SRINAGAR: A man died after being struck by lightning in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, while a cloudburst triggered flash floods in Ramban district, leading to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials and reports said on Friday.
A 37-year-old auto driver, Tariq Ahmad Padder of Gansorgam, Kulgam, was struck by lightning in his native village. He was taken to District Hospital Kulgam, where doctors declared him “brought dead”.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was closed for vehicular movement after a landslide at Chamba Seri in the Ramban area. “It occurred soon after the cloudburst in the area near the highway, which led to flash floods,” an official said.
Commuters have been advised to avoid travelling until the road is cleared.
“Please check the status of roads before starting your journey,” a traffic official said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Traffic National Highway (Ramban), Raja Adil Hamid, said that restoration work is underway to clear debris and resume traffic. He said most vehicles have been cleared, while a few stranded ones have been halted at safer locations. “Our priority is to clear uphill traffic,” he added.
Flash floods last month had washed away a portion of the highway and restoration work is still ongoing.
Gusty Winds Wreak Havoc
Gusty winds followed by moderate rainfall caused disruption in several areas. A tree was uprooted near SKICC, leading to a traffic jam along the route.
Two flights were also diverted due to the windstorm. According to an official, IndiGo flights 6E896/2305 (Delhi-Srinagar-Delhi) and 6E214 (Mumbai-Srinagar-IXJ) could not land at Srinagar International Airport and were diverted to Chandigarh and Delhi, respectively.
As per the local Meteorological Department (MeT), rainfall was recorded in several central and southern parts of Kashmir on Friday.
Director MeT, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, said that brief showers with thunder and gusty winds are likely at isolated to scattered places till May 05. (KNO)
