A sudden cloudburst in Indian Kashmir has left at least 46 people dead and more than 200 missing, officials said on Thursday. The disaster struck Chasoti town in Kishtwar district, a key stop for pilgrims travelling to the high-altitude Machail Mata temple.
The torrent of water swept away a community kitchen and a security post where many pilgrims had gathered for lunch. Officials said a large number of people were caught in the flood and washed away. Television footage showed panicked pilgrims running for safety as water surged through the village, reports CNN.
The tragedy happened around 11:30 a.m. local time. Local police and disaster response teams rushed to the area, joined by army and air force personnel for search and rescue operations.
Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote on social media that “the news is grim” and that confirmed updates from the disaster zone are arriving slowly.
The Indian Meteorological Department describes a cloudburst as a sudden downpour of more than 100 mm of rain in just one hour, often causing flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas during the monsoon. The local weather office had already warned of heavy rain in parts of Kashmir, including Kishtwar, and advised people to avoid unstable structures, electric poles, and old trees.
This is the second deadly weather disaster in the Himalayas in just over a week, following a flood and mudslide in Uttarakhand that buried an entire village.