Younus Rashid & Junaid Manzoor
Kulgam, May 03:Flash flood triggered by a cloudburst occurred in upper reaches ofLammarHallanarea in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Wednesday.
“A cloudburst may have occurred in the upper reaches of the Lammar-Hallan area in Devsar Tehsil, causing overflow in the down streams and minor flash floods in the Hallan area. However, the situation is under control, and teams were dispatched to the area,” Tehsildar Devsar Shakeel Ahmad said.
He said that cloud bursts are not uncommon in hilly areas in upper reaches and is a timely reminder of the need for better disaster preparedness and management in the region.
However, there have been no reports of any loss of life or property so far.
According to local eyewitnesses on Wednesday afternoon, heavy rainfall and hailstorm occurred in the Hallan area, and within a short span of time, the streams and surrounding areas were inundated. The officials said the flash floods were triggered by a cloudburst at a nearby area.
He added that Naib Tehsildar and Patwari were promptly dispatched to the area to examine the situation and ensure the authorities remained on the ground.
The flash floods caused panic among the people, and officials on the ground are controlling the situation, he said.
A local resident Umar told Rising Kashmir that the incident took place on Wednesday morning, causing panic among the local residents.
Locals revealed that panic gripped the area when a local school was submerged due to flash floods.
“As the water began to enter the school rooms due to the heavy rainfall and hailstorm, we immediately evacuated the students and relocated them to safer locations. Water entered some rooms and might have caused minor damage to school infrastructure,” a teacher at the school said, adding that all the students were safe and sound.
“There were no fatalities or injuries reported, however the residents are advised to remain away from streams and Nallah till the flow stops’ ‘, the officials said.
