Key Points

A massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall completely destroyed a petrol pump on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur. The owner had fortunately evacuated all staff and stopped operations after noticing cracks in the nearby mountain. Fire department officials confirmed extensive damage to the HP petrol pump but no casualties. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was assessing flood situations across Jammu and Kashmir following recent cloudburst incidents.

Key Points: Massive Landslide Destroys Udhampur Petrol Pump on Jammu Highway

  • Landslide triggered by continuous rainfall near Balinallah on Jammu-Srinagar highway
  • Petrol pump owner evacuated staff before complete collapse
  • Fire department responded immediately to contain potential hazards
  • Defence Minister monitoring flood situation across Jammu and Kashmir
3 min read

J-K: Massive landslide triggered by rainfall crushes petrol pump under its debris on Udhampur highway

Heavy rainfall triggers massive landslide on Jammu-Srinagar highway, crushing HP petrol pump in Udhampur. No casualties reported as owner evacuated staff in time.

"There was no loss because we all could see that the mountain was cracking - Jai Pal Singh Jamwal"

Udhampur, August 25

A massive landslide triggered by rainfall occurred near Balinallah on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur on Sunday, crushing a petrol pump under its debris.

The owner of the petrol pump, Jai Pal Singh Jamwal, claimed that this incident happened around 6:30-7 pm. "This incident happened around 7 pm... There was a crack in the mountain nearby, which caused the load on the petrol pump to be very high. Due to which this whole collapse happened," Jamwal said to ANI.

Jamwal further claimed that there were no casualties. He said, "There was no loss because we all could see that the mountain was cracking. So we had already taken out all the stuff. The shift boys had also moved aside. We had also shut down our sale and stopped the tankers. The fire brigade vehicle had also come here because we still have some stock lying with us..."

Moreover, Fire Officer Sunil said that the fire department reached the petrol pump as soon as they received the call. "It was raining continuously since morning... We saw a huge landslide here, which caused the hill to fall down. There was no loss of life here, but there was a lot of damage to the HP petrol pump. The landslide is still going on," Sunil said to ANI.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday held a meeting with officials at Raj Bhavan in Jammu to take stock of the flood situation in parts of Jammu and Kashmir. JK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union MoS Jitendra Singh were also present during the meeting.

This came after Singh visited a government hospital in Jammu to meet victims who sustained injuries in the Kishtwar cloudburst incident, and lauded the efforts of the doctors of the medical college for taking care of the injured with complete dedication.

While addressing the reporters in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Union Minister stated that all patients were out of danger and were recovering well.

"I also wanted to go to the spot, but due to bad weather, it is not possible to go there. And it has also been informed that there has been a landslide, so the vehicle could not move forward. All the patients have recovered and are recovering well. And I want to congratulate all the doctors of this medical college for taking care of all the injured people with full dedication, and all are in good condition," Singh said.

A cloudburst occurred in Kishtwar during the Machail Mata Yatra on August 14, in which over 60 people were killed. The cloudburst led to sudden flash floods during the pilgrimage, resulting in widespread destruction and deaths. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, CISF, Indian Army and the local administration were engaged in rescue efforts.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The Jammu-Srinagar highway has become so vulnerable to landslides. Authorities need to invest in proper slope stabilization and early warning systems. This could have been much worse if it happened during daytime with customers present.
P
Priya S
Heartbreaking to see so many natural disasters happening in J&K recently. First the Kishtwar cloudburst tragedy and now this. The continuous rainfall is really worrying. Stay safe everyone! ❤️
M
Michael C
Good to see the Defense Minister taking stock of the situation personally. However, I wish there was more proactive infrastructure development rather than reactive measures after disasters occur.
A
Ananya R
The fire department and emergency services deserve appreciation for their quick response. Monsoon in hilly areas is always challenging, but our disaster response teams are doing commendable work. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
V
Vikram M
This is why we need better geological surveys before constructing anything near hillsides. Climate change is making rainfall patterns unpredictable and we must adapt our construction practices accordingly.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50