3 killed in cloudburst in J&K

Three children were washed away and many houses and shops were damaged due to cloudburst in Batote and Kud areas of the hilly district of Udhampur in J&K while two villagers are feared dead in flooded nallah in Mahore area of adjoining Reasi district yesterday. The heavy rain that lashed the region also caused landslides that blocked Batote-Doda- Kishtwar and Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Reports said that due to cloudburst the area Chakka Nallah and Baggu Nallah near Batote were flooded. Three children who were returning from school got trapped in the Nallah and were washed



away.The other children following them had a miraculous escape. After a search operation lasting nearly two and a half hours, two dead bodies could be recovered. The people told that gushing water along with stones, bushes, logs and rocks flowed down the nallahs from the mountains and caused extensive damage to the roads and some houses and shops. With the incessant rain and clouds burst in the area, land slides blocked Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and Batote-Doda-Kishtwar Road.Vehicles in large numbers are stranded at various places as the work is underway to clear the roads.