Heavy rains kill dozens in Indian Kashmir, Pakistan

SRINAGAR, India (AFP) — At least 56 people have died and dozens more remain missing after torrents of water and mud driven by intense rain crashed through a Himalayan village Thursday in Indian-administered Kashmir, a top disaster management official told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, told AFP “56 dead bodies were recovered” from the site before rescue efforts were halted for the night.

Irshad said 80 people were reported missing and 300 people were rescued, “50 of whom are severely injured” and were sent to nearby hospitals.

Local officials said the death from the devastating flood that damaged or washed away many homes was likely to rise.

Chisoti village, where the disaster hit, is on a Hindu pilgrimage route to Machail Mata shrine.

Officials said a large makeshift kitchen where there were more than 100 pilgrims — who were not registered with local authorities — was completely washed away.

Rescue teams were facing difficulty reaching the area and soldiers also joined the effort.

Meanwhile, landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed at least 30 people in northern Pakistan and left many others trapped in the debris of their homes, disaster authorities said Friday.

At least 23 people were killed in the past 24 hours in mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, regional disaster management authorities said, while another seven were killed in neighboring Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

A cloudburst washed away several houses in northwestern Bajaur district, killing 16 and stranding more than 20 others, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s disaster agency told AFP.