Select Language:
Heavy rainfall in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) resulted in at least 34 fatalities and over 200 people reported missing Thursday, marking the second such calamity in the Himalayan region within just over a week. The disaster struck the town of Chasoti in Kishtwar district, a waypoint on a notable pilgrimage trail. This incident follows a massive flood and mudslide that buried an entire village in Uttarakhand earlier this month.
The flood swept away a community kitchen and a security post in the village, a halt on the route leading pilgrims to the Machail Mata temple. An official, speaking anonymously, explained that many pilgrims had been gathered for lunch when they were caught in the deluge.
“I can confirm the tragic news, but information from the area affected by the cloudburst is slow to come in,” said Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of IIOJK, via a post on X.
Footage aired on television showed terrified pilgrims crying as floodwaters inundated the village. The event occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time. Ramesh Kumar, the divisional commissioner of Kishtwar, told ANI that local police and disaster response teams had arrived at the scene, with military and air force units also activated to assist in search and rescue efforts.
Indian meteorological officials described a cloudburst as a sudden, intense rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters (about 4 inches) within an hour, often triggering flash floods and landslides, especially in mountainous terrains during the monsoon season. The Srinagar weather station forecasted heavy showers for several parts of Kashmir that day, including Kishtwar, advising residents to stay clear of unstable structures, tall trees, and electrical poles due to the risk of further mudslides and flash floods.
Add us on ChatGPT
Add us on Perplexity
