Jammu

One person was killed and another injured in a landslide near a hydropower project, while more than 230 people, including women and children, were rescued after being stranded in heavy snowfall at the high-altitude Sinthan Top in Kishtwar district, officials said on Monday.

Authorities have also ordered the closure of all educational institutions outside municipal limits in Kishtwar and adjoining Doda district on Monday as a precaution due to inclement weather, they said.

A landslide triggered by rain struck a hydropower project site near Dangduru in Kishtwar district on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, trapping two workers, officials said.

While one worker was later found dead, the other was rescued in an injured condition and shifted to a hospital, they added.

In a separate incident, a joint rescue operation by the police, Army and civil administration evacuated 235 passengers travelling in 38 vehicles who were stranded due to heavy snowfall at Sinthan Top, which links Kishtwar in the Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

According to the White Knight Corps, troops were mobilised immediately after receiving information on March 15 that civilians were stranded at Sinthan Top due to severe weather conditions.

Despite snow-blocked roads and harsh weather, the rescue teams reached the site and provided stranded civilians with hot meals, drinking water and shelter.

Repair teams worked to restore the mobility of the stranded vehicles, while passengers from vehicles that could not be recovered were safely evacuated, the Army said.

Medical teams also provided assistance and essential medicines to those in need.

“The mission witnessed seamless coordination between the Army, J-K Police and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, reaffirming the Army’s commitment to safeguarding lives in difficult conditions,” the Army said in a post on X.

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Pankaj Kumar Sharma, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Singh and the commanding officer of the 11 Rashtriya Rifles, supervised the rescue operation, which continued for several hours, officials said.