Three students swept away in Ramban flash floods

2 bodies recovered, several houses damaged in Chenani

Three students were washed away in a flooded nullah following flash floods after a downpour at Ladhwal in the Batote area of Ramban district this afternoon.
According to sources, the bodies of Rakesh Kumar, 14, a student of Class VIII, and Shallu Devi, 5, were recovered from a nullah this evening.
However, efforts were on to trace the body of another missing girl, identified as Pallavi Devi, 14, a student of Class VIII.
It is feared that she might have been washed into the nearby Chakwa nullah into which the small nullah leads.
The three were students of Government Middle School, Ladhwal, and were trapped in the flooded nullah as they were going home after school after 4 pm.
Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer, Ramban, Mohammad Sharief Chauhan, has suspended Jasbeer Kour (master), Dipak Kumar, Santosh Koul, Shagufta Ara, Gita Devi — all teachers of Government Middle School, Ladhwal, for ignoring the safety of the students.
The CEO has instituted an inquiry team to look into the case. The cluster resource persons or zonal resource persons have been directed to run the school till further orders. The bodies were kept in the mortuary of SKME Hospital, Batote.
Meanwhile, six shops and a hotel in the Kud market on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway were severely damaged in a cloudburst this evening. As per reports, a cloudburst led to floods resulting in road blockage and landslide at many places. Some houses in the nearby Chenani area were partially damaged in the cloudburst.
“The Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, along with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Chenani, visited the spot. Machinery was pressed into action through the IL&FS, Chenani-Nashri Tunnel Project.
Project Director JS Rathore led the road-clearance operation. Meanwhile, the loss assessment was done by field officials of the Revenue Department. Officers have been deputed to supervise the relief arrangements for the affected families and shopkeepers,” said Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary.
Meanwhile, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained disrupted for a few hours due to the flash floods and landslides.