Srinagar, July 19 (SANA) At least 19 people have been killed and 15 others injured in flash floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains that swept across northeastern India and the disputed Kashmir region, officials said Sunday.
Eight people died in the northeastern state of Nagaland, which borders Myanmar, while 11 others perished in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, according to authorities cited by AFP and local media.
In Nagaland’s Mon district, which was hardest hit by the rains, torrential downpours triggered flash floods and landslides that washed away houses and blocked key roads. “We have recovered four of the eight bodies, and rescue work is ongoing,” Wennyei Konyak, district magistrate of Mon district, told AFP. Four people trapped under debris in Naginimora were rescued with serious injuries, officials said. Landslides were reported at ten locations in Mon district, damaging homes, roads and public infrastructure.
In the disputed Kashmir region, flash floods caused widespread devastation in the Rajouri and Poonch districts, damaging the bus stand, dozens of vehicles and several residential and commercial structures. The Darahali River caused massive destruction in the Bela area of Rajouri city.
At least 15 others were injured in the floods and landslides, with the death toll expected to rise as search operations continue. In the Kashmir region, “several others went missing” in Jammu, according to Indian broadcaster NDTV. Army personnel and state emergency responders rescued 11 people, including five children, in Jammu’s Rajouri district. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in both affected regions, with teams from the district administration, State Disaster Response Force, police and military personnel working despite challenging conditions.
Authorities issue alerts, suspend pilgrimages
The India Meteorological Department has warned of the potential for “extremely heavy rainfall” in Jammu and Kashmir over the next two days. The department issued a red alert for very heavy rainfall across Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and Uttarakhand, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall expected.
Authorities suspended the annual Hindu Amarnath pilgrimage in the Kashmir region and the Vaishno Devi shrine pilgrimage in Jammu “in the interest of the safety and well-being of all” pilgrims. The suspension will remain in place until weather conditions improve and routes are declared safe.
Floods and related accidents are an annual occurrence across India during the monsoon months, which typically run from June to September. This year’s monsoon has been particularly intense after a delayed start, with India recording 42% above-normal rainfall between July 1 and July 8.
The monsoon had virtually stalled for nearly three weeks during June, leading to one of the driest starts in more than a century. However, a series of low-pressure systems over central India and the Bay of Bengal revived the monsoon circulation in early July, bringing widespread rain across large parts of the country. Scientists have attributed the intense downpours to climate change, which is amplifying rainfall intensity when it finally arrives.
Kh.A / H.H
