Rains, Floods, and a Communication Blackout

The rain that lashed Jammu and Kashmir this week has been called unprecedented. Thirty-eight lives have been lost, 34 of them Vaishno Devi pilgrims who were caught in a cloudburst near Adhkunwari, and flash floods in Doda claimed four more. Homes have been washed away, highways ripped apart, and pilgrims' families are now mourning in Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

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But while the tragedy unfolded in Jammu, another crisis brewed silently in the Kashmir Valley: On Tuesday afternoon, as the Jhelum swelled close to the danger mark and south Kashmir watched anxiously, both mobile and wired communication collapsed. Calls did not go through, the internet went dark, and stranded people had no way to seek help or inform loved ones. Services returned only erratically by Wednesday afternoon.