GANDERBAL: A midnight cloudburst triggered flash floods at the picturesque Lashpathri tourist resort in Sonamarg, leaving dozens of vehicles stranded after floodwaters washed away a culvert, damaged a major stretch of road and snapped connectivity to the area.
The cloudburst struck during the intervening night, sending a torrent of water through Niwas Nallah, which swelled within minutes and swept away a small bridge-cum-culvert, cutting off the road leading to the tourist destination.
Official sources said that nearly half a kilometre of the road was washed away in the flash floods, leaving scores of vehicles stranded on either side of the damaged stretch.
The incident caused panic among tourists and motorists travelling through the area, though no loss of life or injuries had been reported till the filing of this report.
As of Sunday late afternoon, restoration work had not commenced, with stranded commuters awaiting the arrival of men and machinery to restore connectivity.
The latest incident comes close on the heels of flash floods that inundated parts of Pahalgam, underscoring the growing vulnerability of Jammu and Kashmir’s mountainous tourist destinations to extreme weather events triggered by intense rainfall and cloudbursts.
Authorities are monitoring the situation, while travellers have been advised to avoid the affected route until restoration work is completed. [KNT]
