Death toll from monsoon flooding in Indian Kashmir rises to 47
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Version 0 of 1. SRINAGAR, India — The death toll from severe flooding inIndian-controlled Kashmir rose to 47 on Friday, as four days of heavy rain overwhelmed rivers and tributaries, triggering landslides and forcing thousands to flee their homes. The state government said it was setting up rescue shelters and had budgeted $3.3 million for relief and rescue efforts. Local officials pleaded for more assistance from the federal government. At least 300 rescuers with boats and search equipment from the National Disaster Response Force arrived in the region, according to Rohit Kansal, a civilian official. Landslides and floods are common in India during the monsoon season, which runs through September. More than 100 people died recently when a massive landslide hit near the western city of Pune. But the Kashmir region has been hit by its worst monsoon flooding in more than 20 years. Power and telephone links have been cut in many areas and supplies of clean drinking waterhave been hit, officials said. The flooding inundated homes, cutoff neighborhoods and damaged bridges. Officials said southern areas of Kashmir suffered massive flooding, and most of the federal rescuers available were sent to that area. Soldiers and rescue workers used boats to move thousands of people to higher ground. Public address systems in mosques warned people in the worst-hit neighborhoods to move to safety. Officials said at least 100 villages across the Kashmir Valley were flooded by overflowing streams and rivers, including the Jhelum River, which was up to seven feet above its danger level. Parts of Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar were also flooded. The official death toll stood at 47 on Friday, but there were fears that it would grow. Officials said the deaths include five victims whose bodies were recovered after a bus carrying a 50-member wedding party was swept away in a stream Thursday. Four passengers managed to swim to safety, and rescuers were searching for the others. Another government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said 15 people were buried under a house that collapsed under a landslide. Rescuers have recovered 10 bodies so far, he said. Three other people, including a paramilitary soldier, were washed away when a bridge collapsed, and two brothers were swept away after they vainly tried to save their drowning father. — Associated Press |