A devastating cloudburst struck the remote Jod Ghati village in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, claiming four lives and leaving six others injured, officials confirmed. The sudden downpour cut off access to the affected area and caused extensive damage to land and property.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, in a post on X, stated that he had spoken to SSP Kathua Shobhit Saxena after learning about the incident in the Janglote area. “Four casualties have been reported. The cloudburst has caused damage to the railway track, the National Highway, and affected the Kathua Police Station. Civilian administration, military, and paramilitary forces have swung into action, and the situation is being closely monitored,” he said, expressing condolences to the victims’ families.

Rescue operations were immediately launched by a joint team of police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) with assistance from local volunteers. Officials also reported landslides in Bagard and Changda villages under Kathua police station and Dilwan-Hutli in Lakhanpur police station limits; however, no major damage was reported from these areas. The heavy rains have caused water levels to rise sharply, with the Ujh river flowing near the danger mark. Authorities have urged residents to stay away from water bodies for their safety.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert predicting heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across Jammu and Kashmir from August 17 to 19, warning of possible cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in vulnerable districts including Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and parts of Kashmir.