Cloudburst in Ganderbal closes Srinagar-Leh highway temporarily

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, August 4
Several houses were damaged and Srinagar- Leh national Highway was shut temporarily after a cloudburst incident took place in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, officials said on Sunday.
According to police officials, a cloudburst incident was reported during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday in the Kawcherwan Kangan village in Ganderbal district, which triggered mudslides.

A senior official said the mudslides closed the Srinagar-Leh highway for vehicular traffic and also caused damage to paddy fields, vehicles and some houses. The official also said there was no report of any loss of life in the incident. The traffic, however, was restored on Sunday afternoon.
A police official said some buildings, including residential houses, have suffered damage due to the flashfloods triggered by the cloudburst.
Ganderbal ADC Gulzar Ahmad informed that no loss of lives has been reported and people whose houses were affected have been rescued and shifted to safer places. “Debris have accumulated here, but with God's grace, no lives have been lost. In those houses in which the debris had entered, we rescued those people and shifted them to safer places. The district police, administration and private establishments are working in tandem,” said Ahmad.
Ganderbal SDM Bilal Mukhtar said, “No matter how much the humans remain prepared, they can't compete against nature. I would like to thank the local residents who started rescue work even before the police arrived and ensured that no lives were lost. The houses in low-lying areas have been damaged. We are assessing the situation.”
(With ANI inputs)