Flash floods, landslides kill eight in J&K's Poonch-Rajouri; Six missing as rescue operations continue
Torrential rain triggered flash floods and landslides across Poonch and Rajouri, killing at least eight people and leaving six missing. With more rain forecast, rescue teams are racing through damaged terrain as Omar Abdullah returns to monitor relief.
- Jul 19, 2026,
- Updated Jul 19, 2026, 11:38 AM IST
- Surankote in Poonch saw collapsed houses, washed-out roads and extensive damage
- A landslide in Lower Murrah buried eight people from one family
- Nazia Kousar died in Noonabandi, while her husband and children survived
At least eight people were killed and six others went missing after torrential rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir's border districts of Poonch and Rajouri on Sunday, July 19, prompting a massive rescue operation by multiple agencies.
The worst-hit area was Surankote tehsil in Poonch district, where several houses collapsed and floodwaters caused widespread destruction. Rescue teams continued searching for the missing despite incessant rainfall and damaged road connectivity.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in Lower Murrah village, where a landslide buried a house occupied by eight people. The bodies of 60-year-old Bano Bi and two-year-old Sofian Yasar were recovered, while search operations were underway to trace the remaining six family members, including a woman and four children.
In another incident, 28-year-old Nazia Kousar died after her house collapsed in Noonabandi village. Her husband, Mohd Hafiz, and their three children, aged between two and six years, were rescued with injuries and shifted to a hospital.
Elsewhere in Surankote, 22-year-old Shahzaib Ahmad was killed when his house collapsed at Sanglani, while a minor girl, identified as Iram, drowned in a stream at Marhote. Authorities also recovered the body of an unidentified woman from a stream near the Dhundak Lathoong bridge.
In Haveli tehsil of Poonch, one person died and another sustained critical injuries after nearly half a dozen houses collapsed.
Rajouri district also witnessed severe flooding following overnight rainfall. The body of a woman was recovered from a river in Rajouri town, where overflowing rivers inundated low-lying areas and forced hundreds of residents to move to safer places. Several vehicles were swept away or submerged as floodwaters breached riverbanks.
Rescue and relief operations involving the administration and emergency teams were underway to evacuate stranded residents and assess damage to public and private property.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir until July 23, raising concerns of further flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in New Delhi for the National Conference's proposed statehood protest, announced that he was cutting short his visit to return to Jammu and personally monitor the situation.
"In light of the weather warning and the seriousness of the situation unfolding across parts of Jammu division, I will leave Delhi to fly to Jammu this afternoon," Abdullah said in a post on X, adding that the administration's immediate priority was to save lives and assist affected families.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also reviewed the situation and directed officials to ensure immediate relief and assistance for those affected.
Meanwhile, Rajouri MLA Iftkhar Ahmad cancelled his participation in the National Conference's statehood protest to return to his constituency and oversee relief efforts, stating that the flash floods had caused extensive damage to homes and public infrastructure. Despite the chief minister's return, the National Conference said its planned statehood protest in Delhi on July 20 would proceed under the leadership of party president Farooq Abdullah.
