JK Cloud Burst: Schools, Colleges Closed In Ramban As IMD Issues Orange Alert For Rain; Dy CM Choudhary Inspects Calamity-Hit Area | Updates

Three people lost their lives and several houses were destroyed in flash floods triggered by relentless rainfall in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. The heavy downpour also led to landslides and mudslides at nearly a dozen locations between Nashri and Banihal along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, forcing a suspension of vehicular traffic.

In response to the calamity, Indian Army personnel were deployed to assist in rescue operations. More than 200 stranded individuals were successfully rescued and relocated to safer areas.

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Updates:

- Amid the heavy devastation in Ramban, the Deputy Commissioner has issued an order stating that all schools and colleges will remain closed on Monday (April 21). In a tweet, he said that due to bad weather and the possibility of flooding caused by heavy rainfall, all government and private schools, colleges and technical education institutes in Ramban district will remain shut. He also urged people to stay indoors

- The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for intense downpour, strong winds and thunderstorms in many districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

- Deputy Commissioner Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary said over 200-250 houses were destroyed in rain-related incidents. NDRF teams have been employed to expedite the rescue operation

- Local residents hit by the calamity have demanded compensation for their damages from the government

- JK Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, along with Ramban MLA Arjun Singh Raju, conducted an extensive visit to the landslide-affected areas. He also met people affected by the calamity and urged travellers to stay alert and follow official weather updates

- LG Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have expressed anguish over the loss of lives in Ramban. They also assured that rescue teams were proactively working towards establishing normalcy

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- Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh thanked the Indian Army for their assistance in rescue efforts