Possible fatal flood smashes Indian Kashmir mountain village
(MENAFN) A devastating flood triggered by heavy rains tore through a mountain village in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, with officials warning of a potentially high death toll.
Authorities in Kishtwar district reported that around 50 people may have been swept away, though the figure has not been officially confirmed. Local residents said at least 15 bodies had already been brought to a nearby hospital, while the Press Trust of India cited officials saying 12 victims were confirmed, with the toll expected to rise.
The disaster follows another catastrophic flood earlier this month in Uttarakhand’s Dharali town, where more than 70 people are believed to have died after the area was engulfed in mud.
Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed sorrow over the “tragic cloudburst” and assured that rescue efforts were underway. However, access to the affected area remains difficult, with roads severely damaged by days of storms and the site located over 200 kilometers from Srinagar, the region’s main city.
Eyewitness footage showed destroyed homes teetering on the edge of a rushing river of mud and debris.
Flooding and landslides are common during India’s June–September monsoon, but experts warn that climate change and poor development planning are intensifying the scale and frequency of such disasters. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization has described extreme weather events like this as warning signals of worsening global climate instability.
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