Windstorms wreak havoc in Kashmir

Baramulla, May 10:   The windstorms wreaked havoc across Kashmir on Friday, resulting in significant damage to properties and infrastructure as well as disruptions to daily life.

North Kashmir’s Baramulla district experienced a severe windstorm while a lineman was critically injured after a tree fell on him at Kantbagh, Baramulla, while he was restoring power supply in the area.

He was immediately shifted to Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla for treatment.

The injured lineman has been identified as Gowhar Ahmad from Khanpora, Baramulla.

In Mohalla Jalal Sahib, Old Town Baramulla, a residential house owned by Muhammad Akbar Khan suffered damage to its rooftop and second floor due to the force of the windstorm.

The incident caused panic in the area as windows of several other residential houses in the area were also damaged.

On Akbar Road toward the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Baramulla near the SSP Office Baramulla, several policemen stationed in a guard room narrowly escaped harm when a tree crashed onto its roof. The guard room suffered extensive damage in the incident.

Additionally, a forest hut in the area was significantly damaged by a fallen tree.

An official said that a hut of the Forest Department Baramulla and its wall suffered damage after a tree fell on it following the windstorm in the area.

The windstorm also wreaked havoc on the power distribution system in the Kantbagh and Khawaja Bagh areas, resulting in power outages including at the GMC Baramulla.

A PDD official said that efforts were underway to restore electric supply in the area including to GMC Baramulla.

“It may take a few hours to restore the power supply to these areas as there is extensive damage to electric poles along the Akbar Road leading to DC Office Baramulla,” he said.

The windstorm uprooted numerous trees along the Baramulla-Handwara highway at Janbazpora, Ladoora, and Watergam, causing temporary disruptions to traffic flow.

At Tappar Pattan, a large tree fell on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway, leading to the suspension of traffic movement for several hours.

In the Kreeri, Wagoora, and Uri areas of Baramulla district, scores of trees were uprooted following the windstorm in the area.

A district official said, “We are preparing a report about the damage to properties caused by the windstorm across the district.”

Auqib Salam reports from Srinagar

A tree fell over a cab in Batamaloo area of Srinagar on Friday.

According to eyewitnesses, the tree fell on a Tavera cab and damaged it badly.

A video of the incident also surfaced on social media in which a huge tree was seen crushing the passenger cab in Tatto Ground area of Batamaloo.

However, there were no reports of casualties.

An official said that a tree fell over a cab (JK01X 8919).

Ghulam Muhammad reports from Sopore

The windstorm also wreaked havoc across Sopore and damaged property and orchards.

A windstorm blew away roofs of several residential and commercial structures, damaged properties worth lakhs of rupees, and uprooted dozens of trees, damaging the standing crop and apple orchards.

As per videos uploaded by locals on social networking websites, the strong winds damaged residential houses in several parts of Sopore.

One video also showed the roof of a commercial structure being blown away by strong winds in the Nowpora area of Sopore.

Moreover, several houses and cars suffered damage as the windstorm uprooted trees and fell on houses and cars, due to which the highway remained briefly shut.