MUZAFFARABAD: Five people, three of them women, died after heavy rain caused flooding in a mountain stream towards the south of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir capital on Friday, an official said.

The incident occurred in Chakhama Union Council of Jhelum valley district and almost all the victims were said to be residents of Gehal Jabra village, situated some 55 kilometres south of here.

“Heavy rain started at about 3pm, turning Tararaan Nullah into a raging torrent, which uprooted electricity and telephone poles and suspended both services in the affected area,” said Jhelum valley deputy commissioner Imran Shaheen.

Tararaan Nullah begins from Cham waterfall near the Line of Control and falls into the Jhelum River near the town of Chinari after a run of about 14 kilometres.

Mr Shaheen said the victims were swept away in the flooded channel from different spots in Gehal Jabra village.

Four bodies were recovered and three of them were identified as that of Tasleem Fatima, 35, wife of Shaukat Shah; Shaheen Bibi, 36, wife of Syed Hussain Shah; and Shakila Bibi, 40, wife of Master Shaukat Hussain.

The fourth recovered body – of a teenage boy – could not be identified because the head had been severed from it, Mr Shaheen said.

Rescuers were looking for the fifth deceased person, who was identified as Abdur Rehman, 50, son of Habibullah, he added.

Mr Shaheen said there were reports that a girl had also gone missing in the area. “But it’s not yet clear whether she too has drowned or has got lost somewhere,” he said. According to him, the flash flood had also affected the Kathai hydropower station and subsequently power production had come to a halt.

On the night of July 14 and 15, around 20 persons, about half of them from a Tableeghi Jamaat, were killed and 10 others injured after cloud burst triggered flooding in a mountain stream in Lesva area of Neelum valley, sweeping away or damaging 150 houses, 56 shops, three mosques, 10 vehicles and six motorbikes.

Of those victims, bodies of only four have been recovered so far.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2019