SRINAGAR (KASHMIR), 15 (DPA/EP)
More than 100 people have died and dozens more are missing due to torrential rains that have fallen in recent days in Indian-controlled Kashmir and northern Pakistan, according to preliminary figures.
In the Pakistani Himalayas, authorities have already reported more than 40 deaths. "It's a horrible situation. We're trying to save dozens, if not hundreds of people," lamented Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the rescue services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
At least 33 people have died in this region, while Pakistani-controlled Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan province have seen another 13 deaths due to dramatically rising water levels or landslides, according to local sources cited by the DPA news agency.
Across the border, the Indian government has yet to provide a final death toll from a meteorological tragedy that has already confirmed 65 deaths. A minister in Jammu and Kashmir, Javed Dar, has admitted that authorities do not know how many people are still missing, although local media report dozens.
Among other sources of concern is an area near the remote town of Chositi, now buried under a mixture of water, earth, and rocks, where hundreds of pilgrims worshipping a Hindu deity had flocked. Chositi is eight kilometers from the temple and is only accessible on foot.
