Srinagar, July 22: Torrential rains continued to wreak havoc across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and a husband and wife were among five persons killed in rain related incidents in the Union Territory in last 24 hours

A man and his wife were killed and five others injured when a tempo traveller was hit by shooting stones in the vulnerable Gangroo stretch near Ramsoo on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) today.
Officials said the tempo traveller (JK06B-9842) was on its way from Banihal to Ramban when a barrage of falling stones struck the vehicle, causing extensive damage and trapping the passengers inside.
Police personnel, volunteers of the Himalayan QRT Ramsoo and members of Banihal Volunteers immediately launched a rescue operation, extricating the trapped passengers and shifting the injured to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Ramsoo.
Seven passengers were travelling in the vehicle.
“One passenger died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries at PHC Ramsoo. Five others injured have been referred to District Hospital Ramban for specialised treatment,” an official said.
The deceased were identified as Nazir Ahmed and his wife Shakeela Begum, residents of Kastigarh in Doda district.
The incident occurred amid continuous rainfall that has triggered frequent shooting stones and landslides at several vulnerable locations along NH-44, disrupting traffic and posing a serious threat to commuters.
In north Kashmir's Bandipora district, bodies of a mother and her son were recovered from a stream in Guzarbal village after they were swept away amid incessant rains.
Officials said the body of the boy, identified as Aamir Ahmad Khatana, son of Mehboob Khatana of Tangath Bonakoot, was first recovered from the nallah.
Later residents also recovered the body of his mother, Gudi Begum, from the same stream.
The duo were washed away by fast flowing flood waters.
Meanwhile, body of a newly married man Shabir Ahmad Paswal, who had gone missing after being swept away by flood water while attempting to cross a flooded nallah in central Kashmir’s Budgam district yesterday, was recovered from Ashrea Nallah in Khag area today after an overnight search operation.
The administration has urged people to stay away from rivers, streams and other water bodies due to the dangerously high water flow.
Officials said a mudslide struck near Chingus in Rajouri while the Deputy Chief Minister's convoy was passing through the area, forcing the vehicles to halt briefly before resuming their journey after safety assessments.
In a separate incident near Madana in Surankote, MP Mian Altaf had a narrow escape after his official vehicle became trapped as mud and debris rapidly engulfed the highway. He abandoned the vehicle and moved to safety before an earthmover cleared the road, allowing the vehicle to continue.
With five more deaths today, the death toll in four days of weather fury in J&K has risen to 27 while eight are missing.
Poonch has recorded the highest toll with 17 deaths, followed by Rajouri and Doda with three fatalities each.
The continuous rainfall has pushed water levels above danger levels in river Chenab and Tawi.
Officials said Chenab river at Akhnoor reached the danger mark of 35.8 feet by 5 pm, exceeding the alert level of 32 feet, while the Tawi River in Jammu and several other rivers were also flowing above danger levels.
Authorities have advised people to avoid flood-prone areas and water bodies until weather conditions improve.