Thousands Rescued at Flood-Hit Hindu Pilgrimage in Kashmir

Thousands Rescued at Flood-Hit Hindu Pilgrimage in Kashmir
Indian army soldiers carry an injured of a cloudburst for treatment, at Baltal, 105 kilometers (65miles) northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on July 9, 2022. Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo
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SRINAGAR, India—Emergency workers rescued thousands of pilgrims after flash floods triggered by sudden rains swept through their makeshift camps during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Saturday. At least 16 people have died and dozens were injured.

Authorities suspended the pilgrimage for two days as rains continued to lash the region. Teams of rescuers from India’s military, paramilitary and police as well as disaster management officials combed through the slippery mountain tracks and used thermal imaging devices, sniffer dogs, and through-the-wall radars to locate dozens of missing.