2 days ago
At least 33 feared dead after flash flood devastates remote Himalayan village
At least 33 people were feared dead after a flash flood triggered by sudden heavy rain devastated a remote village in the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Nearly 200 people were also missing after the disaster struck Chasoti village, a pitstop on a popular Hindu pilgrimage route in Kishtwar district, Reuters quoted government officials as saying.
Chishoti is where pilgrims leave their vehicles and set out on foot to the Machail Mata temple, located at an elevation of 2,800m.
'The news is grim and accurate, verified information from the area hit by the cloudburst is slow in arriving,' Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
Federal deputy minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, said the flood was triggered by a cloudburst and "could result in substantial casualties".
He said rescue teams were finding it hard to reach the village due to bad weather.
The flood washed away a road and the weather wasn't helicopter-worthy, he said.
Susheel Kumar Sharma, a government official, said villagers and local public workers recovered bodies of seven people from a stream and rescued nearly 60 people.
Mr Sharma said many people were still missing as the flood swept away dozens of vehicles and motorbikes.
TV footage showed pilgrims crying in fear as floodwaters inundated the village. Villagers said the flood also washed away makeshift shops and community kitchens set up for the pilgrims.
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, the top administrator of Kashmir appointed by New Delhi, offered condolences for the loss of life in the disaster and said he had directed personnel from India's military, paramilitary, police and disaster management agencies to strengthen rescue and relief operations.
Narendra Modi said "the situation is being monitored closely". "Rescue and relief operations are underway. Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need," the prime minister said on X.
A cloudburst, according to the Indian Meteorological Department, is an intense downpour of over 100mm of rain in just an hour that can trigger floods and landslides, especially in mountainous areas.
Cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions, which are prone to flash floods and landslides.
