J&K: Pahalgam cloudburst damages hotels, huts, washes away road; tourists moved to safety

SRINAGAR: Cloudburst-triggered flash floods in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam inundated hotels and huts, and damaged roads, power infrastructure, and agricultural fields along Overa stream on Saturday evening, sparking panic among locals and tourists in around 11 villages.Around 20 hotels suffered heavy damage, while the cloudburst completely washed away a 100-metre stretch of a road.“I was inside a hotel when the floodwater suddenly gushed in. The hotel owner and his staff rushed to our rooms and evacuated us to safety. I am surprised that we survived,” a tourist from Nagpur said.Another tourist said it was around dinner time when the floodwater began rushing into the hotel. “Everything happened within a few minutes. The hotel staff broke open a rear exit and led us to safety. We didn’t know what was happening until we reached a nearby village,” the tourist said.National Conference MLA Altaf Kaloo said, “Around 11 villages have been severely affected. The road to the area has been cut off, the water supply has been disrupted, and there is no electricity.”An official said, “The area falls outside the jurisdiction of Pahalgam Development Authority.”PDP leader Iltija Mufti questioned, “Why have hotels been allowed to be constructed in the flood channel over the past few years?”Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.