HYDERABAD (Bernama) -- At least 11 people have died in flash floods in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region following incessant rainfall since Saturday night.
The districts of Rajouri and Poonch have been hard hit, local media reported.
Extensive property damage was reported, and the evacuation of people to safer areas was underway in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir as swelling rivers threatened further misery.
In north Kashmir, the Kupwara district administration urged residents and travellers to remain alert following a forecast of bad weather from July 19 to 23.
The Himalayan region, popular with tourists for its stunning scenery, has suffered extensive damage from landslides and floods in recent years.
"Flash floods across the Pir Panjal region especially in Rajouri and Surankote (in Poonch) have caused widespread devastation. The loss of lives, public infrastructure and private property is deeply alarming," Kashmiri politician Mehbooba Mufti said in a post on X on Sunday.
"This is a stark reminder of the price we pay for playing with the environment, indiscriminate deforestation, senseless mining and encroachment of riverbeds. The government must ensure immediate relief, rescue and rehabilitation for all those affected,” she added.
Meanwhile, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland bordering Myanmar, seven people were feared dead after a landslide swept away 13 houses in Mon town.
S. Phangnon Konyak, a member of parliament from Nagaland, said in a social media post that there was "widespread destruction at various localities" after a cloudburst on Sunday morning.
Rescue operations were hampered by continuous rain, she said.
The state of Uttarakhand has witnessed traffic disruptions in many places, including the capital, Dehradun, due to heavy rainfall.
The weather department issued a "red alert" of heavy rain on Monday for the adjoining state of Himachal Pradesh.
Uttarakhand and Himachal suffered heavy infrastructure damage and loss of lives in the monsoon season last year.
-- BERNAMA
