Kathua cloudburst live updates: Five children among seven killed in Kathua; rescue underway

KAthua cloudburst unrecorded updates: The demise toll rosebush to septenary, including fin children, while four others were injured in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Sunday, officials said. Search and rescue operations are continuing in Jodh Ghati and nearby areas.The incident occurred just days after a cloudburst in Kishtwar district claimed at least 60 lives. Rescue teams there are still searching for nearly 100 missing persons.Officials said a family was feared trapped after a landslide hit Juthana Jodh in the early hours of Sunday. Around the same time, suspected cloudbursts struck Jodh Ghati and nearby locations, cutting off access to the village.“During rescue operations, we recovered three more bodies — one in Jodh Ghati and two in Janglote. The death toll has gone up to seven now,” said Kathua SSP Shobhit Saxena.Inspector Ajay Singh of Rajbagh police station said the incidents took place between 3:30 am and 4 am. “Advance parties have reached the area,” he added.The deceased have been identified as Renu Devi (39) and her daughter Radhika (9), Surmu Din (30), his sons Fanu (6) and Shedu (5), Tahu (2), son of Habib Deen, and Zulfan (15), daughter of Bashir Ahmed. All were residents of Kathua district.Chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed anguish at the loss of lives. Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha also expressed grief over the deaths and said he had briefed union home minister Amit Shah about the situation.Union minister Jitendra Singh, who represents the area in Lok Sabha, wrote on X, “The civilian Administration, Military and Paramilitary has swung into action. The situation being continuously monitored.”Rescue efforts in KathuaPolice and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were deployed to the area. Authorities said water entered the Janglote industrial area, a Kendriya Vidyalaya campus, and the local police station. Roads, railway tracks, and parts of Kathua town also witnessed heavy waterlogging.SSP Saxena said the Army had been informed and was on standby. He added that while flash floods and landslides were reported, it was not yet technically confirmed whether the incident was a cloudburst.The Indian Meteorological Department defines a cloudburst as rainfall exceeding 100 mm in one hour.Meanwhile, officials said incessant rain had caused a sharp rise in water levels in the Sahar Khad and Ujh rivers. It was the Ujh river that saw flash floods early on Sunday, they added.Landslides were also reported in Bagard and Changda villages under Kathua police station and in Dilwan-Hutli area under Lakhanpur, though no major damage was reported, PTI said.Kathua cloudburst: Five latest update1. At least seven people have died and four others were injured in flash floods and landslides in Kathua district.2. A family is feared trapped under debris after a landslide in Juthana Jodh village.3. Police and SDRF teams are carrying out rescue operations; the Army has been placed on standby.4. Water has entered the industrial area, Kendriya Vidyalaya campus, and police station in Janglote; roads and railway tracks are waterlogged.5. Landslides have also been reported in Bagard, Changda, and Dilwan-Hutli villages under Kathua and Lakhanpur police stations.