MUZAFFARABAD:A cloudburst-triggered flash flood caused widespread damage in an Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) village in the small hours of Wednesday, damaging around two dozen houses and six shops and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, officials said.

According to Saeed Qureshi, Director Operations at the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), intense overnight rainfall coupled with a cloudburst around 3:45am led to a sudden surge of water in the Goharabad nullah, inundating adjacent residential areas and completely blocking four link roads due to heavy debris.

Goharabad, the native village of AJK’s Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education, Deevan Ali Chughtai, lies in Jhelum valley district. It is situated around 48 kilometres south of Muzaffarabad along the Leepa Valley road.

The flash flood took residents by surprise, Mr Qureshi said, completely destroying one house and partially damaging 23 others. A watermill, a cattle shed, six shops, and four vehicles were also damaged, while two heads of cattle perished in the deluge.

On the directions of AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, Muzaffarabad Divisional Commissioner Chaudhry Guftar Hussain and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Yasin Qureshi visited the affected village to assess the situation and oversee rescue and relief efforts.

They were briefed on the extent of the damage by Deputy Commissioner Jhelum Valley Beenish Jarral and Superintendent of Police Mirza Zahid Hussain, who said residential properties, roads, vehicles, and crops had borne the brunt of the calamity.

Commissioner Hussain instructed the district administration to complete the damage assessment on a priority basis to facilitate timely compensation and rehabilitation. He reassured the residents that the government would not leave them in the lurch and would marshal all available resources to support them.

In view of forecasts of further rainfall, the commissioner urged citizens—particularly those living along streams and nullahs—to relocate to safer areas during the monsoon spell.

Officials from the District Disaster Management Authority informed the visiting dignitaries that relief items, including food, had already been distributed among affected households.

DC Jarral added that all emergency response departments were on high alert and working in close coordination to handle any emergent situation. She noted that staff leaves had been cancelled to ensure full preparedness.

Separately, the Executive Engineer of the Highways Department said that two link roads had been completely washed away while two others sustained partial damage.

“Restoration work began at 6am with the help of heavy machinery, and within six hours, all roads were made accessible for vehicular and pedestrian traffic,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2025