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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Herald Scotland
Pakistan floods leave 220 dead as rescuers pull 63 more bodies from landslides
Pakistan has had above-normal rain which experts link to climate change, leading to floods and mudslides that have killed about 541 people since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Local residents look at flash flooding in Mingora (Naveed Ali/AP) Hundreds of rescue workers are still searching for survivors in Buner, one of several districts hit in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where torrential rain and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday, said Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for the emergency services. Dozens of homes were swept away. First responders have been trying to recover bodies in the worst-hit villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, where most people died on Friday, according to Kashif Qayyum, a deputy commissioner in Buner. A local police officer, Imtiaz Khan, who narrowly escaped the deluges, said floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders flattened dozens of homes within minutes in Buner. 'A stream near the Pir Baba village in Buner swelled without warning. At first, we thought it was a normal flash flood, but when tons of rocks came crashing down with the water, 60 to 70 houses were swept away in moments,' he told the Associated Press, adding that many bodies were left mutilated. 'Our police station was washed away too, and if we hadn't climbed to higher ground, we would not have survived,' he said. Damaged cars trapped in mud (Naveed Ali/AP) Rescuers said that as water started to recede, they saw large swathes of the village destroyed, wrecked homes and giant rocks filling the streets. 'It was not just the floodwater, it was a flood of boulders as well, which we saw the first time in our lives,' said Sultan Syed, 45, who suffered a broken arm. Mohammad Khan, 53, said the floods 'came so fast that many could not leave their homes', he said. Most of the victims died before reaching hospital, said Mohammad Tariq, a doctor at a government hospital in Buner. 'Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle,' he said. Mourners attended mass funerals on Saturday as authorities supplied tents and food to people in Buner. Rescuers in Chositi village, Kishtwar district, Indian-controlled Kashmir (Channi Anand/AP) According to the provincial disaster management authority, at least 351 people have died in rain-related incidents this week across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan. Meanwhile, in Indian-controlled Kashmir, rescuers scoured the remote village of Chositi in the district of Kishtwar on Saturday, looking for dozens of missing people after it was hit by flash floods two days ago, killing 60 and injuring 150. Thursday's floods struck during an annual Hindu pilgrimage in the area. Authorities have rescued more than 300 people while 4,000 pilgrims have been taken to safety. Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions and Pakistan's northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor. Pakistani officials said rescuers have evacuated more than 3,500 tourists trapped in flood-hit areas across the country since Thursday. Many tourists have ignored government warnings that urged people to avoid flood-hit regions in the northern and north-western regions, fearing more landslides and flash floods.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- NBC News
Flash floods kill more than 280 people in India and Pakistan as thousands flee
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed over 280 people in India and Pakistan and left scores of others missing, officials said Friday, as rescuers brought to safety some 1,600 people from two mountainous districts in the neighboring countries. Flooding began a day earlier in Indian-controlled Kashmir and spread to the north and northwest in Pakistan, triggered by sudden, intense downpours over small areas. The floods and subsequent landslides injured dozens of people and forced the evacuation and rescue of thousands of others, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Such cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions and Pakistan's northern areas, and experts have said climate change is a contributing factor. Leaders in both countries offered their condolences to the victims' families and assured them of swift relief. Dozens missing in remote Himalayan village In Indian-controlled Kashmir, rescuers searched for missing people in the remote Himalayan village of Chositi after flash floods a day earlier left at least 60 people dead and at least 80 missing, officials said. At least 300 people were rescued Thursday following a powerful cloudburst that triggered floods and landslides, but the operation was halted overnight. Officials said many missing people were believed to have been washed away, and the number of missing could increase. Resident Harvinder Singh said he joined the rescue efforts immediately after the disaster and helped retrieve 33 bodies from the mud. At least 50 seriously injured people were treated at hospitals, many of them rescued from a stream filled with mud and debris. Chositi, in Kashmir's Kishtwar district, is the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route of an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,500 feet). Officials said the pilgrimage, which began July 25 and was scheduled to end Sept. 5, was suspended. The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen for pilgrims, as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes. More than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen at the time of the flood, which also damaged or washed away many of the homes clustered together in the foothills, officials said. Sneha, who gave only one name, said her husband and a daughter were swept away. The two were having meals at the community kitchen while she and her son were nearby. The family had come for the pilgrimage, she said. Authorities erected makeshift bridges Friday to help stranded pilgrims cross a muddy water channel and used dozens of earthmovers to shift boulders, uprooted trees, electricity poles and other debris. Nearly 4,000 pilgrims were evacuated, officials said. Photos and videos on social media showed household goods strewn next to damaged vehicles and homes in the village. Kishtwar district is home to multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have long warned pose a threat to the region's fragile ecosystem. More heavy rain and floods were forecast for the area. Hundreds of tourists trapped by floods in Pakistan In northern and northwestern Pakistan, flash floods killed at least 243 people, including 157 who died Friday in the Buner district in northwest Pakistan. Mohammad Suhail told The Associated Press that dozens of people were still missing, and rescue operations were underway. He said 78 bodies were recovered by midday Friday, and another 79 were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes and flooded villages later. 'The death toll may rise as we are still looking for dozens of missing people,' Suhail said. Dozens were injured as the deluge destroyed homes in villages in Buner, where authorities declared a state of emergency on Friday. Rescuers backed by boats and helicopters worked to reach stranded residents. Ambulances transported more than 100 bodies to hospitals, according to a government statement. Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said rescuers worked for hours to save 2,000 tourists trapped by flash flooding and landslides in the Siran Valley in Mansehra district and elsewhere on Thursday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, at an emergency meeting, ordered the disaster-management authority to ensure the evacuation of tourists and all those hit by the floods. A helicopter carrying relief supplies to the northwestern Bajaur region crashed due to bad weather, killing all five people on board, including two pilots, a government statement said. The latest fatalities bring the total number of rain-related deaths to 556 since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. Region hit by multiple floods in recent weeks Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region has been hit by multiple floods since July, triggering landslides along the Karakoram Highway, a key trade and travel route linking Pakistan and China that tourists use to travel to the scenic north. The region is home to scenic glaciers that provide 75% of Pakistan's stored water supply. During the summer, when schools are closed for more than two months, hundreds of thousands of people travel to scenic destinations in northern and northwestern Pakistan. This year, despite repeated government warnings about landslides and flash floods, many still visited popular resorts in flood-hit areas. Pakistan's disaster-management agency has issued fresh alerts for glacial lake outburst flooding in the north, warning travelers to avoid affected areas. A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found rainfall in Pakistan from June 24 to July 23 was 10% to 15% heavier because of global warming. In 2022, the country's worst monsoon season on record killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage.
