Ganderbal, July 12: A cloudburst during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday triggered flash floods in the Lashpathri area of Sonamarg, washing away a culvert, damaging a major stretch of road and leaving several vehicles stranded.

According to officials, the cloudburst caused a sudden surge in the Niwas Nallah, which overflowed and swept away a bridge cum culvert, severing the road link to the popular tourist destination.

Officials said nearly half a kilometre of the road was washed away, disrupting traffic and leaving dozens of vehicles stranded on both sides of the damaged stretch.

The incident created panic among tourists and motorists travelling through the area. However, no casualties or injuries had been reported until the filing of this report.

By Sunday evening, restoration work had not commenced, with stranded commuters awaiting the arrival of road repair teams and heavy machinery to restore connectivity.

The incident comes days after flash floods affected parts of Pahalgam, highlighting the growing impact of extreme weather events across Jammu and Kashmir's mountainous regions during the ongoing monsoon season.

Authorities are monitoring the situation and have advised travellers to avoid the affected route until restoration work is completed.