Heavy Rainfall and Floods in India and Pakistan
More than 280 people in India and Pakistan have been killed in the last 24 hours due to heavy rainfall and floods in two mountain districts in the neighboring countries. Dozens of people are missing, while around 1,600 people were brought to safety.
India-Controlled Kashmir
In India-Controlled Kashmir, at least 60 people were killed in the remote Himalayan village of Chasoti in the Jammu and Kashmir region on Thursday. Chasoti, located around 136 km northeast of Jammu, is the last village accessible to a mountainous shrine on the route of an annual Hindu pilgrimage. More than 80 people were reported as missing, and civil servants believe that many of them were washed away in the floods.
Rescue Operations
Rescue teams have been working overnight to save those stranded, and at least 300 people were rescued on Thursday. Prognostics say that heavier rains and floods could hit the area, prompting officials to continue rescue operations.
Pakistan
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, at least 243 people died in flood-related incidents, including 157 people in the Buner district in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The authorities have declared a state of emergency in the affected areas. Rescuers evacuated 1,300 tourists from the Mansehra district, who were caught by floodwaters and landslides in the Siran Valley on Thursday.
Flood-Related Incidents
A helicopter carrying relief supplies to the flood-hit area of Bajaur in northwest Pakistan crashed on Friday due to bad weather, killing all five people on board, including two pilots. The Pakistani disaster management agency has issued new warnings for Lake Glacier Outburst flooding in the north and warned people to avoid affected areas.
Global Warming
A study published by World Weather Attribution found that global warming made the heavy rainfall in Pakistan between June 24 and July 23, 10% to 15% more likely. The Gilgit-Baltistan region has been affected by several floods since July, which triggered landslides along the Karakoram Highway, an important trade and travel route that connects Pakistan and China.
