At least 56 people have died and 80 are missing after a sudden rainstorm triggered a flash flood in Indian Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. The disaster struck the town of Chashoti in Kishtwar district, a stopover point on a popular pilgrimage route to the Machail Mata temple.
The flood washed away a community kitchen and a security post where pilgrims had gathered for lunch, according to a local official. “A large number of pilgrims had gathered for lunch and they were washed away,” they said. Television footage showed pilgrims crying as water engulfed the village.
Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, said 56 bodies had been recovered from the site before rescue efforts were halted for the night. He added that 80 people were reported missing and 300 had been rescued, with 50 severely injured and taken to nearby hospitals.
The incident occurred at 11.30am local time, said Ramesh Kumar, divisional commissioner of Kishtwar district. “Army air force teams have also been activated. Search and rescue operations are under way,” he told ANI news agency. The local weather office in Srinagar warned of further intense showers and urged residents to stay away from loose structures and electric poles due to the risk of mudslides and flash floods.
This is the second such disaster in the Himalayas in just over a week, following a flood and mudslide that engulfed a village in Uttarakhand. The Machail Yatra trail, a route to the high-altitude shrine of Machail Mata honouring the Hindu goddess Durga, is popular among pilgrims who trek from Chashoti, where the road ends.
