Latest news with #FarhadAli
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- Egypt Independent
Sudden, heavy rain in Pakistan, India-administered Kashmir and Nepal kills more than 300 people
Sudden floods triggered by heavy rains have killed more than 300 people across parts of Pakistan, India-administered Kashmir and Nepal, authorities have said, as scores of people remain missing. In northwestern Pakistan, at least 203 people were killed in the space of 24 hours, local authorities reported Friday. Separately, five crew members were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after a helicopter crashed during relief efforts, according to a local government official. In India-administered Kashmir, at least 60 people have died and more than 200 are missing in the town of Chashoti on Friday, a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindu tourists, Reuters reported. At least 41 people died in Nepal, with another 121 left injured, Reuters reported, citing the country's disaster management authority. And at least eight people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, including six family members buried in the debris of their home, Reuters reported. 'When the rain intensified, it wasn't long before I felt as if an earthquake had struck — the whole ground was shaking,' said Farhad Ali, a student living in Salarzai, in hard-hit northern Pakistan. 'In the pouring rain, my entire family ran outside, and we saw a torrent of mud and massive boulders rushing through the stream near our house. It felt like doomsday had arrived, with scenes straight out of the end of the world.' Hari Chand mourns the death of his wife during flash floods in Kashmir, on Friday. Channi Anand/AP Torrential rains, huge landslides and deadly floodwaters ripped through the region in recent weeks after a particularly fierce monsoon season began in early June, washing out entire neighborhoods and reducing homes to rubble. On Friday, Pakistan's Meteorological Department issued a flood alert for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning of more flash floods and urban flooding. Social media footage showed huge streams of brown water rushing through the province. Authorities urged residents to avoid tourist areas and not cross rivers during the floods. It comes after India's Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that the rainfall was due to a 'cloudburst,' which is a sudden and heavy downpour of more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain in just one hour. Analysts warned the human-made climate crisis has exacerbated the intensity and frequency of seasonal floods in the Himalayas this year. Dramatic video shared on social media showed roads turned into raging rivers, while the downpour devastated entire buildings and swept away vehicles in Indian-administered Kashmir. In one of the clips, a wall of water, mud and debris could be seen rolling down the mountainside. Frantic rescue operations persisted across the region, with army and police personnel working to find those missing. Some of the rescued people have been taken to hospitals. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also chaired an emergency meeting on the cloudburst and subsequent rescue efforts in the capital Islamabad on Friday. 'An unbearable sight' Bodies were swept away and entire community hubs washed out in the foothills of India-administered Kashmir, eyewitnesses and emergency crews recalled, as survivors struggled to reconcile the scale of destruction. One 75-year-old village resident described a 'sight of complete devastation from all sides' after he saw eight bodies being pulled out from under the mud. 'It was heartbreaking and an unbearable sight,' Abdul Majeed Bichoo, a social activist, told the Associated Press. Miraculously, three horses were 'recovered alive,' he added. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel search for victims on Friday. Mir Imran/AFP/Getty Images Earlier this month, another surge of flood water tore through a mountainous village in the Himalayas in India's northern Uttarakhand state, leaving at least four people dead. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he'd cancelled some events that had been planned to celebrate the anniversary of India's independence from Britain on Friday. 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.
ITV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- ITV News
Hundreds dead after heavy rains trigger flash floods across Pakistan, India and Nepal
Flash flooding brought by heavy rains have killed more than 300 people across parts of Pakistan, India-administered Kashmir and Nepal, authorities have said. Scores of people remain missing, and at least 203 people died in the space of 24 hours in northwestern Pakistan, according to local reports on Friday. Five crew members of a rescue helicoper were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after it crashed during relief efforts, a local official said. Dozens have been killed and hundreds have been injured and driven from their homes as floods also hit India-administered Kashmir. 'When the rain intensified, it wasn't long before I felt as if an earthquake had struck — the whole ground was shaking,' said Farhad Ali, a student living in Salarzai, in hard-hit northern Pakistan. 'In the pouring rain, my entire family ran outside, and we saw a torrent of mud and massive boulders rushing through the stream near our house. It felt like doomsday had arrived, with scenes straight out of the end of the world.' On Friday, Pakistan's Meteorological Department issued a flood alert for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning of more flash floods and urban flooding. Social media footage showed huge streams of brown water rushing through the province. Authorities urged residents to avoid tourist areas and not cross rivers during the floods. It comes after India's Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that the rainfall was due to a 'cloudburst,' which is a sudden and heavy downpour of more than four inches of rain in just one hour. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also chaired an emergency meeting on the cloudburst and subsequent rescue efforts in the capital Islamabad on Friday. The country has received above-normal rains, which experts link to climate change. These have led to floods and mudslides that, with the newly reported fatalities, have killed about 541 people since June 2, according to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
'Celebrating Eid is about unity and family,' say Bradford Muslims
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr with food, family and Bradford, where nearly a third of the district's population is Muslim, worshippers gathered at the city's Central Mosque to pray before festivities al-Fitr is the "festival of breaking the fast", taking place the day after the new moon is seen at the end of the month of this year, for the first time on UK terrestrial TV, Eid prayers were broadcast live from Bradford. Bradford Central Mosque has been a place of community and worship for more than four decades."It's a lot easier now," said Shafiq Janjua, 50, who has lived in Bradford for around 30 years after moving from Pakistan."It's easier to access your faith centres."We've come a long way."He added that different faiths in Bradford "all live in peace and harmony" and that Eid "gives the message of unity and it's all about family and putting on calories".In a similarly festive mood was Farhad Ali, 23, who said: "We always look forward to it every year."The kids love it because they get money."It's like Asian Christmas."But reflecting on life is still important."Straight after the Eid prayer we're going to go to the graveyard and visit the ones who have sadly left us and then go home and enjoy some food," he said. It was a predominately male presence, with lots of father-son duos like Muhemmad Khalil and Muhemmad the TV broadcast, 16-year-old Naafees said: "It's good to see that we're being represented."His dad, 48, added: "I think it should have been done earlier than this moment but I think it's a very good thing."Also with his son was Sakeb Zahoor, 55, who said: "Last night was our meal to mark the end of our fasting period."It was nice not to have to get up early in the morning and have that lie-in but yet to come here and see so many people all come together to celebrate this occasion."His son Huzaifah Sakeb, 20, was particularly pleased his home city would be on show in living rooms across the country. "It's good to see, especially a place like Bradford which isn't on TV that much, it get recognised for Eid," he said. Some women were at the service, although there was a separate room for them. Among them was Saima Mahboob, who usually prays at home but who came for the service for the first time."I'm so happy," she told the BBC."I really enjoyed it and it was a really beautiful occasion to meet other sisters."Inside the service, led by Shaykh Syed Ahsan, worshippers were told to think about those less fortunate than al Fitr, also known as Fitrana, is the practice of making a small donation to help feed the less fortunate before the end of Ramadan."Every small act of kindness contributes to a better world," Shaykh Ahsan told the Muslims have been collecting and sending money to help affected by the conflict between Israel and were collecting money for the mosque the service concluded, people left the mosque reflecting on Shaykh Ahsan's words."If after Ramadan, we return to our old habits without any improvement, then we have missed its true purpose," he said."But if we carry these lessons forwards, if we emerge from this blessed month as better individuals, then we have truly succeeded."The BBC is also broadcasting a special show at 22:40 BST from Bradford on BBC Eid will bring together food and fun with a host of well-known guests. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
