Jammu: Two Army soldiers drowned on Saturday in a flash flood in the border district of Poonch in the Jammu district.
Reportedly, the soldiers were crossing the Dogra nallah at Poshana in the Surankote area when they were swept away by a flash flood triggered by heavy rain, an Army officer confirmed.
A joint rescue operation by the Army, police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been launched but so far there was no trace of the soldiers.
With 82 mm of rain recorded in Poonch this morning, it was among the few places in J&K that received very heavy rainfall.
The Mughal Road that links Poonch and Rajouri districts with the Kashmir valley is closed due to landslides.
Meanwhile, the authorities have advised people to stay away from the water bodies which are in spate following incessant rains since Thursday night.
Villagers residing near the banks of Ujh river in the Kathua district have been evacuated to safe places.
The J&K disaster management authority has predicted thundershowers and lightning at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places most likely to occur in Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Samba and few places in Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Ganderbal and Srinagar during the next 24 hours.
(With Agency Inputs )