Kupwara, Aug 3: A 50-year-old woman lost her life after a cloudburst accompanied by a severe hailstorm triggered flash floods in Hamli Warnow village of Lolab Valley in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday, causing widespread damage to homes, orchards and standing crops.
According to officials, the cloudburst led to sudden flash floods that inundated several parts of the village, leaving a trail of destruction. Lone Mohalla and Qureshi Mohalla were among the worst-affected areas, where multiple residential houses sustained damage, while orchards and agricultural fields suffered heavy losses.
The deceased has been identified as Naseema Begum (50), wife of Mohammad Ayoub Pathan, who was swept away by the floodwaters during the incident. She was reported missing shortly after the flash floods struck, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
Police, Army personnel and local volunteers launched a coordinated rescue effort, and after several hours of searching, her body was recovered from Malik Mohalla in the Shahabad area.The body was shifted for medico-legal formalities.
Meanwhile, the district administration has initiated an assessment of the damage caused by the cloudburst and hailstorm. Relief and restoration work is underway in the affected areas, with officials monitoring the situation and extending assistance to the affected families.