RESCUE teams in Indian Kashmir used shovels and earthmovers on Friday to search for survivors under boulders and debris, a day after sudden floods triggered by heavy rain killed at least 60 people and left 200 others missing.
Floodwaters and mudslides hit the village of Chasoti on Thursday, sweeping away pilgrims who had gathered for lunch before trekking to a popular religious site. This is the second such disaster in the Himalayas in just over a week.
"We heard a huge sound and it was followed by a flash flood and slush. People were shouting, and some of them fell in the Chenab River. Others were buried under the debris," said Rakesh Sharma, a pilgrim who was injured.
On Friday, bags, clothes and other belongings lay caked in mud among broken electric poles, as rescue workers used ropes and crossed makeshift bridges to search for survivors.
At least 60 people were killed, more than 100 injured and 200 still missing, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah told reporters.
The Himalayas are prone to floods and landslides, and scientists say the intensity and frequency of these events may be rising due to climate change.
The Machail Yatra pilgrimage leads to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine of Machail Mata, dedicated to one of the manifestations of Goddess Durga. Pilgrims trek to the temple from Chasoti, where the road ends.
Thursday’s floods came just over a week after a similar incident in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
"Nature has been testing us. In the last few days, we have had to deal with landslides, cloudbursts and other natural calamities," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a speech on the country’s 79th independence day.
The Indian Meteorological Department defines a cloudburst as an intense downpour of over 100 mm of rain in an hour, which can cause sudden floods and landslides, particularly in mountainous regions during the monsoon.
In Nepal, at least 41 people have died, 21 are missing and 121 injured in floods, landslides, heavy rains and hailstorms since the start of the monsoon in June, according to the country’s disaster management authority.
In Pakistan, more than 50 people were killed overnight in rain-related incidents in the mountainous north, rescue officials said on Friday. Flooding and collapsing roofs caused the deaths.
In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, eight people were killed, including six members of one family buried in their home. Evacuation operations were underway for stranded domestic tourists.
(Agencies)
