SRINAGAR/ISLAMABAD — Torrential rains pounded the Himalayas this week, unleashing destruction across India and Pakistan. In just 24 hours, at least 36 people lost their lives in India, while swollen rivers forced officials to issue flood alerts downstream in Pakistan.
The deadliest tragedy struck near the sacred Hindu shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir. A massive landslide swept through a pilgrim route on Tuesday, killing 33 people in an instant. In Doda district, raging floodwaters claimed three more lives as rivers burst their banks and inundated low-lying villages.
The chaos didn’t stop there. In Punjab, about 200 children were trapped inside their school on Wednesday after rising waters engulfed the building, sparking urgent rescue efforts. Meanwhile, dramatic footage showed vehicles plunging off the Madhopur barrage when parts of it collapsed under relentless rainfall.
Roads connecting Jammu to the rest of India were left in ruins. Power and phone lines went dark, with officials struggling to restore what one leader called “almost non-existent” communication.
“This is the heaviest rainfall in the region since 1950,” said Mukhtar Ahmad of the India Meteorological Department, noting that Jammu has received 726% more rain than normal for this time of year. And with forecasts predicting more downpours and thunderstorms, the danger isn’t over yet.
Across the border in Pakistan, the floods spread fear and damage. Sacred Kartarpur Sahib, a revered Sikh temple, was partly submerged. More than 167,000 people have been displaced in Punjab since mid-August, and the country’s monsoon death toll has climbed to 804 lives lost, half of them just this month.
The situation worsened as India opened the floodgates of several dams in Kashmir, releasing excess water downstream into Pakistan. Authorities in Islamabad said the warning came from New Delhi, prompting urgent alerts for three major rivers—the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej—which have already reached alarming levels.
For families across both countries, the disaster has been devastating. Homes swept away, lives lost, and entire communities cut off. Officials say their priority now is restoring power, clean water, and mobile services as rescue and relief efforts continue around the clock.
But with more heavy rain on the way, millions remain on edge—watching the skies, hoping the worst is behind them, and praying their loved ones stay safe.
