Flash flooding and landslides caused by heavy rain have claimed at least 24 in Pakistan administered Kashmir on Monday, officials said.
The spokesman for the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Saeedur Rehman Qureshi said “At least 24 people were swept away and have gone missing.”
“We cannot declare the missing as dead at this juncture but have not found any of the missing so far,” he added.
He said five people were wounded in the incident.
The disputed Kashmir region is divided into two parts by a line of control (LoC), the de facto border. Both Pakistan and India control parts of Kashmir, but lay claim to the entire valley.
The incident took place in Leswa town of Neelam valley, a famous tourist destination near the LoC, at around 3 am (2200 GMT Sunday).
Rain triggered flooding, landslides and lightning destroyed a small market in the town.
More than 100 houses were damaged while a mosque was swept away by the flash flood, Qureshi said.
“The army is assisting the local administration in the rescue and recovery mission,” said Saqib Mumtaz, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The authority has issued a flood advisory from July 13 to 19 due to expected heavy rains and asked concerned authorities to take precautionary measures during the forecast period.
The floods usually hit South Asia in monsoon season, which begins from July and lasts until the end of August.
Dpa/NAN
