New Delhi: Torrential rainfall in northern India has unleashed deadly floods and triggered a landslide along the popular Hindu pilgrimage route to shrine in Jammu, killing at least 30 people, news agency ANI reported on Wednesday.
The disaster struck on Tuesday near the revered shrine, one of India's most visited pilgrimage sites, as heavy downpours destabilized the mountainous terrain.
The landslide is part of a wider crisis across the Himalayan region, where intense monsoon rains have claimed at least 60 lives over the past week. Another 200 people remain missing after devastating flash floods in Kishtwar, Indian-administered Kashmir.
The situation has been worsened by severe damage to infrastructure and communications. Telecom networks in the affected regions are nearly non-functional. "Communication is almost nonexistent," said Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In addition to the fatalities, the flooding has caused widespread disruption. Authorities ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Jammu after the city was inundated with a staggering 368 mm (14.5 inches) of rainfall on Tuesday alone.
Several rivers—including the Tawi, Chenab, and Basantar—have risen dangerously above alert levels, flooding low-lying areas. Jammu district official Rakesh Kumar confirmed that key highways linking Jammu to the rest of India have been damaged, and a major bridge on the Tawi river collapsed, swallowing multiple vehicles.
Officials are urging residents to remain indoors at night and stay away from riverbanks, as weather forecasts predict continued rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds, particularly across the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Rescue operations are ongoing, but treacherous conditions and communication breakdowns have hindered relief efforts.
Pakistan has been struggling with intense monsoon rains in recent weeks.
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On Tuesday, authorities in Islamabad warned that the Punjab region faces a "very high to exceptionally high" risk of flooding. This threat stems from a combination of ongoing heavy rainfall and the release of water from two dams by India.
According to officials, more than 150,000 people have been displaced in Punjab. Nearly 35,000 of them evacuated voluntarily after flood warnings were issued following heavy downpours since August 14.
