Jammu & Kashmir Floods: Incessant rain, cloudbursts and landslides in Doda killed four, destroyed homes and roads, suspended Vaishno Devi Yatra, and shut highways.

At least four people have died and several houses and roads have been destroyed after incessant rain, cloudbursts and landslides battered Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, while a major landslide in Ardhkwari near the Vaishno Devi shrine left five people dead and several injured. Two people were killed when their house collapsed in Doda, while two others died in flash floods as authorities urged residents to stay away from riverbanks amid surging water levels in major rivers.Omar Abdullah said he briefed the Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the rain havoc in Jammu and Kashmir, noting heavy damage, disrupted connectivity and the closure of Jammu airport that prevented him from travelling. He added he is monitoring the situation and hopes to reach Jammu on the first flight tomorrow.Traffic on NH-244, the vital link between Doda and Kishtwar, has been suspended after heavy rain washed away a large stretch of road. Landslides and shooting stones have also shut the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Ramban district. The Sinthan Top pass, connecting the Kashmir Valley with Kishtwar, has been closed while heavy snowfall in Zojila Pass has blocked the Srinagar-Leh highway. Several trains to and from Katra, including Vande Bharat Express, Shri Shakti Express and Hemkunt Express, have been cancelled.