In Jammu and Kashmir, three families comprising 10 members were evacuated as a precautionary measure after land subsidence and cracks in residential houses were reported in a village in Ramban district today.

Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports that the land subsidence at Kulthi Chakka Kundi in Tehsil Rajgarh, along the banks of the Chenab River, triggered panic among the local villagers, particularly in the wake of recent heavy rains that have affected several areas of the district. Administrative, revenue and rescue teams rushed to the affected area and shifted the affected families to safer locations.

Tehsildar Rajgarh Major Singh said one non-residential structure was washed away, while cracks had developed in some residential houses due to land subsidence over the past couple of days. The local administration along with an SDRF team visited the affected area and shifted the affected families. They were provided tents for temporary accommodation.

The administration is closely monitoring the situation. Locals, however, reported cracks and damage to several other houses. Local residents apprehended that recent water releases from the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project following heavy rains may have contributed to ground instability. However, officials said the exact cause of the land subsidence and cracks is yet to be established.