Floods and landslides in Indian Kashmir kill 60, over 100 missing, Asia News
Gushing mudslides and floodwaters inundated the village of Chasoti in Indian Kashmir on Thursday, washing away pilgrims who had gathered for lunch before trekking up the hill for a popular pilgrimage site.
"We heard a huge sound and it was followed by a flash flood and slush. People were shouting, and some of them fell in the Chenab River. Others were buried under the debris," said Rakesh Sharma, a pilgrim who was injured.
Bags, clothes and other belongings, caked in mud, lay scattered amid broken electric poles and mud on Friday, as rescue workers used shovels, ropes and crossed makeshift bridges in an attempt to extricate people out of the debris.
"We were told that another 100-150 people might be buried under the debris," one rescue worker told news agency ANI.
The Machail Yatra is a popular pilgrimage to the high altitude Himalayan shrine of Machail Mata, one of the manifestations of Goddess Durga, and pilgrims trek to the temple from Chasoti, where the road for vehicles ends.
Thursday's incident comes a little over a week after a flood and mudslide engulfed an entire village in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
"Nature has been testing us. In the last few days, we have had to deal with landslides, cloudbursts and other natural calamities," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the start of a nearly two-hour speech on the country's 79th independence day.
A cloudburst, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, is a sudden, intense downpour of over 100mm of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon.
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CNA
19 hours ago
- CNA
Floods and landslides in Indian Kashmir kill 60, over 200 missing
SRINAGAR: Rescuers in Indian Kashmir used shovels and earthmovers to search for survivors under boulders and debris on Friday (Aug 15), a day after sudden floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 60 people and left 200 others missing. Gushing mudslides and floodwaters inundated the village of Chasoti on Thursday, washing away pilgrims who had gathered for lunch before trekking up the hill for a popular religious site, in the second such disaster in the Himalayas in a little over a week. "We heard a huge sound and it was followed by a flash flood and slush. People were shouting, and some of them fell in the Chenab River. Others were buried under the debris," said Rakesh Sharma, a pilgrim who was injured. Bags, clothes and other belongings, caked in mud, lay scattered amid broken electric poles and mud on Friday, as rescue workers used ropes and crossed makeshift bridges in an attempt to extricate people from the debris. At least 60 people were killed, more than 100 injured and another 200 still missing, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah told reporters on Friday. The Himalayas are prone to floods and landslides, but some scientists say the intensity and frequency of these events are increasing due to climate change. The Machail Yatra is a popular pilgrimage to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine of Machail Mata, one of the manifestations of the Goddess Durga. Pilgrims trek to the temple from Chasoti, where the road for vehicles ends. Thursday's incident comes a little over a week after a similar flood and mudslide engulfed an entire village in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. "Nature has been testing us. In the last few days, we have had to deal with landslides, cloudbursts and other natural calamities," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the start of a nearly two-hour speech on the country's 79th Independence Day. A cloudburst, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, is a sudden, intense downpour of over 100mm of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon. In neighbouring Nepal, at least 41 people have died, 21 are missing and 121 injured in floods, heavy rains, landslides and hailstorms since early monsoon rains started in June this year, according to data provided by the country's disaster management authority. And more than 50 people were killed overnight in rain-related incidents across the mountainous north of Pakistan, rescue officials said on Friday. Flooding and the collapse of the roofs of houses caused the deaths. In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where eight people were killed - including six members of a family buried in the debris of their home - evacuation operations were ongoing for stranded domestic tourists.
AsiaOne
21 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Floods and landslides in Indian Kashmir kill 60, over 100 missing, Asia News
SRINAGAR — At least 60 people have died and more than 100 are missing, a day after sudden, heavy rain caused floods and landslides in Indian Kashmir, authorities and local media said on Friday (Aug 15), the second such disaster in the Himalayas in a little over a week. Gushing mudslides and floodwaters inundated the village of Chasoti in Indian Kashmir on Thursday, washing away pilgrims who had gathered for lunch before trekking up the hill for a popular pilgrimage site. "We heard a huge sound and it was followed by a flash flood and slush. People were shouting, and some of them fell in the Chenab River. Others were buried under the debris," said Rakesh Sharma, a pilgrim who was injured. Bags, clothes and other belongings, caked in mud, lay scattered amid broken electric poles and mud on Friday, as rescue workers used shovels, ropes and crossed makeshift bridges in an attempt to extricate people out of the debris. "We were told that another 100-150 people might be buried under the debris," one rescue worker told news agency ANI. The Machail Yatra is a popular pilgrimage to the high altitude Himalayan shrine of Machail Mata, one of the manifestations of Goddess Durga, and pilgrims trek to the temple from Chasoti, where the road for vehicles ends. Thursday's incident comes a little over a week after a flood and mudslide engulfed an entire village in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. "Nature has been testing us. In the last few days, we have had to deal with landslides, cloudbursts and other natural calamities," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the start of a nearly two-hour speech on the country's 79th independence day. A cloudburst, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, is a sudden, intense downpour of over 100mm of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon. [[nid:720695]]
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Indian rescuers scour debris after 60 killed in flood
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A view of an area affected by the deadly floods in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district, Indian Kashmir, on Aug 15. Srinagar, India - Indian rescue teams on Aug 15 dug through mud searching for victims, a day after the latest deadly flood to crash through a Himalayan village killed at least 60 people. Dozens more are missing, including Hindu pilgrims who were visiting a shrine, after torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain tore through the village in Kishtwar district in Indian-administered Kashmir. It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India in August. Officials said a large makeshift kitchen in Chisoti village, where more than 100 pilgrims were completely washed away by what Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported was a sudden 'cloudburst' rain storm. Heavy earthmovers were brought to the disaster area overnight to dig through deep mud, huge boulders and rubble that the flood brought down the mountainside. The army's White Knight Corps said its troops, 'braving the harsh weather and rugged terrain, are engaged in evacuation of injured'. Emergency kit including ropes and digging tools were being brought to the disaster site, with the army supporting other rescue teams. One survivor told the Press Trust of India news agency that he had heard a 'big blast' when the wall of water hit the settlement. 'We thought it was an earthquake', the shocked eyewitness said, who did not give his name. Mr Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP on Aug 15 that '60 people are recorded dead', with 80 people unaccounted for. 'The search for the missing has intensified', Irshad told AFP. Around 50 severely injured people have been taken to hospitals. Floods and landslides are common during the June-September monsoon season, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity and impact. Floods on Aug 5 overwhelmed the Himalayan town of Dharali in India's Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has yet to be confirmed. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said in 2024 that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a 'distress signal' of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable. Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200km by road from the region's main city Srinagar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the spate of disasters in his Independence Day speech in New Delhi on Aug 15. 'In the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities', he said in his public address. 'Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength.' AFP
