23 dead, scores injured in Indian Kashmir flash flood
On Thursday, a huge Cloudburst in the Jammu and Kashmir region in India sparked sudden flood and landslides resulting in the death of at least 23 people and injuries over 40, according to officials and reports.
The Rainstorm hit the isolated village of Chositi in the Kishtwar district, where people had gathered for an annual pilgrimage to a remote Hindu temple. The village is the last engine stop on the Machail Mata sanctuary path.
The pilgrimage has been suspended and the authorities focus on rescue operations, said Pankaj Sharma, deputy commissioner of the Kishtwar district. Local government sources have said that the toll could increase with more people fearing the trap in debris or carried away.
The Federal Minister and the Region legislator, Jitéra Singh, wrote on X: “A huge burst in the Chositi region, which could lead to a substantial victim.”
The bad weather and the distance from the disaster site complicated rescue operations. The Units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the army were on the way to the site, reported the NDTV News Channel.
Chositi images have shown gushing water, damaged houses and vehicles and mud and rock debris. Flood water took the temporary kitchens of the tent installed for pilgrims, reported NDTV.
The seasonal rains of the Mosson de India from June to September are crucial for farmers but often leave a trace of death and destruction.
A naveter pushes his motorcycle through the street flooded after the rain in Gowahati. Dasarath Deka / Zuma Press Wire / DPA
