Gusty winds kill one, injure four in Kashmir

By Abid Bashir
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17 Apr 2026

Rooftops, vehicles damaged, teams assessing losses

Srinagar, Apr 16: One person died while working in a cold storage, while four were injured in Lassipora area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir, as powerful gusty winds swept across the entire Kashmir Valley on Thursday, leaving a trail of destruction and panic in several districts.

A police officer told Rising Kashmir that the deceased has been identified as Sajad Ahmad Mir, 40, son of Muhammad Yousuf Mir of Rafiabad, Baramulla district. “He was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. He was working on a cold storage facility that collapsed due to strong winds,” he said, adding that four more persons were injured in the incident and are being treated at the hospital.

Reports of damage to rooftops poured in from various areas of south Kashmir, including Kakapora area of Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts, as fierce winds lifted rooftops and sent tin sheets flying through the air.

In the saffron town of Pampore area of Pulwama district, several vehicles were damaged as the rooftops of many houses fell on them. “The vehicles were parked on the roadside. Due to strong winds, rooftops along with tin sheets were blown up, and some of them directly hit the vehicles, damaging their window panes and front portions, etc.,” Showkat Ahmad, an eyewitness, said.

The impact of the storm was also felt in Srinagar, where Shikaras were seen stranded amid strong winds in Dal Lake, while there was no untoward incident. A few Shikaras that were stuck in the middle of the lake were rescued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), preventing any casualties.

Meanwhile, reports of damage to rooftops came from the Illahibag area of Srinagar outskirts, while in the city centre, Lal Chowk, witnesses said that street vendors suffered damage to their goods due to strong winds in Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Residency Road areas.

There were no reports of major damage from the northern districts of Kashmir. The intensity of winds in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. Similarly, in Budgam district, witnesses said that gusty winds hit the district, but the intensity was less compared to Srinagar and the southern parts of the Valley.

The Meteorological Department Srinagar had warned that there would be gusty winds in the late afternoon in some parts of the Valley on Thursday, a forecast that proved grimly accurate as the storm unfolded, disrupting life across Kashmir and leaving behind loss, damage and fear in its wake.

An official from the administration said that teams will visit the affected spots to assess the damage caused by the gusty winds, while a detailed report is expected to be prepared following the ground inspections.