghulam Nabi Balwan while talking to The News Now, adding that no other infrastructural damage has been reported so far in the area.
Governor N.N. Vohra has conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to the families of those killed and advised urgent start of the work for the restoration of the damaged properties and provision of relief.
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident and has directed the District administration to intensify rehabilitation operations, provide adequate hospital treatment to the injured and make arrangements of shelter, food and other facilities for the people affected by the cloudburst and consequent flashfloods.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has also expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of six persons in the cloudburst.
"My heart goes to the families who have lost their kith and kins in the devastation and I sympathise with the injured people," he said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of three persons, who were washed away in flash floods in Udhampur on Tuesday, have been recovered. They have been identified as Mohd Sharif, Rekha Devi, both residents of village Pachound, and Shakina of Pattangarh, police said today.
The deceased were washed away in flash floods at Pachond in Dudu area of Udhampur when they were crossing a Nallah.

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Human, livestock, property losses in Doda, Kishtwar

Thathri, Doda District
nTotal 6 people including 5 female and one male reported dead
n4 of family including a woman, her two daughters and a son among the deceased
n18 sheep killed
n8 structures including a school building completely damaged, 5 cars also ravaged
nAdministration announces Rs 10,000 each to the NoKs of the deceased, Rs 5000 to the injured on the spot from Red Cross funds
nRs 4 Lakh each to the NoKs of the deceased announced from SDRF funds

Dool, Kishtwar District
nTwo people including an elderly woman and her 7-year-old grandson reported dead
nBody of woman recovered, boy's still missing
nAdministration announces Rs 5 lakh each to the NoKs of the deceased, Rs 4 Lakh from NDRF funds and Rs 1 lakh from CM funds