Latest news with #HinduPilgrims
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Please find my daughter': Grief and chaos after flash floods in Kashmir
At least 60 people have been killed and dozens are still missing after flash floods hit a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir. More than 100 people have been injured, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while addressing an Independence Day function in capital Srinagar. On Thursday, water mixed with debris and mud came gushing down a hill in Chositi village in Kishtwar district - a remote village on a busy pilgrimage route to a Himalayan shrine. Rescue operations are continuing as officials intensify efforts to pull out survivors from the mud and rubble. Officials say the flooding was likely triggered by a cloudburst, though India's meteorological department is yet to confirm this. The pilgrims were in the area to visit the shrine of Machail Mata, a manifestation of Goddess Durga. Chositi is the last point accessible by vehicles, making it a common stop for pilgrims before they start the uphill journey on foot or return to their homes. Many survivors are being treated for injuries at the district hospital in Kishtwar. Among them is Putul Devi, who sits silently on a metal hospital bed, her face blank, a relative by her side. "Our family had come for the pilgrimage. We had completed the darshan [visit] - and then, suddenly there was a blast-like sound and what followed was complete chaos," she told news agency ANI. "We could not understand anything. Everyone just started running." Ms Devi was travelling with 13 members of her family. So far, she has been reunited with only two. The rest, including her husband and three children, are missing. A senior official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told news agency ANI that the rescue team has only one earth mover (commonly referred to as a JCB) at the site. "When the JCB digs, we remove the victims buried above. Then we will try to find those buried below. We were told that at least 100–200 people could still be trapped," he told ANI. Back at the hospital, Sanjay Kumar recounts that he was helping serve lunch at a community kitchen when the floods struck. He said about 200–250 people were eating inside the building. "I was distributing rotis when I heard a loud noise," he recalled. "There's a drain next to the kitchen and it instantly began filling with sludge. I told everyone to run. We had no time, not even a minute." At one point, Mr Kumar said, he was trapped under debris. His son was close by and he held onto him tightly. Soon, the soldiers and police officers deployed for the shrine's security pulled them out. "Thankfully, almost everyone there was saved," he said. In another hospital ward, a weeping man clutched a phone which had a photograph of his missing daughter. "We had no idea something like this would happen. The sky was clear - there were even moments of sunshine - and within a minute, it all came crashing down," he said through tears. "I just want my daughter. Please find my daughter. I don't want anything else." Parts of northern India have seen very heavy rainfall in recent days, causing flash floods in several areas. Last week, a massive flood hit the village of Dharali in Uttarakhand, submerging nearly half of it. On Tuesday, officials said 66 people were still missing and only one body had been found. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Kishtwar: Grief and chaos after flash floods in Kashmir
At least 60 people have been killed and dozens are still missing after flash floods hit a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered than 100 people have been injured, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while addressing an Independence Day function in capital Thursday, water mixed with debris and mud came gushing down a hill in Chositi village in Kishtwar district - a remote village on a busy pilgrimage route to a Himalayan operations are continuing as officials intensify efforts to pull out survivors from the mud and rubble. Officials say the flooding was likely triggered by a cloudburst, though India's meteorological department is yet to confirm pilgrims were in the area to visit the shrine of Machail Mata, a manifestation of Goddess Durga. Chositi is the last point accessible by vehicles, making it a common stop for pilgrims before they start the uphill journey on foot or return to their survivors are being treated for injuries at the district hospital in Kishtwar. Among them is Putul Devi, who sits silently on a metal hospital bed, her face blank, a relative by her side."Our family had come for the pilgrimage. We had completed the darshan [visit] - and then, suddenly there was a blast-like sound and what followed was complete chaos," she told news agency ANI."We could not understand anything. Everyone just started running."Ms Devi was travelling with 13 members of her family. So far, she has been reunited with only two. The rest, including her husband and three children, are missing. A senior official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told news agency ANI that the rescue team has only one earth mover (commonly referred to as a JCB) at the site."When the JCB digs, we remove the victims buried above. Then we will try to find those buried below. We were told that at least 100–200 people could still be trapped," he told at the hospital, Sanjay Kumar recounts that he was helping serve lunch at a community kitchen when the floods struck. He said about 200–250 people were eating inside the building. "I was distributing rotis when I heard a loud noise," he recalled."There's a drain next to the kitchen and it instantly began filling with sludge. I told everyone to run. We had no time, not even a minute."At one point, Mr Kumar said, he was trapped under debris. His son was close by and he held onto him tightly. Soon, the soldiers and police officers deployed for the shrine's security pulled them out. "Thankfully, almost everyone there was saved," he another hospital ward, a weeping man clutched a phone which had a photograph of his missing daughter."We had no idea something like this would happen. The sky was clear - there were even moments of sunshine - and within a minute, it all came crashing down," he said through tears."I just want my daughter. Please find my daughter. I don't want anything else."Parts of northern India have seen very heavy rainfall in recent days, causing flash floods in several week, a massive flood hit the village of Dharali in Uttarakhand, submerging nearly half of it. On Tuesday, officials said 66 people were still missing and only one body had been BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Indian rescuers scour debris after 60 killed in flood
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 Indian-administered Kashmir. 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 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. Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP on Friday 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 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." pzb-pjm/cwl
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Indian rescuers scour debris after 60 killed in flood
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 Indian-administered Kashmir. 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 Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reported was a sudden 'cloudburst' rainstorm. 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. '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 kilometers (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.'
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Yahoo
Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India's Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing 7
LUCKNOW, India (AP) — A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashed early Sunday in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, killing seven people on board, officials said. The chopper was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town, when it crashed. The accident occurred within minutes after the helicopter took off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight. The crash comes three days after an Air India flight fell from the sky and killed at least 270 people in Gujarat state. The London-bound Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 people on board and at least 29 on the ground. One passenger survived. Nandan Singh Rajwar, a local disaster management official, said authorities have launched a rescue and search operation following the helicopter crash and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region. The chopper, operated by Aryan Aviation, a private helicopter service company, went down in a forested area near the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5:30 a.m. local time. Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions. Kedarnath is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines and receives tens of thousands of pilgrims each year during the summer season, many of whom use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain. Officials said the dead included the pilot and pilgrims from the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said. Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the treacherous Kedarnath region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks. On June 7, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing on a highway due to technical fault shortly after taking off. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed. On May 8, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.
