Rescuers Race to Find Survivors After Flood Claims 60 Lives in India

Rescue operations intensified in India’s Himalayan region on Friday as emergency teams searched through thick mud and debris for survivors following a devastating flood that has killed at least 60 people.

The disaster struck Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, Indian-administered Kashmir, on Thursday after a sudden cloudburst unleashed torrents of water, mud, and rocks. Officials say dozens remain missing, including Hindu pilgrims who had gathered near a large makeshift kitchen set up for visitors to a local shrine.

According to Kashmir’s Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, the cloudburst hit with such force that it swept away more than 100 pilgrims in moments.

Heavy machinery, including earthmovers, was deployed overnight to clear the boulders and rubble brought down from the mountainside. The Indian Army’s White Knight Corps reported that troops are “braving harsh weather and rugged terrain” to evacuate the injured, with emergency supplies such as ropes and digging tools delivered to aid the rescue effort.

One survivor told the Press Trust of India that the impact felt like an earthquake. “We heard a big blast, and within seconds, the water was everywhere,” he recalled.

Mohammad Irshad, a senior disaster management official, confirmed that 80 people are still unaccounted for, while around 50 injured victims have been taken to hospitals.

The tragedy marks the second deadly flood in India this month. On August 5, severe floods buried the Himalayan town of Dharali in Uttarakhand state, with more than 70 feared dead. Experts warn that climate change, combined with unregulated development, is intensifying such disasters during the June–September monsoon season.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address, acknowledged the string of recent natural disasters, expressing condolences to affected families and assuring that state and federal agencies are working together “with full strength” to provide relief.