In a matter of hours, the cloudburst and flash floods had carved a trail of grief through Poonch’s remote mountain settlements. When he returned moments later, he found his house had completely disappeared, swept away by the flash flood. Residents said teams from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the SDRF and other rescue agencies were carrying out the operation. Locals claimed some truck drivers sleeping inside their vehicles that night were also swept away; their bodies were not yet recovered. South Kashmir, which is fundamental to the water level in the Jhelum, rained intermittently and slowly, unlike parts of central Kashmir and the north.