Indian rescuers on Friday recovered bodies from mud and rubble after a devastating flood swept through a Himalayan village, killing at least 60 people and leaving dozens missing.
The torrents of water and mud, triggered by intense rainfall, tore through Chisoti village in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday. Among the missing were Hindu pilgrims visiting a nearby shrine.
This marks the second major fatal flood in India this month. Officials said a sudden “cloudburst” rainstorm destroyed a large makeshift kitchen in Chisoti where over 100 pilgrims had gathered.
Arun Shah, 35, had just completed his pilgrimage with his family when the flood hit. “It was horrifying,” he told AFP from a hospital in Kishtwar district. “Boulders and a rush of water came down from the mountain. We all got separated while trying to save ourselves.”
Kishtwar district hospital head Yudhvir Kotwal confirmed that more than 100 people were treated for injuries, including head wounds, fractures, and broken ribs. He added that rescuers were still retrieving bodies from the mud and rubble.
Rescue operations, supported by the army’s White Knight Corps, continued in harsh weather and rugged terrain. Heavy earthmovers were deployed to dig through deep mud, while emergency supplies—including ropes and digging tools—were rushed to the scene.
Top disaster management official Mohammad Irshad reported 60 confirmed deaths and said 80 people remained unaccounted for.
Floods and landslides are common during the June–September monsoon season, but experts warn that climate change and poorly planned development are increasing their frequency and severity.
Earlier this month, floods in Dharali, Uttarakhand, buried the Himalayan town in mud, with a likely death toll exceeding 70. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization has warned that more intense floods and droughts are a “distress signal” of a destabilising water cycle due to climate change.
Roads into Kishtwar district had already suffered damage from days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200 kilometres from Srinagar, the region’s main city.
Addressing the disasters during his Independence Day speech in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences. “In the past few days, we have been facing natural disasters, landslides, cloudbursts, and many other calamities. Our sympathies are with the affected people. State governments and the central government are working together with full strength,” he said.