 Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 24: In a dramatic rescue operation, at least 45 students of the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) were evacuated to safety by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police after floodwaters submerged the ground floor of their hostel complex on Canal Road.
The joint rescue operation lasted over five hours, with teams deploying boats and specialized equipment to reach students trapped by more than seven feet of water from an overflowing canal that entered the hostel premises early morning. Director of IIIM, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, confirmed arrangements had been made for the students’ safe accommodation.
Water levels rose sharply across major rivers and streams throughout the region. In Kathua, the Ujh and Ravi rivers swelled dangerously, while the Basantar in Samba, Chenab in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Jammu, and Tawi in Udhampur and Jammu all showed alarming water level increases.
Disaster response teams and police have been placed on high alert as landslides blocked roads in Rajouri, Poonch, and Gurez in north Kashmir.
Other districts also recorded significant precipitation: Udhampur registered 144.2 mm, followed by Katra at 115 mm, Samba at 109 mm, and Kathua at 90.2 mm. In contrast, Srinagar, the summer capital, received a relatively modest 13.5 mm of rainfall.
Authorities have issued advisories urging people to stay away from rivers, streams, and landslide-prone zones as the meteorological department forecast moderate to intense rainfall until August 27, with possibilities of cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in higher reaches. |