Torrential rains have triggered flash floods in India and Pakistan, killing more than 200 people and leaving scores missing over the past 24 hours, officials said on Friday.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir, at least 60 people died and 80 others went missing after a powerful cloudburst on Thursday swept through Chositi village in Kishtwar district, also injuring over 50.
Around 300 people were rescued before operations were halted overnight. Authorities evacuated nearly 4,000 stranded pilgrims and suspended an annual Hindu pilgrimage to a 3,000-meter-high shrine.
The floods destroyed a community kitchen serving pilgrims, washed away vehicles and damaged dozens of homes.
Cloudbursts, sudden intense downpours over small areas, have become more frequent in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, with experts blaming climate change and unplanned development, reports AP/UNB.
In Pakistan, flash floods killed at least 164 people in the past 24 hours, including 78 in northwest Buner district, where a state of emergency was declared. A helicopter carrying relief supplies to Bajaur region crashed in bad weather, killing all five on board, including two pilots.
Authorities said at least 35 people remain missing in flood-hit Pakistani regions. Rescuers evacuated nearly 2,000 tourists from northern and northwestern areas after landslides and flooding cut off roads, including parts of the Karakoram Highway.
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said over 477 people have died in rain-related incidents since June 26. Fresh alerts have been issued for glacial lake outburst flooding in the north.
Leaders in both countries expressed condolences and pledged swift relief efforts.