At least 60 people have died and more than 100 have been injured in India as a result of prolonged heavy rains that caused massive flooding in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. According to preliminary data, several hundred people may remain trapped under rubble and in flooded areas in the village of Chashoti in the district of Kishtwar.
“I believe that more than 500 people are still under the rubble in Kishtwar, and some officials say the number could exceed 1,000,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday.
Abdullah also stressed that the local administration must take responsibility for what happened, as weather forecasters had warned in advance of heavy rains and possible mudslides. “Could the government and the administration have done more to save precious lives?” he added.
A large-scale rescue operation is currently underway in the region. It involves the National Disaster Response Force, army units, police and hundreds of volunteers. Tents, food, drinking water and medicines are being delivered to hard-to-reach areas. Rescue workers are using helicopters to evacuate the injured and search for the missing.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, more than 200 mm of rain has fallen in Jammu and Kashmir over the past 48 hours, which is several times higher than the average monthly rainfall. The rains caused the Chenab and Jhelum rivers to rise sharply and triggered landslides that destroyed roads and bridges, complicating access to the disaster areas.
The flooding is already being called one of the most destructive in the region in the last ten years. Experts note that climate change and deforestation have increased the risk of such disasters. The Indian government has announced an emergency fund to help those affected, as well as plans to rebuild infrastructure.
