KASHMIR – Heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread destruction across South Asia, hitting Indian-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan the hardest. Days of persistent rain triggered severe flash floods and landslides, with at least 32 people losing their lives in the Jammu region of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
In Pakistan’s Punjab province, floods have forced more than 210,000 people to leave their homes. As communities work through the aftermath, the impact of climate change becomes even more evident, showing just how much stronger disaster planning needs to be.
In Kashmir, the Jammu area took the brunt of the rainfall. A deadly landslide struck a well-known pilgrimage route near Katra on Tuesday evening, hitting people making the journey to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple.
Mohammed Irshad, a senior disaster management official, confirmed a large section of the mountainside gave way, burying several pilgrims. Most victims’ bodies have now been recovered, and 18 injured people were taken to the hospital. Authorities have paused the pilgrimage as search teams look for others still missing, and the number of fatalities could increase.
The floods also hit remote places, including the Himalayan village of Chositi in Kishtwar district. Here, a severe cloudburst on 14 August left at least 60 people dead, with more than 80 still unaccounted for.
Harvinder Singh, a resident who helped with the search, recalled digging through mud to find 33 bodies. The floods swept away a kitchen serving pilgrims, several homes, and vehicles in the hills. Meteorologists warn that more rain is expected, putting fragile mountain communities at further risk.
Massive Flooding in Pakistan
In Pakistan, swollen rivers have turned towns and villages into islands. Eastern Punjab has faced some of the worst flooding in recent years, worsened by water released from India. Over 210,000 people have had to evacuate, with houses and livelihoods destroyed.
The Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers are running dangerously high, with serious flooding reported in Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Vehari, and Sialkot districts. More than 20,000 people have been taken to safety from the outskirts of Lahore as the threat rises.
Floodwaters have even reached the shrine of Guru Nanak in the Narowal district, a key site close to the Indian border. On Wednesday night, officials staged a controlled breach on the Chenab’s embankment to keep a barrage from failing, but this sent even more water into nearby villages.
Now, many residents are stranded on raised land, watching their homes disappear. Lieutenant General Inam Haider of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said rescue teams are still working, bringing supplies to the hardest-hit areas. Sadly, two soldiers died while helping flood victims.
This year’s monsoon has been especially harsh, with nearly 100 people dead across the Himalayan region in August alone. Scientists say climate change is leading to more frequent and intense cloudbursts. Rapid, unplanned building and tree cutting in the mountains worsen the damage by making hillsides unstable and more likely to collapse.
Urgent Need for Better Preparation
In Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, earlier flash floods this month caused 344 deaths, most in Buner district. A helicopter crash during relief efforts in Bajaur killed five more, adding to the pain.
Many are frustrated by the slow response. In Pakistan, people on social media criticized the lack of warnings, saying children were caught in schools as the waters rose. “Not a single warning was issued.
How did no one see this was coming?” wrote a resident from Swat. On the Indian side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to support Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who used virtual reality to inspect flood damage in Chositi.
Repeated disasters show how vulnerable the region is to extreme weather and highlight gaps in disaster response. In Pakistan, many blame years of weak leadership for failing to set up effective emergency systems in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In India, stopping pilgrimage travel and sending soldiers highlights the scale of the emergency.
With heavy rain expected to continue, both countries face a huge challenge in recovering and preventing a repeat. The floods of 2025 are a clear warning that tackling climate risks should come first, including stronger warning systems and safer building methods. For now, immediate rescue and relief efforts are ongoing, as families cope with loss and try to rebuild their lives after a record-breaking monsoon.
