38 dead as cloudburst triggers flash floods in Kashmir district

100 INJURED; OFFICIALS FEAR DEATH TOLL COULD MOUNT AMID DEVASTATION

- BY ALEX ABRAHAM Senior Associate Editor

At least 38 people, including two CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel, have been killed and 100 injured after a massive cloudburst caused a flash flood in the Chashoti village of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district yesterday afternoon. The Army has also joined the rescue efforts and visuals showed people being evacuated.

According to officials from the police control room in Kishtwar, 38 bodies have been recovered, and there are fears that the death count could rise, an NDTV report said.

Starting point of yatra

Chashoti is the starting point for the Machail Mata Yatra, as well as the last motorable village on the way to the Himalayan shrine of Mata Chandi in Kishtwar. The annual yatra has been suspended after the flash floods, officials said.

It is the second major flooding disaster in India this month.