2LT International News

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Torrential rains pounding parts of Pakistan and India have left a trail of destruction, killing at least 34 people and forcing mass evacuations, officials confirmed this week.

The downpours triggered flash floods and landslides in the Himalayan region of Indian-controlled Kashmir, where rescue teams are still searching for missing pilgrims caught in a deadly landslide.

In Kashmir’s Jammu region, a section of mountainside collapsed late on August 26 near Katra, a town famous for the pilgrimage route to the revered hilltop Vaishno Devi temple. The landslide buried devotees trekking to the shrine.

Disaster management official Mohammed Irshad said several bodies were recovered from the debris, while at least 18 injured pilgrims were taken to hospitals. Pilgrimages have been suspended as rescue operations continue.

August has already been one of the deadliest months in recent years, with nearly 100 people killed by floods and landslides across the Himalayas. Forecasters warn that heavy rain is expected to continue through the week, raising fears of further devastation.

Across the border in Pakistan, the scale of damage is even greater. More than 210,000 people have been displaced in Punjab province, where swollen rivers have swallowed villages and submerged farmland. Authorities requested military support for rescue and relief. Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, head of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority, said aid supplies are being rushed to flood-hit areas.

Two soldiers lost their lives while assisting stranded residents, army spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif confirmed. Among the areas worst hit is Narowal district near the Indian border, where floodwaters engulfed the shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, one of the faith’s holiest sites.

As rivers swelled to dangerous levels, officials resorted to desperate measures. Authorities deliberately breached an embankment on the Chenab River to prevent a barrage from collapsing under pressure. Explosives were used to open the dyke, diverting water into villages. Families huddled on higher ground watched helplessly as their homes disappeared underwater.

Rescue operations intensified near Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city, where the Ravi River continued to rise. More than 20,000 people were evacuated overnight from low-lying settlements along the riverbed, said Irfan Ali Kathia, head of Punjab’s Disaster Management Authority.

Mass evacuations are underway in six Punjab districts, including Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Vehari, and Sialkot. Officials blame the combination of unusually heavy monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams for worsening the crisis. With the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers rising to dangerous levels, authorities warn that the coming days may bring even more flooding and displacement.