JAMMU, July 10 — The engine of a freight train bound for Jammu derailed near Lakhanpur in Kathua district on Thursday morning after a mudslide triggered by heavy overnight rain, officials said. No casualties were reported.
The incident occurred around 7 a.m. when the train, travelling from Punjab, hit a mud-covered stretch of track. “Rain triggered the mudslide, leading to the derailment of the engine near Lakhanpur,” a railway official said. “The track was inundated, blocking train movement for over two hours.”
Railway response teams, equipped with machinery, reached the site swiftly to restore the line. Services resumed by 9:30 a.m., but not before disrupting the schedule of at least five passenger trains, which were halted at Pathankot and Sujanpur stations during the blockade.
Meanwhile, in the Jammu district, a portion of the Lakhanpur-Jagatpur link road was washed away due to intense rainfall. Kathua recorded 174.8 mm of rain since Wednesday afternoon, while Samba and Jammu received 96 mm and 37.7 mm, respectively.
In a separate incident, seven people were injured when a passenger bus skidded and overturned in Udhampur district. The accident occurred near Highway School in the Sunetar area of Ramnagar tehsil. Officials said all injured passengers sustained minor wounds and are in stable condition.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation, with more rainfall predicted across the region.