Arab Times
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
India Unveils World's Highest Railway Arch Bridge in Kashmir
NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan. The line travels through 36 tunnels and over 943 bridges. The Indian government pegged the total project cost at around $5 billion. One of the project's highlights is a 1,315-meter-long (4,314-foot) steel and concrete bridge above the Chenab River connecting two mountains with an arch 359 meters (1,177 feet) above the water. Indian Railways compared the height to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which stands 330 meters (1,082 feet), and said the bridge is built to last 120 years and endure extreme weather, including wind speeds up to 260 kph (161 mph). Modi visited the Chenab bridge with tight security, waving an Indian tri-color flag before boarding a test train that passed through picturesque mountains and tunnels to reach an inauguration ceremony for another high-elevation bridge named Anji. The prime minister also helped launch a pair of new trains called 'Vande Bharat' that will halve the travel time between Srinagar and the town of Katra in Jammu to about three hours from the usual six to seven hours by road. Modi travelled to Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday for the first time since a military conflict between India and Pakistan brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of their third war over the region last month, when the countries fired missiles and drones at each other. The conflict began with a gun massacre in late April that left 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied. Addressing a public rally in Katra, Modi lashed out at Pakistan and alleged Islamabad was behind the massacre. He said the attack was primarily aimed at Kashmir's flourishing tourism industry and meant to fuel communal violence. 'I promise you, I won't let developmental activities stop in Kashmir,' Modi said, adding that local industries and businesses will get a boost from the new rail connectivity. The railway project is considered crucial to boosting tourism and bringing development to a region that has been marred by militancy and protests over the years. The line is expected to ease the movement of Indian troops and the public to the disputed region, which is currently connected by flights and mountain roads that are prone to landslides. India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a charge Islamabad denies. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
San Francisco Chronicle
06-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Modi inaugurates ambitious rail project connecting Kashmir to Indian plains
NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan. The line travels through 36 tunnels and over 943 bridges. The Indian government pegged the total project cost at around $5 billion. Modi travelled to Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday for the first time since a military conflict between India and Pakistan brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of their third war over the region last month, when the countries fired missiles and drones at each other. The conflict began with a gun massacre in late April that left 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied. The railway project is considered crucial to boosting tourism and bringing development to a region that has been marred by militancy and protests over the years. The line is expected to ease the movement of Indian troops and the public to the disputed region, which is currently connected by flights and mountain roads that are prone to landslides. India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
Powys County Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
India and Pakistan ceasefire shaken by clashes in disputed Kashmir
A ceasefire to end the conflict between India and Pakistan was shaken by overnight fighting in the disputed Kashmir region. People on both sides of the line of control, which divides the territory, reported heavy exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops, though the fighting subsided by Sunday morning. The two countries agreed to a truce on Saturday after talks to defuse the most serious military confrontation between them in decades, which was sparked by a gun massacre of tourists that India blames on Pakistan, which denies the charge. As part of the ceasefire, the nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to immediately stop all firing and military action on land, in the air and at sea. They accused each other of repeatedly violating the deal just hours later. Drones were spotted on Saturday night over Indian-controlled Kashmir and the western state of Gujarat, according to Indian officials. In the Poonch area of Indian-controlled Kashmir, people said the intense shelling from the past few days had left them traumatised. 'Most people ran as shells were being fired,' said student Sosan Zehra, who returned home on Sunday. 'It was completely chaotic.' In Pakistan-controlled Kashmir's Neelum Valley, which is three kilometres from the line of control, people said there were exchanges of fire and heavy shelling after the ceasefire began. Resident Mohammad Zahid said: 'We were happy about the announcement but, once again, the situation feels uncertain.' US President Donald Trump was the first to post about the deal, announcing it on his Truth Social platform. Indian and Pakistani officials confirmed the news shortly after. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday with top government and military officials. India, unlike Pakistan, has not said anything about Mr Trump or the US since the deal was announced. Nor has India acknowledged anyone beyond its military contact with the Pakistanis. Both armies have engaged in daily fighting since Wednesday along the rugged and mountainous line of control, which is marked by razor wire coils, watchtowers and bunkers that snake across foothills populated by villages, tangled bushes and forests. They have routinely blamed the other for starting the skirmishes while insisting they were only retaliating. Pakistan has thanked the US and especially Mr Trump several times for facilitating the ceasefire. On Sunday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said secretary-general Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal as a positive step towards ending current hostilities and easing tensions. 'He hopes the agreement will contribute to lasting peace and foster an environment conducive to addressing broader, longstanding issues between the two countries,' added Mr Dujarric.
