Heavy rains hit Himalayas, spread havoc in India and Pakistan

Severe monsoon rains have unleashed widespread devastation across the Himalayan region, leaving at least 36 people dead in India within just 24 hours and sparking flood alerts downstream in Pakistan. Authorities in both countries are now grappling with the aftermath of swollen rivers, landslides, and collapsed infrastructure.

In the deadliest incident, a massive landslide struck a pilgrim route leading to the sacred Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, killing 33 devotees and workers. Rescue teams struggled to retrieve bodies from the debris as continuous rainfall hampered operations.
Elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, three people were swept away when rivers burst their banks, submerging homes and farmland. In Punjab, around 200 schoolchildren were stranded on Wednesday after rising waters inundated their school premises, forcing emergency evacuations.
Dramatic visuals from the Madhopur barrage over the Tawi River showed vehicles plunging into the waters after parts of the structure collapsed overnight due to relentless rainfall. Fortunately, no casualties were immediately reported, though officials warned of the risk of further collapses if rains continue.
Large stretches of highways connecting Jammu with other Indian states have also been damaged, cutting off vital supply lines. Communication networks remain crippled, with “almost non-existent” services, according to Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meteorologists described the rainfall as unprecedented. “The Jammu region has recorded 612 mm of rainfall since August 23—an astonishing 726% above the seasonal average. This is the heaviest rainfall in the region since records began in 1950,” said Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the India Meteorological Department in Srinagar.
Forecasts indicate further downpours across Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir, raising fears of more flash floods and landslides in the coming days. Authorities warned residents living near rivers and in low-lying areas to remain on high alert.
In neighbouring Pakistan, the release of water from Indian dams has led to rising levels in the Chenab, Ravi, and Jhelum rivers, prompting flood alerts in Punjab province. Officials have begun moving villagers from vulnerable areas as rivers swell to dangerous levels.
Though water levels started receding in some Indian districts on Wednesday, many rivers are still flowing above danger marks, keeping thousands at risk. Rescue agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continue to carry out relief operations with boats and helicopters.
Experts say that extreme weather events of this scale point to worsening climate vulnerabilities in the Himalayan belt, where fragile ecosystems and densely populated valleys make the impact of monsoon surges far more destructive.