Jammu:A devastating flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall swept away a husband and wife in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Friday, with rescue teams recovering the body of one of the victims while efforts continued late into the evening to trace the other.
The tragedy occurred in Kaghote Panchayat of Ramnagar in Udhampur district after intense rainfall caused a sudden surge in the Kaghote nallah.
Officials said the victims were identified as Baldev Kumar (58) and his wife Maya Devi (53), both residents of Kaghote village.
According to officials and local residents, the couple had gone to graze their cattle and were attempting to cross the nallah when they were caught in the strong current generated by the flash flood and swept away.
Police, assisted by local volunteers and rescue teams, immediately launched a search operation. By evening, rescuers had recovered the body of one of the victims, while the search for the second person continued. Officials said it was not immediately clear whether the recovered body was that of Baldev Kumar or Maya Devi.
The incident comes amid increasing weather-related incidents across the region following intermittent heavy rainfall.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who represents the Udhampur parliamentary constituency, said he had spoken to Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Minga Sherpa immediately after receiving information about the incident.
In a post on X, the Minister said he was closely monitoring the rescue operation.
“Just now spoke to DC Udhampur, Sh Minga Sherpa after receiving the news of a husband and wife couple named Sh Baldev and Smt Maya Devi getting swept away by heavy rainfall flash in Panchayat Kaghote of Ramnagar. The body of one of them has been recovered, while the rescue operation is going on. My sincere condolences with the bereaved family. My office is in constant touch,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast another active spell of monsoon rains across Jammu and Kashmir, issuing a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall between August 9 and August 11.
According to the MeT Department, August 8 is likely to witness one or two spells of light to moderate rain and thundershowers at many places, with brief intense showers expected in isolated areas.
Between August 9 and 11, most parts of the Union Territory are expected to receive light to moderate rainfall, while a few districts of Jammu division may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall. Some districts in Kashmir division are also likely to witness brief but intense showers.
The weather department has further predicted scattered light rain and thundershowers across many places from August 12 to 17, accompanied by isolated intense spells.
Flash Flood, Landslide Warning
Issuing a weather advisory, the MeT Department warned that heavy rainfall during August 9–11 could trigger flash floods, landslides, mudslides, shooting stones and waterlogging, particularly in vulnerable and low-lying areas.
Authorities have advised people to avoid crossing nallahs, stay away from landslide-prone slopes and exercise caution while travelling through hilly areas. District administrations and disaster response agencies have also been asked to remain on alert.
Temperatures Remain Below Seasonal Average
The prevailing cloudy conditions have kept daytime temperatures below normal across most parts of Kashmir.
According to the MeT Department, Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 28.5°C, 1.4°C below normal, while Pahalgam recorded 23.5°C, 2.2°C below normal. Kupwara registered 28.3°C, 2.4°C below average, and Gulmarg recorded 20.2°C.
In the Jammu region, Jammu city recorded a maximum temperature of 33.7°C, marginally above the seasonal average.
Rainfall during the day included 2 mm in Katra, 1.4 mm in Bhaderwah, and 1.3 mm in Qazigund, while several other stations across Kashmir reported trace rainfall over the past 24 hours.
With another spell of intense rainfall forecast over the coming days, authorities have urged residents, particularly those living near rivers, streams and vulnerable hill slopes, to remain vigilant and follow official advisories.
