At least 30 people have lost their lives after floods and landslides triggered by relentless monsoon rains devastated India’s Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, officials and local media confirmed on Wednesday.
The heavy downpour unleashed chaos across the Indian-administered territory, with raging waters sweeping away bridges and inundating homes. A massive landslide along the route to the revered Vaishno Devi shrine accounted for most of the fatalities, a local disaster management official told AFP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the loss of lives as “saddening,” as rescue teams continue to battle challenging conditions to reach stranded residents.
Floods and landslides are a recurring threat during the June-September monsoon, but climate experts warn that their intensity and frequency are worsening due to climate change and haphazard urban development in vulnerable mountain regions. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) noted that the broader Hindu Kush Himalaya is grappling with “accelerated glacier melt, shifting weather patterns, and an increasing frequency of disaster events.”
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Local authorities said thousands have been displaced in the Jammu region, with schools ordered shut. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah admitted that relief efforts are hampered by “almost nonexistent communication.” Meanwhile, the Jhelum river in the Kashmir valley has crossed danger levels, prompting flood alerts in key locations including Srinagar.
This latest tragedy comes just weeks after other deadly monsoon-related disasters in the region. On August 14, floods swept through Chisoti village, killing at least 65 people and leaving 33 missing. Earlier, on August 5, torrential rains buried the Uttarakhand town of Dharali in mud, with more than 70 feared dead.
