Ganderbal, May 19: Ferocious gusts of wind swept across Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district during the intervening night of May 18 and 19, wreaking havoc on residential properties and public infrastructure. The high-velocity winds uprooted trees and tore the rooftops off several homes, sparking panic among residents and causing widespread disruption.
In one alarming incident, a family in Sumbal, Balla Gund had a narrow escape when the roof of their house was ripped off by the winds. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Elsewhere, the residential property of M. Subhan Rather, son of Gh. Mohammad a resident of Kangan, suffered complete rooftop destruction.
Eyewitness told Rising Kashmir that in another distressing development, a massive deodar tree was uprooted by the winds that crashed onto the Government Primary School in Hayan Kangan, inflicting considerable damage to the building’s roof and causing concern about the safety of educational infrastructure in the area. “The sight was terrible. We closed our doors and windows. For a moment, we thought it was the end,” they said.
Similar scenes of destruction were reported from other parts of the district. The houses of Sajad Ahmad Bhat, son of Ali Mohammad of Sumbal Balla Gund and Nisar Ahmad Khan, son of Sonaullah Khan of Thune Kangan, were both severely damaged. Another house in the Gangerhama area also sustained rooftop damage, further highlighting the widespread impact of the storm.
Describing the incident, Sajad said that he has never seen such gusty winds. “The speed was frightening. It became intense with the lightening and thunders,” he said.
Local authorities have begun assessing the full extent of the damage. Relief teams have been deployed to the affected areas to initiate recovery operations and provide essential aid to the victims. In response to the crisis, MLA Kangan, Mian Mehar Ali, directed district officials to expedite relief measures. He held urgent discussions with the Tehsildars of Gund, Kangan, and Lar, urging them to ensure prompt compensation and rehabilitation for the affected families. “Timely relief and support are essential for restoring normalcy in these hard-hit areas,” the MLA said.
Residents are calling on the administration to ensure swift restoration efforts and to provide durable solutions to prevent similar disasters in the future.
