Flash floods damage Doda Kishtwar highway, vehicles buried at Kwar power project

Spread the news

Jammu, July 6

Flash floods triggered by overnight heavy rainfall damaged the Doda Kishtwar highway on Monday, disrupting traffic and burying several vehicles under mud and debris near the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project in Jammu and Kashmir.

A section of the highway was damaged after large volumes of mud, boulders and debris were washed onto the road. Several vehicles parked along the roadside were trapped, forcing authorities to suspend traffic on the route. Officials said no casualties or injuries were reported.

Heavy rainfall also triggered landslides and mudslides near the tunnel area of the Kwar Hydroelectric Project in neighbouring Kishtwar district. Floodwaters carried mud and boulders into the construction site, burying trucks, dozers, and other equipment and damaging construction materials.

Officials said clearance operations are underway to retrieve stranded vehicles, restore the affected project site and reopen the damaged highway. Commuters have been advised to avoid the route and follow official traffic advisories until road restoration work is completed.

The administration had earlier issued a weather advisory warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas across Jammu and Kashmir. Residents, particularly those living near rivers and nallahs, have been urged to remain alert and avoid unsafe locations.

According to the Meteorological Department, Samba recorded the highest rainfall in the Jammu region over the previous 24 hours at 90 mm, followed by Kathua at 66.2 mm, Katra at 44.4 mm, Doda at 42 mm, and Jammu at 41.8 mm.