34 killed as flash floods ravage Kishtwar, many missing; rescue Ops underway

Srinagar: Heavy rains and cloudbursts caused major flash floods in Kishtwar and other areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Thurday, killing at least 34 people, a senior local official told AFP.

“We have recovered 34 bodies and rescued 35 injured people,” said Pankaj Kumar Sharma, the district commissioner of Kishtwar was quoted as sayin. “More bodies may still be found.”

Another official from Kishtwar district, speaking anonymously, told the international news agency that early reports suggested that about 50 people were swept away by the floods.

The disaster struck Chasoti, a town in Kishtwar district that lies along a popular pilgrimage route. It happened just over a week after a similar flood and landslide buried an entire village in Uttarakhand state.

The floods destroyed a community kitchen and a security post in the village. “A large number of pilgrims had gathered there for lunch when they were swept away. Many people are still missing,” AFP quoted the official saying further.

The report added that rescue work is likely to be difficult, as roads have already been damaged by days of heavy rain. The area is more than 200 km from Srinagar, the main city in the region.

“The news is grim,” JK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, adding that all resources were being sent to help. His office said he expressed sorrow over the “tragic cloudburst” in Kishtwar and offered condolences to the victims’ families.

The floods began at around 11:30 am local time, according to the divisional commissioner of Kishtwar.

Police and disaster response teams have reached the site, and the army and air force have also been called in for search and rescue operations.