Flash Floods Kill 32 in Kashmir, Displace Thousands in Pakistan

Torrential monsoon rains have unleashed flash floods across India and Pakistan, leaving widespread devastation. In Indian-controlled Kashmir’s Jammu region, at least 32 people were killed after a landslide struck a pilgrimage route. The exact timeline of the fatalities has not yet been confirmed.

In neighbouring Pakistan, more than 150,000 people have been displaced in Punjab province as rivers overflowed and submerged villages. Authorities have called for military assistance to support rescue and relief operations.

Over 20,000 residents were evacuated overnight from flood-prone areas near Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, following the swelling of the Ravi River, according to Punjab Disaster Management Authority chief Irfan Ali Kathia.

Mass evacuations had already begun earlier in the week in six Punjab districts after intense rains and water released from Indian dams inundated low-lying border regions. Rain is forecast to continue through the week, with officials warning that rising waters in the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers threaten to engulf more villages. Boats have been deployed to rescue stranded residents.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised emergency teams for rapid evacuations that prevented further loss of life. Relief supplies, including tents, are being distributed to flood-hit communities.

Meanwhile, search operations continue for more than 150 people missing after a cloudburst earlier this month triggered deadly flooding in Pakistan’s Buner district, killing over 300. Since late June, flooding in Pakistan has claimed more than 800 lives.

Experts warn that climate change is intensifying South Asia’s monsoon rains, heightening the risk of disasters similar to the catastrophic 2022 floods that submerged a third of Pakistan and killed over 1,700 people.