Landslide sinks land, cuts off Kotranka–Khawas road in Rajouri

Rajouri, Sep 5: A massive landslide triggered land sinking in Badhaal-B panchayat of Khawas tehsil on Friday, damaging at least seven structures, including four houses, and cutting off the vital Kotranka–Khawas road while displacing four families, officials said.

As per the reports, a stretch of the Kotranka–Khawas road caved in and plunged down the slope, halting movement of vehicles and raising apprehensions of further damage.

Despite fair weather conditions, this fresh sinking of land took place with at least one hundred kanals of land coming down heavily.

At least seven structures, including four houses, collapsed in the incident, spreading a wave of sadness among locals.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Kotranka, Dil Mir, said that four families were timely shifted from the houses, but unfortunately their houses had collapsed.

The officer stated that earlier in this village, eleven structures got damaged due to a similar sinking of land at a separate place, while this was the second such incident of land sinking.

Along with fields and structures, the vital road link connecting Kotranka subdivision with Khawas tehsil also suffered damage, and at least fifty metres of road plunged down.

The road is considered a lifeline for Khawas tehsil, as it connects nearly twenty-five villages with the district headquarters in Rajouri.

The road has suffered damage on a large scale, caving in fifty metres of road stretch, and it is anticipated that the road stretch will take at least one to two weeks for restoration.