SRINAGAR: Seven people, including four women and three minors, were rescued from the swollen Ujh River in Kathua district on Tuesday after incessant rainfall triggered a sudden rise in the water level, officials said.
The incident occurred near Mahi Chak village, where the seven civilians were stranded after the river swelled following heavy rains in the area.
J&K POLICE KATHUA RESCUE 07 PERSONS FROM FLASH FLOOD IN UJH RIVER AT MAHI CHAK AREA.@JmuKmrPolice@ZPHQJammu@digjammu @mohita_ips https://t.co/SsKeMbKGbn pic.twitter.com/gk06wA68pD
— Kathua Police (@KathuaPolice) August 11, 2026
On receiving information about the stranded persons, a joint rescue operation was launched by the police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams. After sustained efforts, the teams managed to evacuate all seven safely and handed them over to their families, a police spokesperson said.
Those rescued were identified as Malka Khatam, 50, Zulfa Begum, 30, Seema Begum, 60, Iqbal Ali, 9, Shaina Bano, 11, Mobina Bano, 17, and Asia Bano, 16.
Police urged residents to exercise extreme caution during the ongoing wet spell and avoid approaching rivers, streams and nallahs, particularly when water levels are rising.
Kathua recorded the highest rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir during the 24-hour period ending at 5.30 pm on Tuesday, receiving 156 mm of rain, according to the Meteorological Department. Jammu recorded 79 mm, while Katra and Samba received 71 mm and 55 mm, respectively.
The heavy rainfall led to a sharp rise in water levels in rivers and other water bodies, triggering flash-flood-like conditions in several low-lying areas, particularly in Kathua district.
The Meteorological Department has forecast a wet spell across the region until August 22. Heavy rain or brief spells of intense rainfall are likely in some districts on August 12, with another possibility of heavy showers between August 17 and 19 in one or two districts of the Jammu division.
