Jammu, Sep 3 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir government Saturday sought army and air force help to rescue hundreds of people marooned at various places of Jammu region where all major rivers were flowing over the danger mark.

Six people died in a house collapse in Bani area in Kathua district, about 120 km southeast of Jammu Saturday night.

Rains during the past three days have raised the level of Chenab, Tawi and Munnawar Tawi rivers. The situation was particularly grim in areas near the Chenab and Tawi riverbanks where people remained on rooftops to escape the flood fury.

"Efforts are on to rescue the marooned people," Jammu Divisional Commissioner Parmod Jain told reporters.

The government convened an emergency meeting to discuss the situation and decided to take help from the army in rescue operations.

Air force choppers have been pressed into service for rescue work.

As rains stopped Sunday afternoon, road clearance operations began on the 294-km-long Jammu-Srinagar highway that was blocked at various places.

Heavy showers had also triggered landslides at Nandini, 30 km from Banihal, forcing pilgrims to Vaishno Devi shrine to take a detour - three times longer than the normal 45 km Jammu-Katra route.