At least 37 killed after torrential rains trigger flash floods in Kashmir

Torrential rainfall struck Chisoti, a municipality successful Kishtwar territory successful Indian-administered Kashmir, connected Thursday morning.

At slightest 37 radical person been killed aft a abrupt cloudburst unleashed torrential rainfall successful Indian-administered Kashmir, a catastrophe absorption authoritative said, marking the 2nd large catastrophe successful the Himalayas successful just implicit a week.

The deluge struck Chisoti, a municipality successful Kishtwar district, connected Thursday morning. The tract serves arsenic a cardinal halt on the pilgrimage way to the Machail Mata temple, a revered Himalayan shrine dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Television footage showed terrified pilgrims crying arsenic h2o surged done the settlement.

Omar Abdullah, main curate of the national territory of Jammu and Kashmir, described the concern arsenic “grim” and said confirmed details were dilatory to look from the distant location.

Mohammed Irshad said rescue teams scouring the devastated Himalayan colony of Chositi brought astatine slightest 100 radical to safety.

“Dead bodies of 37 radical person been recovered,” said Irshad, a apical catastrophe absorption official, adding determination was nary number of immoderate missing radical available.

According to Ramesh Kumar, divisional commissioner of Kishtwar, the cloudburst deed astatine astir 11:30am section time. He told ANI quality bureau that constabulary and catastrophe effect teams were connected the ground, portion service and aerial unit units had besides been mobilised. “Search and rescue operations are nether way,” Kumar said.

An official, who asked not to beryllium named arsenic they were not authorised to talk to the media, said the flood swept distant a assemblage room and a information station acceptable up to service pilgrims. “A ample fig of pilgrims had gathered for luncheon and they were washed away,” the authoritative told the quality bureau Reuters.

Buildings damaged successful flash floods caused by torrential rains are seen successful a remote, mountainous village, successful the Chisoti area, Indian-administered Kashmir, connected Thursday, August 14, 2025 [AP]

The India Meteorological Department defines a cloudburst arsenic a sudden, utmost downpour exceeding 100mm of rainfall successful an hour, often triggering flash floods and landslides successful mountainous regions during the monsoon.

Last week, a akin catastrophe successful Uttarakhand, different Himalayan state, buried an full colony nether mud and debris aft dense rains.

The Srinagar upwind bureau has warned of further aggravated rainfall successful respective parts of Kashmir, including Kishtwar, and urged residents to debar unstable structures, powerfulness lines and aged trees owed to the hazard of caller landslides and flash floods.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies