MUZAFFARABAD: Two more people lost lives to rain related incidents in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday as heavy rains continued to lash the territory’s northern mountainous districts, triggering landslides and road blockades, officials said.

Maham, 10, and her sister Nayab, 8, drowned as they were washing hands in a raging torrent in Parsa village, some 51 kilometres from here along the Leepa valley road, a police official told Dawn from Hattian Bala.

Rescuers had found Nayab’s body, but the other girl was still missing, he said.

On Thursday, a landslide had blocked vehicular movement on Leepa valley road, hardly 500 metres ahead of its origin from the main Jhelum valley road and residents alleged that the government department concerned had not taken any measures to restore traffic, notwithstanding the problems being suffered by thousands of people of the areas.

The powerhouse of 3.2 megawatt Sharian hydroelectric project is also located in the proximity of the landslide.

Situation in Neelum valley towards northeast of Muzaffarabad was also worse, as there was no let up in rains there.

“It had been raining there throughout the day today and apart from road infrastructure, electricity and telephone lines have also been disturbed,” Commissioner Muzaffarabad Ch Imtiaz Ahmed said.

Deputy commissioner Neelum Abdul Hameed Kiyani told Dawn that the main Neelum valley road had been hit by landslides at various points, blocking flow of traffic.

“We are making utmost efforts to remove debris but at the moment we have been able to clear it only up to Bariyan village,” he said.

Bariyan is some 50 kilometres from here.

The 200-kilometres long picturesque valley attracts tourists from across the country and many of them had been stranded in Athmuqam and beyond.

Commissioner Ahmed said as more rains were forecast, they feared more flash floods, landslides and road blockades.

“Particularly, we fear severe flash flooding in the three major water channels in Neelum valley – Jagran, Surgan and Shonthar – in Neelum valley,” he said.

On Saturday-Sunday night, three women and five children were killed and seven others were wounded after a landslide struck two houses in a remote hamlet of Neelum valley.

Early this month, around 13 people were killed and another ten injured in rain related incidents in different parts of Azad Kashmir.

According to officials, as many as 228 houses had been completely and 543 partially damaged since March 11 due to unusual rains.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2016