Narrow escape for Deputy Chief Minister, MP as flash floods, landslides continue in J&K
4 min readJammuJul 22, 2026 07:38 PM IST
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary (left) and MP Mian Altaf. (File Photo, X/@MianAltafAhmad/Enhanced using AI)
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and MP Mian Altaf had narrow escapes from landslides at separate locations in the Pir Panjal region on Wednesday, as heavy rain, flash floods and falling rocks continued to disrupt normal life across parts of the Union Territory for the fourth consecutive day.
Choudhary, the National Conference MLA from Nowshera, and Altaf, the party’s Lok Sabha member from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, were touring Rajouri and Poonch districts, respectively, to review relief and rescue operations after flash floods and landslides claimed 25 lives and caused extensive damage to public property and infrastructure.
Officials said that Choudhary’s cavalcade was passing through the Chingus area near Rajouri when a landslide forced his motorcade to stop. After waiting for some time and assessing the situation, the cavalcade proceeded towards Rajouri, where Choudhary visited Bela colony, one of the worst-hit areas, and took stock of the damage caused by flash floods as well as the relief and rescue operations initiated by the administration.
A view of a waterlogged streets at Lal Chowk after heavy rainfall, in Srinagar on Monday. (ANI Photo)
Altaf’s vehicle, on the other hand, was trapped in mud and debris in the middle of the road following a mudslide at Madana near Surankote in Poonch. The MP abandoned the vehicle and rushed to safety, before eventually resuming his tour after road-clearing personnel removed the fallen debris.
Delayed tunnel construction
Meanwhile, Deputy CM Choudhary expressed concern over the delay in the construction of the Sumbal tunnel between Kalidhar and Chowki Choura on the NH-144A stretch linking Akhnoor and Rajouri. He said the prolonged construction work had worsened the condition of the highway.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which is executing the project, had assured Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the last review meeting that the tunnel would be completed by July 15, Choudhary said.
A damaged house after a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Nalla Awoora area, Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (PTI Photo)
Referring to the extensive damage to roads caused by the recent rains, the Deputy CM said officials, particularly engineers working on Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects, were making efforts to restore road connectivity at the earliest.
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2 more killed
The death toll from the adverse weather events continued to increase on Wednesday, when two people were killed and three were injured after a massive boulder fell on a moving Tempo Traveller on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Gangroo in Ramban district. The victims were residents of Kastigarh in Doda district, officials said.
Traffic on the highway remained suspended, while major pilgrimages, including the Amarnath Yatra, Vaishno Devi Yatra and Machail Mata Yatra, continued to remain temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions.
Source: Indian Express
