J-K: 12 dead, several missing as flash floods, landslides wreak havoc
At least 12 people were killed and several others missing as torrential rains unleashed landslides and flash floods across the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, causing widespread damage to public and private infrastructure including roads and houses, officials said. The devastation prompted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to skip National Conference”s proposed statehood protest in Delhi on Monday and rush to Jammu to take stock of the emerging situation and oversee relief efforts. Abdullah reached the Civil Secretariat here at 6 pm and chaired a high-level meeting. The worst devastation was reported from Surankote tehsil in Poonch district, where most of the fatalities occurred, while rescue teams raced against time to trace the missing persons, the officials said. Deputy Commissioner Poonch Ashok Kumar Sharma said at least 16 persons are feared dead in the district with bodies of nine recovered so far. “The rescue efforts are ongoing while all measures are being taken to provide immediate relief to the affected population,” Sharma, who visited various flood-hit areas during …