Nusrat Sidiq
22 July 2026•Update: 22 July 2026
At least 26 people were killed and several injured as days of heavy rain battered Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, causing landslides and flash floods across the Himalayan region, officials said Wednesday.
Two more people were killed and five others injured after a boulder struck their vehicle on the region's national highway.
In another incident, a minor boy was killed after being swept away by raging flood waters in northern Bandipora district.
Authorities on Wednesday closed the 250-kilometer (155-mile) Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the region's main all-weather road linking Kashmir with the Jammu division, after landslides and falling rocks rendered several stretches unsafe.
More than 20 people have died in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri near the Line of Control, where flash floods caused by incessant rainfall swept through villages in recent days. Rescue and relief operations were continuing on Wednesday.
In Kargil district of Ladakh, flash floods damaged homes, roads and other infrastructure, while parts of south and central Kashmir also reported damage to houses, roads and agricultural land.
Heavy rain inundated roads and residential areas in several parts of the federally administered territory, including the summer capital Srinagar, disrupting transport and daily life. Many major streams and tributaries are flowing near the danger mark in the region raising the risk of a major flooding.
India's Met Department has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir through July 23 and warned of a continued risk of flash floods, landslides and mudslides in vulnerable areas.
Authorities have advised residents and tourists to avoid rivers, streams and landslide-prone areas, while the Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed officials to provide immediate relief and assistance to affected families.
