Flash floods kill 11, suspend Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu

Torrential rainfall triggered devastating flash floods and landslides across the Jammu region on Sunday, July 19, 2026, killing at least 11 people, sweeping away more than 150 vehicles, and causing widespread destruction in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The severe weather prompted authorities to suspend the annual Amarnath pilgrimage and launch large-scale rescue operations as several people remained missing.

The worst-hit area was Lower Murrah village in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district, where a landslide buried a family of eight beneath the debris of their home. Rescue teams recovered five bodies from the site and continued searching for the remaining occupants. Separate rain-related incidents across Rajouri and Poonch claimed additional lives, including fatalities from house collapses and drownings. Officials reported that four members of another family were missing after flash floods swept away their house in Singal village.

The flooding caused extensive damage to infrastructure and property. In Rajouri town, the Darhali River breached a flood protection wall near Bela Colony, sending water into the new bus stand and submerging or washing away dozens of...