Fooding in Jammu & Kashmir
The flooding began earlier this month in Kashmir, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan. It caused landslides and submerged much of the main city of Srinagar on the Indian-administered side. The water is now rushing out of the mountains of the Himalayan region, affecting communities downstream.
Disaster officials say some 350 villages have been submerged since torrential monsoon rains triggered flooding and landslides across the picturesque Himalayan region.
A massive flood across India and Pakistan that’s killed more than 450 people poured into the surrounding plains Wednesday, sending a major river over its banks and threatening hundreds of thousands more.
Desperate residents were huddled on rooftops Monday as they tried to survive Kashmir's worst flooding in half a century which has already claimed more than 150 lives and left thousands homeless.
With all phone lines down in the main city of Srinagar and roads cut off, the exact scale of the disaster is still unclear. Residents could be seen waving from rooftops while vehicles and livestock were washed away by the flood waters.
Lal Chowk in Srinagar which is the center of all protests submerged in Jhelum's water
From the air, Srinagar looked like a giant, muddy lake, with row after row of rooftops peeking out of the murky water. Frightened survivors clung to tree tops and waited for rescue helicopters to save them.
The rains have washed away houses, bridges, communication equipment and crops.
More than 1.5 million people have been affected, with thousands losing their homes to the rising water.
At least 257 people have died and another 461 have been injured in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the flooding, while 200 have been killed in India, officials say.
source-new.nationalpost.com
