Indian officials said on Thursday (August 14) that sudden heavy rain in the Kashmir region has led to at least 46 deaths and over 200 people missing.
According to Reuters, the incident occurred in the town of Chasoti in the Kishtwar region, which is a halfway point on a popular pilgrimage route.
An official stated that the floods destroyed community kitchens and safety outposts set up in the village. The outpost served as a resting point along the pilgrimage route to the Machail Mata temple.
“A large group of pilgrims had gathered to have lunch together, and they were washed away,” an official told Reuters.
Television footage showed people crying in terror as the floodwaters engulfed the village.
District Commissioner Ramesh Kumar told the Indian news agency ANI that the disaster struck at 11:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, and local police and rescue officials have arrived at the scene.
“The army and air force units have also been activated. Rescue operations are underway,” Kumar said.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rainfall is defined as more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain falling suddenly within one hour, which can trigger flash floods, landslides, and disasters, especially in mountainous regions during the monsoon season.
The local meteorological office in Srinagar had earlier predicted that several areas in Kashmir, including Kishtwar, would experience heavy rainfall on Thursday, and urged residents to stay away from unstable buildings, power poles, and old trees as landslides and flash floods could occur.
This is the second such disaster to hit the Himalayan region recently. Just over a week ago, a severe flood and landslide swept through a village in the Uttarakhand state of northern Kashmir.