AJK Shuts Schools for Two Days as Torrential Rains Intensify Flood, Landslide Threat
Authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have ordered the closure of all public and private schools on August 15 and 16, 2025, citing dangerous weather conditions and mounting risks from floods and landslides.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Department confirmed the decision on Thursday after weather patterns worsened across the region. Officials noted that continuous downpours have already pushed river and drainage levels dangerously high, with unstable slopes posing a serious hazard to residents.
Some districts had moved ahead with closures even before the territory-wide directive. Poonch district announced an August 15 holiday earlier this week, while Haveli’s administration ordered schools in Jhelum Valley to shut for the same day to protect students and staff.
The shutdown comes in the wake of destructive cloudbursts and relentless rain that have battered AJK in recent days. Entire communities have been cut off after bridges were swept away, roads washed out, and homes destroyed.
In one of the deadliest incidents, a flash flood in Muzaffarabad’s Naseerabad tehsil killed six members of a single family. Bagh district is grappling with rapidly swelling rivers and streams, while Bhimber Nullah in Samahni has risen to dangerously high levels, threatening nearby settlements.
The closures, while disruptive to education, are seen as a necessary precaution as rescue and relief efforts continue in flood-hit zones. Local officials warn that with forecasts showing more rain ahead, the situation could deteriorate further.
