Jammu administration orders closure of all schools today due to bad weather

A cloudburst in Kathua on Sunday triggered flash floods and landslides, prompting intensified rescue operations to retrieve stranded vehicles

The School Education department of the Jammu division has ordered closure of government as well as private schools in the region on Monday due to inclement weather conditions, an official statement said.

"In view of the inclement and bad weather conditions, it is hereby ordered that all the Government as well as Private Schools of Jammu Division shall remain closed for tomorrow, August 18," Director, School Education, Jammu said in a statement on Sunday.

Flash floods and landslides occurred in many parts of Kathua following a cloud burst here on Sunday. The rescue operations have intensified, and efforts are underway to retrieve the stranded vehicles.

At least seven people died in a landslide triggered by heavy rain. The cloudburst in Kathua, which occurred on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, also damaged a railway track, the national highway, and the local police station. Rescue and relief operations are underway in Kathua and Kishtwar, officials said on Sunday.

Following the cloudburst and landslides, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Central government was closely monitoring the situation and assured all possible support.

In a post on X, Shah wrote, "Spoke with the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the cloudburst in Kathua. Relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the local administration, and NDRF teams have also been rushed to the site. Assured of every support from the Modi government. We stand firmly behind our sisters and brothers of J & K."

The Indian Army is leading ground operations, supported by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), police, and the local administration.

Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra has termed the recent cloudburst and flash floods in Kishtwar as "very tragic," raising concerns over lapses in preventive measures and rescue operations.

Karra said, "This is a very tragic incident. We are going to oversee the rescue operations. An advisory was issued 48 hours ago for this, but the question is how people were allowed to go there even after that... There are definitely some gaps in the rescue operations..."

Commenting on the sudden flooding in Kathua, he added, "This is a natural disaster, but we need to see whether the government and its related departments are fully prepared, whether the rescue operations are happening on time or not."

In Kishtwar, efforts were focused on restoring essential services. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said, "There were huge boulders here; they were blasted yesterday. The boulders are being broken down. Rope breakers have been installed due to the possibility that some bodies might be trapped under them. The power supply and water supply have been restored. A bridge is being built here with the help of the Army... All the passengers stranded in Machail were safely evacuated yesterday.