Flash floods, landslides wreak havoc in J&K's Poonch; at least 8 killed

At least eight people were killed and several others remained missing after torrential rain triggered flash floods and landslides across the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, prompting a large-scale rescue operation by multiple agencies.The worst-hit area was Surankote tehsil in Poonch district along the Line of Control (LoC), where cloudburst-like rainfall turned seasonal streams into raging torrents within hours. Mud, rocks and floodwaters swept through villages, damaging houses, washing away roads and bridges, and severing connectivity to several remote habitations.

Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir: Heavy rainfall caused widespread damage in Poonch, triggering floods and landslides. Several shops, vehicles and buildings were washed away, while two people died in house collapses. Many roads across the district remain closed due to landslides pic.twitter.com/Qz4HNAwqBd

— IANS (@ians_india) July 19, 2026

According to media reports, the most tragic incident occurred in Lower Murrah village of Surankote, where a rain-triggered landslide buried a house with eight occupants in the early hours of Sunday. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of 60-year-old Bano Bi and two-year-old Sofian Yasar, while efforts continued to trace the remaining six family members, including a woman and four children, trapped under the debris.
In another incident, 28-year-old Nazia Kousar was killed after her house collapsed in Noonabandi village. Her husband, Mohd Hafiz, and their three children, aged between two and six years, sustained injuries and were admitted to hospital.According to officials 22-year-old Shahzaib Ahmad died after his house collapsed in Sanglani-Surankote, while a minor girl, Iram, drowned in a stream at Marhote. The body of an unidentified woman was also recovered from a stream near the Dhundak Lathoong bridge.One more person was killed and another critically injured after several houses collapsed in Haveli tehsil of Poonch district. In neighbouring Rajouri town, which witnessed severe flash flooding following incessant overnight rainfall, the body of a woman was recovered from a river after floodwaters inundated low-lying areas.

Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir: A local says, "Due to the heavy rainfall, we have suffered huge losses. Our fish farm has been washed away, a mosque has been damaged, and our cart and welding shops have also been swept away. We had earlier appealed to the government to construct… pic.twitter.com/hOujfmPWFb

— IANS (@ians_india) July 19, 2026

Officials said the death toll had risen to at least eight, while rescue operations were continuing at multiple locations to trace the missing. However, the exact number of casualties was still being verified as several villages remained inaccessible due to washed-away roads and overflowing streams.Hundreds of residents were shifted to safer locations as rivers breached their banks and floodwaters entered residential areas. Several vehicles were swept away or submerged, while extensive damage was reported to houses, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure, disrupting connectivity across the region.Teams from the civil administration, police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and other emergency agencies continued evacuation and search operations despite persistent rainfall and difficult terrain.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed grief over the loss of lives in flash floods and landslides in Poonch, extended condolences to the bereaved families, and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He said the administration, SDRF, Police and other agencies are… pic.twitter.com/bJSJ5bKqz4

— IANS (@ians_india) July 19, 2026

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in Delhi to attend a planned protest seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, said he would cut short his visit and return to Jammu to review the situation."Since first light this morning, I have been closely monitoring the situation arising from the extremely heavy rain in parts of Jammu, especially Rajouri town and surrounding areas. I have been in touch with the local MLAs of the region. While the situation continues to unfold, the first priority of the administration is to safeguard precious lives," Abdullah said in a post on X.He assured that the government would provide all possible assistance to families affected by the flash floods and landslides. Abdullah also said the National Conference's planned statehood protest in Delhi on July 20 would go ahead under the leadership of party president Farooq Abdullah.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed the flood situation in the affected districts and directed officials to ensure immediate rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures for affected families.Local Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmad, who abandoned his party's statehood protest programme to return to Rajouri, said the floods had caused extensive damage to public and private property.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir until July 23 and warned of further flash floods, landslides and shooting stones in vulnerable mountainous areas. Authorities have urged residents to stay away from rivers, streams and unstable slopes and avoid non-essential travel until weather conditions improve.Poonch, located in the Pir Panjal mountain range along the LoC, is among Jammu and Kashmir's most vulnerable districts to flash floods during intense rain spells. Its steep terrain, narrow valleys and fast-flowing streams often amplify the impact of heavy rainfall, making rescue operations particularly challenging.