Floods, landslides kill at least 30 in India's Jammu region

SRINAGAR: Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains have killed at least 30 people in India's Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir, officials and local media said. An intense monsoon rainstorm in the Indian-administered territory has caused widespread chaos with raging water smashing into bridges and swamping homes. A landslide on the route to the famous Hindu shrine Vaishno Devi killed at least 30 people, a local disaster official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the loss of lives was 'saddening'. Floods and landslides are common during the June-September monsoon season, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity and impact.
Climate experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) warn that a spate of disasters illustrates the dangers when extreme rain combines with mountain slopes weakened by melting permafrost. ICIMOD warned in a statement this month that the wider Hindu Kush Himalaya region is suffering 'accelerated glacier melt, shifting weather patterns, and an increasing frequency of disaster events' including floods.
The local administration said on Wednesday that thousands had been forced to flee in the Jammu region. Schools have been shut in the area, with the region's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah saying officials were struggling with 'almost non-existent communication'.
The main Jhelum River has also risen above the danger mark, with authorities sounding flood alerts, including for the key city of Srinagar.
Meanwhile, Pakistan authorities blew up an embankment next to a monsoon-engorged dam on Wednesday as flooding submerged one of the world's holiest Sikh sites. Three rivers in the east of the country have swollen to exceptionally high levels as a result of heavy rains across the border in India. It has triggered flood alerts throughout Punjab province, home to nearly half of Pakistan's 255 million people. The army was also deployed to help evacuate tens of thousands of people and livestock near the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
Authorities carried out a controlled explosion of an embankment at Qadirabad dam on the Chenab River on Wednesday as the water levels rose. 'To save the structure, we have breached the right marginal embankment so that the flow of the water reduces,' said Mazhar Hussain, the spokesperson for Punjab's disaster management agency.
The Kartarpur temple was submerged by floodwater near the border with India. Five boats were sent to the sprawling site to rescue around 100 people left stranded. Pakistan authorities said neighbouring India had released water from upstream dams on its side of the border, further increasing the volume of water reaching Pakistan. Islamabad's foreign ministry said New Delhi had given advanced notice through diplomatic channels ahead of opening the dam spillways. The disaster management authority issued emergency alerts and advised those living near the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers to 'immediately move to safe locations'. — AFP