India: Heavy Rain Triggers Flood in Kashmir Pilgrimage Town
A sudden cloudburst in the Himalayan town of Chasoti, India-administered Kashmir, has left at least 46 people dead and more than 200 missing, authorities said on Thursday.
The rain, which fell in a violent burst, sent torrents of water, mud, and debris racing down the mountains, sweeping away buildings, vehicles, and a large gathering of Hindu pilgrims on their way to the Machail Mata shrine. Witnesses shared videos showing roads turned into raging rivers and entire structures crumbling under the force of the floodwaters.
Officials said the disaster struck around 11:30 a.m. local time, washing away a community kitchen and a security post along the pilgrimage route. Many of the victims had been gathered for lunch when the flood hit.
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Army, police, and disaster response teams have joined the rescue effort, with air force units also deployed. Survivors have been taken to hospitals as emergency workers comb the area for those missing.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah confirmed the scale of the tragedy in a social media post, describing the situation as “grim” and pledging all available resources to the operation. He has cancelled some Independence Day celebrations in light of the disaster.
India’s Meteorological Department attributed the incident to a cloudburst, a sudden downpour of more than 100 millimetres of rain within an hour which can cause flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas during the monsoon season.
This is the second such deadly flooding in the Himalayas this month, following a similar tragedy in Uttarakhand that killed at least four people.
