Intense rainfall has caused flash floods and landslides across parts of Pakistan and Indian-controlled Kashmir, claiming at least 34 lives and displacing over 210,000 people in Pakistan, and causing significant damage.
Floods also submerged the shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, which is located near the Indian border in Narowal district, reports UNB/AP.
The Himalayan region has seen nearly 100 fatalities from flash floods in August alone, with more rainfall expected this week.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir, heavy rains caused a mountainside in Jammu’s Katra area to collapse late Tuesday, affecting a popular Hindu pilgrimage route. As devotees were trekking to the hilltop temple, one of northern India’s busiest shrines, several were buried under debris.
Mohammed Irshad, a disaster management official, confirmed the recovery of bodies and said that at least 18 other people had been injured. Pilgrimages to the shrine have been suspended, and rescue teams are searching for the missing.
Authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province have called for army assistance, emergency measures have been taken after torrential rains caused rivers to swell and flood villages. Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, head of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, reported that over 210,000 people had been displaced and rescue operations are ongoing, with relief supplies being sent to affected areas.
Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, a military spokesperson, stated that two soldiers died while aiding flood victims, although further details were not provided.
Late Wednesday, authorities used explosives to breach a protective embankment on the Chenab River to prevent a barrage from collapsing under extreme flood pressure. This move diverted water into nearby villages, where hundreds of displaced people took refuge on higher ground, watching as floodwaters submerged their homes.
In Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, over 20,000 people were evacuated overnight from flood-prone areas along the Ravi River. Irfan Ali Kathia, head of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority, reported that those evacuated were living on the riverbed, which was at risk of flooding due to rising waters.