KISHTWAR — Relentless, heavy rainfall triggered a massive landslide and sudden flash floods across Jammu and Kashmir’s Chenab Valley on Monday, July 6, 2026 burying multiple vehicles under heavy mud and debris near the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project.

The sudden deluge brought tons of mud, rocks, and boulders crashing down into the project area and onto the adjacent Kishtwar–Doda National Highway (NH-244), completely halting vehicular movement and creating a high-stakes emergency situation.

The landslide struck the Kwar Hydroelectric Project compound—a massive power venture being developed on the Chenab River—following intense overnight downpours.

Torrents of floodborne sludge and stone channeled directly into the project facility, engulfing numerous parked vehicles and essential equipment. The heavy debris completely buried construction machinery, bulldozers, trucks, tankers, and stored building materials under a thick layer of mud.

Eyewitnesses described a long stretch of the access road completely blanketed by rubble, leaving several pieces of expensive equipment crushed and trapped deep beneath the landslide material.

"Officials confirmed that the flash floods channeled large quantities of dirt and rocks into the project compound... Several pieces of equipment have sustained extensive damage and remain stuck beneath the debris."

Fortunately, despite the scale of the destruction and the extensive damage to the vehicles, local authorities confirmed that no casualties or injuries have been reported.

The local administration rapidly mobilized emergency response teams alongside heavy machinery to the affected project site. Men and excavators are actively working on clearance operations to remove the heavy sludge, stabilize the slopes, and retrieve the buried machinery.

The catastrophe at the Kwar project site is part of a broader wave of severe weather wreaking havoc across the region. A simultaneous flash flood and mudslide struck the Prem Nagar stretch of NH-244, depositing heavy debris that rendered the primary transit route completely unsafe.

Traffic between Doda and Kishtwar has been officially suspended while restoration efforts continue. Prior to the downpour, the administration had issued a weather advisory warning of thunderstorms and flash floods, and officials continue to urge residents—especially those near riverbanks and vulnerable slopes—to remain highly vigilant until the wet weather spell passes.