Danger zone: Damaged houses and vehicles seen at the site of a flash flood at a village in Kishtwar district. — AFP
At least 56 people have died and dozens more remain missing after torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain crashed through a Himalayan village in Indian-administered Kashmir, said a top disaster management official.
It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month.
“The news is grim,” Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement, reporting a “cloudburst” of heavy rain that had hit the Kishtwar district.
Crowds gathered at a Kishtwar hospital while people carried some of the injured on stretchers.
Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, said “56 dead bodies were recovered” from the site before rescue efforts were halted for the night.
Irshad said 80 people were reported missing and 300 people were rescued, “50 of whom are severely injured” and were sent to nearby hospitals.
Local officials said the death toll from Thursday’s devastating flood that damaged or washed away many homes was likely to rise.
Sushil Kumar, a resident of nearby Atholi village, said: “I saw at least 15 dead bodies brought to the local hospital.”
Pankaj Kumar Sharma, district commissioner of Kishtwar, earlier expressed the possibility of finding more dead bodies.
Chisoti village, the site of the disaster, is situated along a Hindu pilgrimage route leading to the Machail Mata shrine.
Officials reported that the disaster completely washed away a large makeshift kitchen, housing over 100 pilgrims who had not registered with local authorities.
Rescue teams and soldiers were facing difficulty reaching the area.
The region’s weather department has issued an alert for more heavy rain and floods, asking residents to remain vigilant.
Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms.
“Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
Floods on Aug 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 over 70, although this figure has yet to be officially confirmed. — AFP
