Rains, gusty winds create panic in Valley, 1 dies in Anantnag

One woman died after a tree fell on her at Hapatnar village in Anantnag district on Tuesday as rains and gusty wings wreaked havoc at various places in Kashmir.
According to reports, 52-year-old Jabeena wife of Ghulam Hassan Khan of Khayar Hapatnar died when a tree fell on her during the speedy winds in her village.
Meanwhile, moderate rains lashed Srinagar Tuesday evening even as Meteorological Department has predicted clear weather in next 24 hours.
“There were moderate rains in Srinagar for some time,” MeT officials said.
“The weather will remain clear during next 24 hours.”
Torrential rains and strong winds created panic in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Reports said that at several places, the Srinagar-Bandipora and Bandipora-Sopore roads were blocked as Chinar trees fell on them due to gusty winds.
The rains and strong winds caused damage to residential houses and apple orchards in Muslimabad, Kaloosa, Ajar, Khayar, Nowpora, Kanibhati, Kenusa and Malangham areas of Bandipora.
In Sumbal and Hajin areas, many residential houses and school buildings were damaged as their rooftops were blown away.
Tehsildar Aloosa, Ghulam Muhammad Mir said they are compiling the volume of the damage caused by rains and winds to apple orchards and residential houses in many areas of Bandipora.
Reports reaching here from Budgam said that branch of a Chinar fell on a residential house and damaged it completely at Check-e-Kawoosa. The residential house belonged to Riyaz Ahmad Qadri. The inmates were not in house when the huge branch fell on their house.
Locals alleged that they had many times apprised revenue authorities to cut the dried branches of the said Chinar but nobody paid any ear.
“There are at least four Chinar trees whose branches have dried up and could fell any time and might cause damage,” locals said.
Some of these are on the Srinagar-Gulmarg road, they added.
Reports from Sopore said rains and strong winds caused extensive damage to residential houses and apple crops in Sopore, Bomai, Hardshiva, Dangerpora, Botingoo, Watlab, Arampora and other parts of Zaingair area.