J&K Minister Javed Ahmed Rana Visits Landslide-Hit Mendhar, Says Half Of Kalaban Village Unsafe As 25+ Houses Collapse

Poonch: A land drift activity triggered a massive landslide in Kalaban village in the Mendhar area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.

More than 25 residential structures were completely damaged, while around 10 to 12 other structures were destroyed due to the landslide.

J-K Minister Javed Ahmed Rana inspected the landslide-affected areas of Mendhar in Poonch and directed the local administration to provide relief support to the affected families.

Addressing the media during his visit on Tuesday, Minister Rana said, "The landslide has impacted many houses...Close to 25 houses have been totally damaged by the landslide... Additionally, around 15-20 houses have developed cracks...The whole area has become unsafe...More than half of the village has been impacted...We have conveyed the instructions to the local administration for providing relief material to the affected people...The government is standing with the people during this tough time...".

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Mendhar, Imran Rashid Kataria, said that around 30 structures were completely damaged due to a land drift activity leading to a landslide in the Kalaban village of Mendhar. He added that the land drift activity was still ongoing and all the agencies were working on the ground to prevent any loss of life.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Mendhar SDM Kataria said, "Due to a landslide in the Kalaban village, around 30 structures have been damaged due to a land drift activity which is still ongoing...All the agencies are on the ground and the public is also cooperating with us...".

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited Thard village in Udhampur on Tuesday and reviewed ongoing restoration works on National Highway 44 (NH-44).

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) had remained closed for around eight days following massive landslides triggered by recent heavy rainfall.

The Lieutenant Governor also interacted with affected families and enquired about their well-being.

Earlier, residents of Kheri village, located in the Bantalab area of Jammu, reported that 15 to 20 houses had been either damaged or destroyed due to landslides triggered by incessant rains over the past few days.

The continuous downpours caused deep cracks in the soil, rendering several houses unsafe and forcing villagers to take refuge in makeshift tents. With the terrain remaining unstable and further rainfall posing risks to lives and property, locals were urged to shift to safer locations at the earliest.

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