Cloudburst in Kashmir's Ramban: Jammu-Srinagar Highway shut, travel disrupted

In a recent update, Seri Bagna village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district has experienced a devastating cloudburst which has claimed three lives till now as per officials. As of now, rescue operations are underway as authorities search for survivors.
As per the Press Trust of India (PTI), this is not the first rain-related incident and the total death toll from rain disasters in the Jammu region has reached five in the past two days. On Saturday night, two more people, including a woman, were killed and another injured after lightning struck the Arnas area in Reasi district.
Heavy rains have triggered flash floods in Dharam Kund village and more than 40 houses were damaged, but 10 are completely destroyed. Despite ongoing rainfall and repeated cloudbursts, police teams managed to rescue over 100 residents from affected regions. Several vehicles were also swept away by an overflowing stream, adding to the mounting damage across the region.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh praised the prompt response of the district administration, led by Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary. “There were landslides and strong winds in Ramban. The administration acted quickly and saved lives,” Singh posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“Around the area, there has been significant destruction due to rain, cloudbursts, landslides, and even hailstorms,” a district official told PTI. “We are closely monitoring the situation. Right now, our priority is to protect lives, and the assessment of losses will follow.”
The extreme weather also led to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), the only all-weather road connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country. Landslides, mudslides, and falling rocks along the Nashri-Banihal stretch rendered large portions of the 250-kilometre highway impassable, stranding hundreds of commuters.
A section of the road near Panthiyal was washed away by the surging water. Authorities confirmed that all stranded travelers have been safely relocated. A traffic department spokesperson advised the public to avoid any travel along the highway until conditions improve and clearance operations are completed. In the wake of the devastation, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called an emergency meeting to review the situation.
Officials continue to monitor the region as the threat of further rainfall and unstable terrain remains high.