A massive cloudburst on Thursday hits the Ranga Mode area of Sonamarg near the Zojila Pass, triggering instant landslides, heavy mudslides, and a sudden rise in local river water levels. As a precautionary measure, locals have been advised to avoid going near riverbanks and stay away from water channels. Because of the cloudburst, a massive landslide was suddenly reported near the Ranga Morh section of the Zojila Pass on the Srinagar-Leh Highway, disrupting traffic between the two regions.
Thousands of tonnes of debris cascaded down from the mountains, completely blocking a section of the highway. However, there were no casualties. Rescue personnel have been deployed to the site following the incident, and traffic on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway has been halted as a precautionary measure.
Vehicular movement disrupted
Reports indicate that a cloudburst in the higher reaches of the Zojila area caused an accumulation of mud and debris near Ranga Mode, disrupting vehicular movement on this vital national highway connecting Ladakh to Kashmir.
Personnel and machinery from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were immediately dispatched to clear the road and restore traffic flow as quickly as possible. Local officials are closely monitoring the situation and have advised commuters and travelers to exercise extreme caution while passing through the affected area.
The development comes nearly 10 days after a woman was washed away while hundreds of people were evacuated as multiple cloudbursts struck the Valley on August 3, triggering flash floods in several districts. Naseema Begum (52) was washed away in a flash flood caused by a cloudburst as she was trying to manoeuvre across a culvert over a swelled stream in Lolab area of Kupwara district, officials said.
A mosque and footbridge were damaged
A mosque and a footbridge were also damaged due to flash floods at Bimla Wali Moori in Kupwara, they said. Apart from this, multiple cloudbursts also hit the tourist resort of Pahalgam in Amantnag, Herpora in Shopian and Dardpora in Bandipora district, officials said, adding that some bridges and roads have been damaged due to the flash floods.
As part of the precautionary measures, the local authorities evacuated hundreds of people including tourists to safer places in Shopian and Pahalgam as water levels in local streams are rising rapidly. As many as 80 persons were evacuated in Shopian, while around 200 have been moved to safety in Pahalgam, officials added.
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