The disaster occurred in Chasoti town of Kishtwar district, a stopover point on a popular pilgrimage route. It comes a little over a week after a heavy flood and mudslide engulfed an entire village in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
The flood washed away a community kitchen and a security post set up in the village, said the official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media about the incident.
“A large number of pilgrims had gathered for lunch and they were washed away. Scores of people as of now are missing,” the official said.
A video clip shared by an eyewitness showed damaged houses hanging precariously beside what seemed to be a flow of mud and debris.
Rescue teams are likely to face difficulty reaching the area.
Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200km from the region’s main city Srinagar.
“The news is grim,” Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement. “All possible resources are being mobilised”.
His office said he “expressed deep sorrow over the tragic cloudburst” in Kishtwar, and offered “condolences to the bereaved families”.
However, no official toll has been given yet.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
The disaster happened at 11.30am local time (2pm, Singapore time), the divisional commissioner of Kishtwar district told news agency ANI, adding that local police and disaster response officials had reached the scene.
“Army, air force teams have also been activated. Search and rescue operations are underway,” said Ramesh Kumar.
