Rescue teams in Indian Kashmir are racing against time to find survivors after sudden floods and massive landslides killed at least 60 people and left more than 200 missing.
The disaster struck on Thursday when heavy rains triggered powerful mudslides and flooding in Chasoti village, washing away pilgrims who had paused for lunch before starting their trek to the Machail Mata shrine in the Himalayas.
“I still can’t forget that sound,” said Rakesh Sharma, a survivor, his voice trembling. “It was like the earth itself was roaring. One moment we were talking… and the next, people were screaming, some falling into the Chenab River, others swallowed by mud.”
On Friday morning, the air in Chasoti was heavy with the smell of wet earth and silence, broken only by the clinking of shovels and the urgent calls of rescuers. Bags, clothes, and broken electric poles lay buried in thick sludge. Volunteers and soldiers worked shoulder to shoulder, forming human chains to pass ropes and pull people to safety. A young boy, barefoot and shivering, was lifted from the rubble, clinging tightly to his rescuer.
Over 100 people have been injured, and many families are still searching for loved ones. “My sister and her children were right here,” said Sunita Devi, pointing to a flattened patch of mud where her home once stood. “I just want to see them again—alive.”
The incident occurred during the sacred Machail Yatra pilgrimage, dedicated to the Goddess Durga. Chasoti is the final village before the steep uphill journey begins, making it a bustling point for pilgrims—until tragedy struck.
This heartbreak comes just a week after a similar flood and landslide in Uttarakhand wiped out another Himalayan village. Experts warn that climate change is making such disasters not just more frequent, but far more devastating.
Across South Asia, the monsoon’s fury has been relentless. In Nepal, at least 41 are dead and 21 missing. In northern Pakistan, more than 50 people have died in rain-related accidents, from roof collapses to flash floods. In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a family of six perished when their home was buried under debris.
For now, the rescue effort continues against time, against nature, and against the heartbreak hanging in the air.
