Thunderstorm plunges Srinagar into darkness

Srinagar, Jul 7: A major thunderstorm snapped electricity in most parts of Srinagar on Monday, halting daily life. The Power Development Department (PDD) said the gusty winds resulted in trees snapping power lines at many places, resulting in power outages. Restoration work was on when this report was filed.

The Managing Director Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Mehmood Ahmed Shah said that tree branches and trees had fallen due to the heavy thunderstorm in many parts of Srinagar. He said the department was on the job of restoring power supply. “I am personally overseeing the work of restoration and the department is trying to ensure that power is back to every part of the City as soon as we can make it,” he said.

However, while power got restored by late evening in many parts of Srinagar, many others continued in darkness while the report was filed. The power outage caused inconvenience to Srinagarites, many posting about the issue on social media platforms.

The much awaited rains brought the city to a halt on Monday afternoon. The heavy rains caused logged drains and water flooded streets across Srinagar. Many markets in Srinagar were inundated and rain water entered shop premises in Rajouri Kadal, Maharaja Bazar, Nawab Bazar, Soura and in many other old and new city areas. Rains also brought life to a halt as traffic movement became difficult due to the strong storms and heavy rainfall. Rooftops of many houses were reportedly blown away due to the powerful winds.

Many boats capsized in Dal Lake when windstorms caught the tourists off-guard. No loss of life was reported though. At least 12 people were rescued from Dal Lake after their boats turned turtle in Dal Lake, the J&K Disaster Response Force posted on its official X handle. The SDRF also posted videos of a massive Chinar tree that had fallen in old Barzulla due to the wind. The tree was being cleared from the road amidst continued rainfall.