Jammu, Aug 12: Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in Jammu on second consecutive day Friday, killing four more persons, including two teenagers and flattening at least two dozen houses. Almost all rivers and major nallahs in the Jammu and adjoining districts were flowing at danger level.
 Over 80 persons were rescued in separate flash floods incidents while several slums (juggies) were washed away, rendering hundreds of people, mostly outside labourers, homeless. Jammu received about 60 mm rainfall which plummeted the maximum temperature in the region by seven degrees Celsius below normal.
 Official sources told Greater Kashmir that a teenaged boy identified as Yogesh Kumar (12), son of Ram Krishan, resident of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, presently residing at Railway Colony was washed away in an over-flooded nallah in Trikuta Nagar area here.
 “The victim, who was a pillion rider, was washed away when his friend Deepak tried to cross the motorcycle through an over-flooded nallah in Trikuta Nagar this afternoon. Local people and pedestrian who were stranded near nallah sounded an alarm. They, however, successfully rescued the motorbike driver,” eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir.
 The motorcycle (JK02AR-8465), on which they were traveling, also washed away in flash floods. The body of the teenaged boy has yet not been recovered from the nallah.
  Traffic on Trikuta Nagar-Greater Kailash and Trikuta Nagar-Kunjwani roads remained disrupted for over three hours due to over-flooding of all major nallahs flowing through these areas.
 In another incident, an unidentified Sadhu was washed away in strong currents of river Tawi which was flowing at danger mark. Police sources said some pedestrians observed that a man near Birkam Chowk bridge got trapped in over-flooded river Tawi and sounded an alarm.
 “We have launched a search operation but the body of the victim has not been recovered. His identity has also not been ascertained,” sources added.
 In a tragic incident of house collapse, a four-year-old boy died while his parents suffered grievous injuries after the roof of their house caved in at village Jaswa in Akhnoor district.
 Similarly, about 50 persons were rescued from the Sidhra bridge after they caught in rising water level in river Tawi. Several slums, which were established on the bank of the river, were washed away.
 The Deputy Commissioner Samba Mubarak Singh told Greater Kashmir that a boy was washed away in flash floods at Pati village in Vijaypur.
 “A bridge over river Devak also suffered damaged due to flash flood. The bridge, which links Uttarbani to Parmandal, is not motorable now,” the DC Samba said, adding the pubic works department and power development department has also suffered extensive damage in the heavy rains.
 “15 families from Uttar Bahini have been shifted to a local temple and free ration is being provided to them by the district administration,” he said, adding that the administration has constituted teams to assess the loss suffered during these two days.
 Sources said that five persons were rescued from Uttar Bahini rivulet after they trapped in flash floods triggered by heavy rains.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST