Poonch, August 19, 2025 : The body of an eight-year-old girl, who was swept away by flash floods, was recovered in Poonch district on Tuesday, while search operations are underway to trace a missing 20-year-old youth in neighbouring Rajouri, officials said.
Massive rescue operations led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and local volunteers were launched after flash floods hit parts of the Suran river in Poonch and Mubarakhpura nallah in Rajouri since Monday.
Officials said the body of Asia Kouser, who was swept away by strong currents near Umrah Ban Dhok, was found in the Suran river at Shindra. Meanwhile, rescue teams are struggling to trace Atif Shah (20), who was washed away while crossing a river in Mubarakhpura village of Rajouri. Operations are hampered as water levels remain dangerously high.
Intermittent rains continued across parts of the Jammu region, though officials confirmed there were no fresh reports of structural damage. However, a landslide at Niaka Panjgrian village in Rajouri led to the closure of two roads, with clearance work underway.
On Monday, heavy rainfall had triggered flash floods and landslides at several places, causing damage to houses and roads in the Rajouri-Poonch belt. Three houses were washed away along the Betaar riverbanks, while a school and several homes in Khanetar, Poonch, suffered damage.
The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, closed on Monday following multiple landslides and shooting stones in Ramban district, has since been restored for traffic. The Mughal Road also reopened after a brief closure due to a landslide, officials added.
