Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 28 (ANI): Heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir has caused severe flooding, particularly in the Jammu region, due to the overflow of the Tawi River. The floodwaters have damaged several houses and shops in the area.

A portion of the road along the fourth Tawi bridge has been washed away in the floods following incessant heavy rainfall.

Locals in Jammu reported that approximately 35 houses and 6 shops were affected by the floods in the Belicharana area of Jammu.

Houses were also damaged in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district due to flash floods and heavy rainfall in the region. Residents of Bhaderwah have been moved to safer places in the aftermath of the flash floods.

Speaking to ANI, a resident of Bhaderwah, Ganesh, who had relocated to another area, stated that his entire house had been damaged after debris fell on it.

He said, 'A loud sound was heard at around 2:30-3 AM. After a while, a lot of debris came down and everything in our house was damaged. We somehow saved our lives. My entire house is damaged. We are staying at someone else's house now...'

Meanwhile, the water level of the River Jhelum has also risen in Srinagar following incessant rainfall in the region.

According to the IMD, there will be 'a significant reduction in rainfall activity likely over Jammu and Kashmir from today,' however, isolated heavy rainfall spells are likely to continue over Northwest India during the next 6-7 days.

Meanwhile, the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has taken the responsibility of repatriating the bodies of the landslide victims to their native places.

A devastating landslide occurred near the Vaishno Devi temple in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, claiming more than 30 lives and injuring 20 others. The disaster struck on Tuesday afternoon, around 3 pm, when heavy rains triggered a massive landslide near the Inderprastha Bhojnalaya at Adhkuwari, about halfway along the 12-kilometre trek from Katra to the shrine.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting to review the rescue and relief operations and preparedness of the Union Territory following the landslide that occurred near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra, as well as the flash flood situation in several districts.

The Lieutenant Governor directed officials to take every possible measure to ensure that people staying in low-lying flood-affected areas are safely evacuated.

He asked the officials to ensure the maintenance of all essential services, such as power, healthcare, clean drinking water, rations, and teleconnectivity. He said that the essential services disrupted in flood-affected areas must be restored as a priority, and the natural-disaster-hit regions should have an adequate stock of essential supplies and medicines. (ANI)