Cloudburst Tragedy in Kathua: 7 Dead, Several Injured; Massive Rescue Operations Launched by Police, Army, and Civil Administration
||Black and White Digital News ||
||Parvinder Singh August 18,2025||
Kathua: A devastating cloudburst struck several villages of Kathua district including Jakhole, Joda Juthana, Janglote Bhagar, and Bhed Bhalote, leaving at least seven persons dead and several others critically injured. Swift coordination between the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army, CRPF, and civil administration ensured timely rescue and evacuation of victims, despite difficult terrain and adverse conditions.
Rescue and Relief Efforts:
Immediately after the tragedy, DIG Jammu Samba Kathua Range, Shiv Kumar (IPS) along with SSP Kathua Shobit Saxena IPS, Mukund Tibrewal (IPS) SP Operations, SDPO Dheeraj Katoch, SHO Rajbagh Ajay Chib, and DySP Operations Ashwani Kumar reached the affected areas of Jakhole and Joda Juthana.
• Six injured persons were rescued from the spot and shifted to Army Hospital Mamoon Cantt for treatment.
• DC Kathua Rajesh Kumar, accompanied by the Additional Commissioner Revenue (ACR) and senior officers, also visited the affected villages and assured that all assistance will be extended to the victim families.
High-Level Monitoring:
The rescue operations were closely supervised at the highest levels:
• DGP J&K, Nalin Parbhat (IPS) personally spoke to DIG Shiv Kumar on the spot and monitored the ongoing rescue.
• IGP Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti (IPS) coordinated directly with the Army’s GOC Mamoon Cantt to ensure rapid evacuation of the injured, including airlifting patients where required.
• CRPF and Army personnel worked tirelessly on the ground, carrying out search, rescue, and relief operations despite challenging conditions.
• The GOC of 9 Corps, Mamoon Cantt, also assured DIG JKS Range of all possible assistance from the Army.
Casualties Reported:
The tragedy claimed multiple lives across Kathua district:
• Jakhole and Joda Juthana villages: Five deaths reported due to the cloudburst.
• Janglote Bhagar village: Two fatalities, including the wife and daughter of Parveen Singh. His son Shubham Singh sustained injuries and, along with four others from Bhed Bhalote, was shifted to GMC Kathua for specialized treatment.
Medical Assistance:
At GMC Kathua, senior officials including the DIG, SSP, DC Kathua, and ADDC Kathua visited the hospital, interacted with the injured and their families, and directed the doctors and medical staff to provide the best possible medical care to all victims of the cloudburst tragedy.
Administrative Response and Community Support:
The tragedy has highlighted the vulnerability of hilly regions of Kathua to extreme weather events. Authorities have assured compensation, rehabilitation, and long-term support to the affected families. Teams are also assessing damages to property, livestock, and farmland.
The coordinated efforts of the J&K Police, Army, CRPF, and district administration helped in minimizing further loss of life. However, the loss of seven lives has plunged Kathua into mourning. Authorities are now focused on relief, medical support, and rehabilitation while ensuring that such disaster preparedness mechanisms are further strengthened.
