New Delhi (BN24) – At least 56 people were killed and dozens remain missing after sudden flash floods swept through a remote Himalayan village in Indian-administered Kashmir, washing away homes, vehicles, and a community kitchen serving hundreds of Hindu pilgrims, officials said Wednesday.
The disaster struck late Tuesday in Chasoti, a mountainous settlement about 85 miles (136 kilometers) northeast of Jammu, where pilgrims en route to the Machail Mata temple had gathered. Local authorities said an estimated 80 people are still unaccounted for as rescue teams battle through mud, debris, and treacherous terrain to locate survivors.
Deputy minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh said the flooding was triggered by torrential rains caused by a cloudburst — a sudden and intense downpour over a small area that is increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions. The deluge tore through the village with little warning, uprooting trees, sweeping away motorbikes and cars, and destroying the main communal kitchen where more than 200 people were gathered.
Rescuers have brought at least 300 people to safety, including 50 with serious injuries who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, according to local official Susheel Kumar Sharma. Ramesh Kumar, the divisional commissioner of Kishtwar district, said police, disaster response teams, and units from the Indian army and air force have joined the search and rescue effort.
Abdul Majeed Bichoo, a 75-year-old resident from a neighboring village, described the scene as “complete devastation from all sides.” He said he watched as eight bodies were pulled from beneath thick mud and debris. “It was heartbreaking and unbearable,” he said. “I have not seen this kind of destruction in my life.”
Television footage showed panicked pilgrims wading through chest-deep water as the torrent surged into homes and shops. The annual Machail Mata pilgrimage, which began in July and was scheduled to end on September 5, has been suspended.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the situation is being “monitored closely” and expressed his condolences to the victims’ families, offering prayers for those affected by the flooding.
Experts say climate change is intensifying extreme weather events in India’s Himalayan belt, where unplanned development has worsened the impact of cloudbursts, floods, and landslides. Just last week, a similar flood destroyed an entire village in the neighboring state of Uttarakhand.
Skynews
