Photo Credit: Getty Images
At least 32 people have been killed and around 50 remain missing after sudden flash floods swept through a remote Himalayan village in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.
The disaster struck the village of Chositi in the Kishtwar district following a powerful cloudburst. Mohammed Irshad, a senior disaster management official, confirmed that more than 100 people had been rescued, though several were hospitalized with serious injuries. Rescue efforts are continuing as authorities warn the toll could rise.
India's deputy minister for science and technology, Jitendra Singh, said the cloudburst triggered an "extreme and sudden rush of water" that devastated homes, roads, and public facilities in the area. "The casualties could be substantial," he cautioned.
Chositi, perched in a mountainous area and serving as the last motorable stop along the route of a major Hindu pilgrimage, was particularly vulnerable. Officials suspended the pilgrimage after reports that some participants may have been among those caught in the floods. The community kitchen for pilgrims, along with dozens of vehicles and motorcycles, was swept away by the surge.
Lt. Gov. Manoj Sinha, New Delhi's top administrator in Kashmir, expressed condolences for the victims and said personnel from the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and local police had been mobilized to aid in search and relief operations. Additional teams equipped with heavy machinery are on their way to help clear debris and restore road access.
Cloud bursts, sudden, highly localized Downpours, are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions, where fragile ecosystems and expanding settlements make communities vulnerable to flash floods and landslides. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, while unplanned construction in mountainous areas has amplified the scale of destruction.
As emergency crews continue searching for the missing, officials have urged residents to avoid flood-prone zones. The tragedy adds to mounting concerns over the region's preparedness for recurring disasters that strike without warning.
