At least 60 dead, over 200 missing in IIOJK floods, landslides
Rescuers in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu And Kashmir (IIOJK) used shovels and earthmovers to search for survivors under boulders and debris on Friday, 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.
Read More: Torrential rains claim 146 lives in K-P, five die in rescue helicopter crash
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.
A general view of an area affected by the deadly flood caused by sudden, heavy rain in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district, Indian Illegal Occupied Kashmir, August 15, 2025.PHOTO: REUTERS
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 100 mm (4 inches) of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon.
Also Read: Thousands marooned in G-B as floods halt KKH repairs
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's 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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Express Tribune
At least 60 dead, over 200 missing in IIOJK floods, landslides
A general view of damaged houses following the deadly flood caused by sudden, heavy rain in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district,I Indian Illegal Occupied Kashmir, August 15, REUTERS Rescuers in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu And Kashmir (IIOJK) used shovels and earthmovers to search for survivors under boulders and debris on Friday, 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. Read More: Torrential rains claim 146 lives in K-P, five die in rescue helicopter crash 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. A general view of an area affected by the deadly flood caused by sudden, heavy rain in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district, Indian Illegal Occupied Kashmir, August 15, REUTERS 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 100 mm (4 inches) of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon. Also Read: Thousands marooned in G-B as floods halt KKH repairs 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's 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.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Indian rescuers scour debris after 60 killed in flood
SRINAGAR: Indian rescue teams on Friday 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 Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month. Officials said a large makeshift kitchen in Chisoti village, where more than 100 pilgrims were completely washed away by what Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) 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. Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP on Friday that '60 people are recorded dead', with 80 people unaccounted for. At least 23 killed as torrential rains wreak havoc in AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, KP '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 August 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 last year 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 200 kilometres (125 miles) 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 Friday. 'In the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities', Modi said in his public address. 'Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength.'
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Sudden, heavy rain in IIOJK leaves 46 dead
Rescue workers remove the debris as they search for survivors after a landslide following torrential rain in Shimla in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, India, on August 14. Photo REUTERS At least 46 people died and more than 200 were missing following sudden, heavy rain in Indian Illegally-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday, the second such disaster in the Himalayas in a little over a week. The incident occurred in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district, a stopover point on a popular pilgrimage route. It comes a little over a week after a heavy flood and mudslide engulfed an entire village in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. The flood washed away a community kitchen and a security post set up in the village, a pit stop along the pilgrimage route to the Machail Mata temple, said one of the officials, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media about the incident. "A large number of pilgrims had gathered for lunch and they were washed away," the official said. 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. "The news is grim and accurate, verified information from the area hit by the cloudburst is slow in arriving," Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of IIOJK, said in a post on X. Television footage showed pilgrims crying in fear as water flooded the village. The disaster occurred at 11.30 am local time, Ramesh Kumar, the divisional commissioner of Kishtwar district, told news agency ANI, adding that local police and disaster response officials had reached the scene. "Army, air force teams have also been activated. Search and rescue operations are underway," Kumar said. A cloudburst, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, is a sudden, intense downpour of over 100mm (4 inches) of rain in just one hour that can trigger sudden floods, landslides, and devastation, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon. The local weather office in Srinagar predicted intense showers for several regions in Kashmir on Thursday, including Kishtwar, asking residents to stay away from loose structures, electric poles and old trees as there was a possibility of mudslides and flash floods.
