From swollen rivers to landslides, what is the situation in J&K, Punjab hit by flash floods: 5 points

1. Landslide kills 30 in J&K: At least 30 people were killed and several more were injured in a landslide near Adh Kunwari en route to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu’s Trikuta Hills. The landslide struck halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra town in Reasi district to the hilltop shrine.

Tawi river flows in spate after relentless rainfall, at Bhagwati Nagar, in Jammu, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (PTI Photo)

2. Punjab rivers swell: The flood situation across Punjab turned alarming on Wednesday as water levels in major dams such as Bhakra, Pong, Ranjit Sagar, and Shahpur Kandi surged close to or above their designed thresholds. Simultaneously, discharge from rivers Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rose steeply, putting low-lying districts of Punjab on high flood alert.

3. Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara partially submerged: As the water level in Ravi rose following the excess release of water from the Pong dam, the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, and the corresponding corridor were flooded by the overflowing Ravi River, reports said. Visuals shared by the Pakistani traveller account Travel with Waqas Haider showed the entire premises of the historic gurdwara, including the central area, submerged by around 10 feet of floodwater.

The entire premises of the historic gurdwara, including the central area, submerged by around 10 feet of floodwater. (Photo: Facebook@Travel with Waqas Haider)

4. Villages evacuated after Sutlej swells: With the Sutlej swelling due to incessant rain in its catchment areas and heavy releases from dams, evacuation in several low-lying villages of Fazilka and Ferozepur districts began late Tuesday afternoon. Pakistan too evacuated thousands of people from the border regions, AP reported. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said it had issued an advance alert to its Punjabi counterparts about a surge in the Sutlej River and the risk of flooding, and that evacuations from various districts in the eastern Punjab province were underway. In a statement, it said rescuers evacuated more than 14,000 people from Kasur, a district in Punjab province, while over 89,000 were moved to safer ground from the city of Bahawalnagar, near the Indian border.

5. Flight operations to Leh hit: Adverse weather conditions in Leh hit the flight operations to the region on Tuesday as the Delhi Airport issued an advisory stating: “Due to bad conditions in Leh, flight operations to the destination have been affected. We are working closely with all the stakeholders to support passengers and minimise inconvenience. For specific flight information, kindly contact the respective airline.”