At Least 19 Dead in Floods and Landslides Following Heavy Monsoon Rains in Northern India

At least 19 people have died due to flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in the monsoon-affected northwestern and northeastern regions of India.

According to local media outlets including AFP and NDTV on July 20 (local time), at least 11 people were killed in floods and landslides on the previous day in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, which borders Pakistan.

As rivers overflowed due to heavy rainfall and inundated low-lying areas, several houses were swept away. A family of four went missing from one home, and the bodies of two women who fell into rivers and streams were recovered.

Additionally, multiple houses collapsed due to landslides, resulting in the deaths of three people, including a 28-year-old woman and a 22-year-old woman. Dozens of vehicles were also swept away by the torrents.

Authorities have deployed rescue teams and military personnel to conduct search and rescue operations, successfully rescuing 11 people, including five children, in the Rajouri region.

With the India Meteorological Department warning of the possibility of extreme rainfall in the Jammu and Kashmir region for two days starting today, the annual large-scale pilgrimage to the Hindu shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir, which attracts hundreds of thousands of participants, has been suspended.

Local authorities stated that the pilgrimage was halted "for the safety and well-being of all pilgrims," adding that it would resume only after weather conditions improve and the pilgrimage route is declared safe.

The Vaishno Devi temple in the Jammu region, which is visited by millions of people every year, has also been closed.

Meanwhile, local authorities in the Mon district of the northeastern state of Nagaland, which borders Myanmar, reported that landslides occurred in several locations following heavy downpours, burying houses and leaving eight people dead and over 10 injured.

Authorities have recovered four of the eight bodies from the debris of collapsed houses and are continuing search and rescue operations for the remaining victims and those missing.

In India, heavy monsoon rains typically occur between June and September, often leading to floods and landslides. However, experts observe that the damage is being exacerbated by a combination of recent climate change and the severe El Niño phenomenon this year.

In fact, while rainfall was nearly 40% lower than average at the start of the monsoon season last month, sudden heavy downpours early this month resulted in a month's worth of rain falling in just one week in areas such as Mumbai in the west.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.