At least 60 people have been killed and dozens are still missing after flash floods hit a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir.
More than 100 people have been injured, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while addressing an Independence Day function in capital Srinagar.
On Thursday, water mixed with debris and mud came gushing down a hill in Chositi village in Kishtwar district – a remote village on a busy pilgrimage route to a Himalayan shrine.
Rescue operations are continuing as officials intensify efforts to pull out survivors from the mud and rubble.
Officials say the flooding was likely triggered by a cloudburst, though India’s meteorological department is yet to confirm this.
The pilgrims were in the area to visit the shrine of Machail Mata, a manifestation of Goddess Durga. Chositi is the last point accessible by vehicles, making it a common stop for pilgrims before they start the uphill journey on foot or return to their homes.
Many survivors are being treated for injuries at the district hospital in Kishtwar.
Among them is Putul Devi, who sits silently on a metal hospital bed, her face blank, a relative by her side.
“Our family had come for the pilgrimage. We had completed the darshan [visit] – and then, suddenly there was a blast-like sound and what followed was complete chaos,” she told news agency ANI.
“We could not understand anything. Everyone just started running.”
Ms Devi was travelling with 13 members of her family. So far, she has been reunited with only two. The rest, including her husband and three children, are missing.
A senior official from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told news agency ANI that the rescue team has only one earth mover (commonly referred to as a JCB) at the site.
“When the JCB digs, we remove the victims buried above. Then we will try to find those buried below. We were told that at least 100–200 people could still be trapped,” he told ANI.
Back at the hospital, Sanjay Kumar recounts that he was helping serve lunch at a community kitchen when the floods struck. He said about 200–250 people were eating inside the building.
“I was distributing rotis when I heard a loud noise,” he recalled.
“There’s a drain next to the kitchen and it instantly began filling with sludge. I told everyone to run. We had no time, not even a minute.”
At one point, Mr Kumar said, he was trapped under debris. His son was close by and he held onto him tightly.
Soon, the soldiers and police officers deployed for the shrine’s security pulled them out.
“Thankfully, almost everyone there was saved,” he said.
In another hospital ward, a weeping man clutched a phone which had a photograph of his missing daughter.
“We had no idea something like this would happen. The sky was clear – there were even moments of sunshine – and within a minute, it all came crashing down,” he said through tears.
“I just want my daughter. Please find my daughter. I don’t want anything else.”
Parts of northern India have seen very heavy rainfall in recent days, causing flash floods in several areas.
Last week, a massive flood hit the village of Dharali in Uttarakhand, submerging nearly half of it.
On Tuesday, officials said 66 people were still missing and only one body had been found.
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